RADIO
This is one of the last day's of the season and the third biggest slate before playoffs. There a 13-game gem on Friday I will not be covering, but I'll be fully involved in the 14-game whopper on Sunday. Tonight there's 12 games meaning you will most likely hear one or two names you've never heard before, so get ready for some inconsistencies here and there. One name you'll need to know but might not yet is Walt Lemon Jr.
A 26-year old from Chicago that spent most of this season with the Windy City Bulls and got his first start against the Knicks on Monday. Although some would say his performance was underwhelming, that's only partially true. In the box score he still managed to post solid numbers despite this being only his second game with the team. Since the Bulls are tanking, they should continue to give Lemon the nod at point guard, meaning he's a fairly safe pick. He has been making a case for himself on the defensive end primarily, so his floor remains high. His ceiling however, depends on how well his teammates are performing. Since he's not the best shooter and won't be pulling from outside, he needs spacing. Luckily, he has no problem finding open teammates for easy points so against the Wizards, it's easy to see this game abandoning defense quickly and Lemon being able to score and pass freely.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/3/19. 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 check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups too early. Be sure to check all the NBA starting lineups and player statuses and availability prior to opening tip. Find me sadly on Twitter @HalfCourtJester.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Jamal Murray - PG/SG vs SA ($5,900)
Playing point guards against the Spurs have been a staple of NBS-DFS this year and there's no reason to change that now. Since the top-tier point guards are fairly stacked, you really can't go wrong with any one unless the get removed from the lineup for one reason or another. Pay attention and don't take any dumb risks like playing superstars in games that don't matter. The Nuggets are still playing their guys nightly so unless something happens today that changes something about Murray's status, he's good to go and he's going to be the safest mid-tier option tonight.
Cory Joseph - PG/SG, at DET ($3,800)
The Pacers have been good this season. They were better with Victor Oladipo, but without him they have remained alongside some of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Much of this is because of how solid their defense has been. Not only have they been a top-five defense against opposing big men, but they have been the toughest defense against point guards and that is directly because of Cory Joseph and Darren Collison. Joseph specifically has been a lockdown defender this season and despite his size, he has made things TOUGH on guards.
Lately he's barely producing and the Pacers have been struggling. In the bigger picture, it's not a big deal with playoffs right around the corner, but they will be forced to flip a switch rather than just carrying momentum into the postseason. Joseph needs to start hitting shots and since the Pistons tend to have those nights on defense, look for him to find some rhythm on offense.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Georges Niang - SF/PF, at PHO ($3,000)
There's no way I can sell you on Georges Niang through his box score, so I'll take the cop out. The Jazz are playing the Suns. He's been getting SOME minutes lately as the Jazz creep into the playoffs, but by some, I literally mean some. He hasn't played above 10 minutes in a few weeks and that's frightening. The positive aspect is that he is dirt cheap and even if he only scores five points and grabs five rebounds, that's almost returning value.
If the Jazz were playing ANYONE other than Phoenix I wouldn't even consider Niang, but at this point I have to play him and trust the sleeper pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he does see extra minutes since the Suns tend to run smaller and it wouldn't hurt for the Jazz to give Gobert a few less minutes heading into the postseason.
Bobby Portis - PF/C, vs CHI ($6,300)
Revenge game. The only thing that would make this a more iconic revenge game would be if Nikola Mirotic was still a Bull. Alas, all we have is Bobby Portis thriving on a new team, playing his old team in his new arena. The Wizards are all over the place in terms of organization, so look for the players who can create their own production to be the top scorers. Bradley Beal and Portis both generate on their own and even if they aren't scoring find ways to impact the game and box score. Portis should be able to out-rebound everyone on the Bulls and the only thing that can really stop him is a stellar defensive performance from Robin Lopez.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Bismack Biyombo - C, at NO ($3,400)
Do we trust Bismack Biyombo to actual hit his projected? No. Do we think it's possible? Of course. If there's any chance Biyombo has a good game it's tonight. The Pelicans have been in the bottom-10 against nearly every position for some time. His price is fairly low and there are other options on the Hornets ahead of Biyombo, but tonight I think he gets a fair share of minutes against their frontcourt. Since he won't be able to do much outside of defend and rebound, look for him to take advantage of his size and athleticism when in the paint.
