DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (4/19/18): NBA DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on April 19, 2018. Dennis Clausen's NBA DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

The playoffs continue and the league will feature three games on Thursday night. Many players, such as Rajon Rondo, Ben Simmons, and LaMarcus Aldridge, to name a few, are at a point where hitting value may be more difficult due to their rising costs. With each team relatively healthy and nobody to sub in for injuries, we can focus on the players who have been productive and have been getting an abundance of minutes. Players who have been on the floor, have a history of their hitting value consistently, and are putting up shots are guys we should be targeting, especially since the vegas lines and the pace of all three games are very similar. There aren’t a lot of traditional centers to pick from either on Thursday, but luckily in DraftKings, many power forwards can easily slide in at the five.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/19/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings.

You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. Give me a follow on Twitter and say hello @Den_Clausen. Good luck!

DraftKings DFS Guards

Damian Lillard - PG, @ NOP ($8,900)

Throughout the regular season, Lillard was consistently in the MVP conversation and also gave instant credibility to Portland heading into the Western Conference Playoffs. However, things haven't gone exactly as anticipated as the Blazers have dropped the first two games and have been given a grim prognosis for the remainder of the series. After scoring only 35 points in the first two games, to say that Lillard has been a disappointment would be an understatement. There is good news in all of this, however, as Lillard has actually fared better against the Pelicans while playing on their home court, averaging 32 points per game in two visits to the Smoothie King Center this season. He will be extra-motivated to get his team back on track, and he is too talented to continue producing these subpar numbers. Take advantage of the price drop because it will likely increase come Game 4.

Jrue Holiday - PG/SG, vs. POR ($7,900)

Holiday is a guy that, in my opinion, is very undervalued on Thursday night. He has been seeing a hefty amount of minutes and has been taking advantage of his time on the floor, averaging 27 points per contest in addition to putting up a total of 44 shots so far this series. While Rajon Rondo has also certainly proved his fantasy value against the Blazers, Holiday is by far more consistent of the two, at least on the offensive end. His price didn’t increase that much either since Game 2, which is also good news considering Holiday’s fantastic upside.

Klay Thompson - SG, @ SAS ($6,800)

Thompson has been very dependable and has taken on extra responsibilities with Stephen Curry still out of commission. Throughout Games 1 and 2, Thompson is averaging an impressive 29 points per outing. During that span, he is also shooting an astounding 71 percent from deep, 69 percent from the field and averaging 16.5 shot attempts per game. Maybe Thompson should break his thumb more often because he’s been on a roll since his return.

Also Consider: Ben Simmons, CJ McCollum, JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Kevin Durant - SF/PF, @ SAS ($10,300)

How did DraftKings reward Kevin Durant for his splendid Game 2 performance? By dropping his price $200. That’s right, after slaughtering opposing Spurs’ defenders in Game 1, the onslaught continued in Game 2 with Durant scoring 32 points. Expect another massacre in Game 3.

Dario Saric - SF/PF, @ MIA ($6,600)

While LaMarcus Aldridge’s Game 2 performance was impressive, the Warriors commitment to stopping him by constantly double-teaming him makes me worried about the type of adjustments they will have in store for him in Game 3. With that said, I am opting to play it safe and go with Saric, who has been playing relatively well so far in the playoffs. Saric is 7-for-16 from behind the arc so far this series, but if he can get some of those to drop, Saric will be in store for a solid fantasy night. I know a lot of people are high on Ersan Ilyasova, and rightfully so, but he will lose his fantasy appeal if Joel Embiid is able to play on Thursday night.

Also Consider: Rudy Gay, Draymond Green, Zach Collins (if Jusuf Nurkic sits), Maurice Harkless (if Evan Turner sits), Al-Farouq Aminu, Ersan Ilyasova (if Joel Embiid sits), Kelly Olynyk (if Joel Embiid sits), Anthony Davis

DraftKings DFS Centers

Hassan Whiteside - C, vs. PHI ($5,400)

Whiteside has been relegated to a non-essential role throughout the start of the playoffs, playing only 27 minutes in the first two games of the series. However, if Joel Embiid is able to suit up for Game 3, Whiteside could find himself getting more minutes as a result of not having to deal with running through constant picks set up for Dario Saric and Ersan Ilyasova. If Embiid returns, Miami will need to get physical, and Kelly Olynyk or Bam Adebayo aren't the guys to do it. Remember to keep an eye on Emiid's status because if he doesn't play, keep Whiteside out of your lineup.