X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (5/1/18): NBA DFS Lineups

Another two game slate and another chance to cash out big-time. Honestly, I think the NBA needs to give LeBron James another day of rest. They might lose a team when James knocks the Raptors out of the playoffs but tonight, it should be all about DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and James. I'll say this probably every time these two teams play. THERE IS NO REASON THE RAPTORS SHOULDN'T WIN THIS GAME, BUT they also have no one to guard to James so there's that too. If I was going to make a bet now on this series, give me Cavaliers in six. I know that's bold since they just took the Pacers to seven, but I think teams tend to shift narratives the further they advance. Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance will find their groove, but if they don't, assume James will shoulder the workload.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/1/18. 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. Find me in the Hoops Chat Room, playing Fornite on Xbox or regrettably on Twitter @HalfCourtJester.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

DraftKings DFS Guards

Rajon Rondo - PG, @ GSW ($7,300)

Jrue Holiday has stolen the limelight of the Pelicans backcourt, but Rajon Rondo is still flirting with nightly triple-doubles and that +3 is valuable on nights like tonight. Chances are you'll be tying for some place or another, but the limited lineup options open up the door for accuracy. If you can manage to strike gold with a few lower-owned players, you'll cash out with no problem. Rajon Rondo might be a notable play tonight, but there are few guards around the same price range and Rondo has the lowest "surprise factor" out of all of them. By surprise factor I mean how likely it is for that player to go off. Jrue Holiday going off is ideal for DFS because of the amount of points he scores. Rondo going off is a fat triple-double, but is ultimately limited to 20 points or so. All in all, he's worth it, but he doesn't have the same excite factor Holiday retains.

Klay Thompson - PG/SG, vs. NOP ($6,600)

Although his price is right where it should be, Klay Thompson being a point-dependent option means he needs to explode tonight. It's hard for Thompson to exceed his projected with scoring, but he does have a bit of upside seeing how he snagged six rebounds last game. That's two more than his season average and he should be good for another four or five rebounds tonight. His shooting has gotten dramatically better the longer Steph Curry is out, but beware a Curry return might alter the momentum of Thompson. It's happened in the past, but the long-term effects are usually better for the team anyway. Thompson has upside even when Curry returns, but it definitely hinders the probability of Thompson having a big night.

 

DraftKings DFS Forwards

J.R. Smith - SG/SF, at TOR ($4,000)

it's funny when you write from down to up because I just talked about Kevin Love and how the Cavaliers are going to either shoot themselves into or out of this game. It starts with J.R. Smith, the worst-best shooter in the game. There is no indicator that Smith will have a good game, or a bad game, or is trending, or is anything for that matter. He is what he is and he shoots well some nights, atrociously bad the other. It's just what you get by playing Smith but clearly my intentions somewhere around the "he'll exceed value tonight" range.

Kevin Love - PF/C, vs. PHI ($6,400)

LeBron James' superhuman-like effort shouldn't be overshadowed by Kevin Love, but tonight it will be. James needs help and Love is his best option. If Love and the Cavaliers can manage to get back to their rebounding ways, which they most likely won't seeing how they don't have the rotation consistency to run anything other than small-ball. I've had a growing suspicion that the Cavaliers are only as good as the team they are playing will let them. If you give the Cavaliers space, they will eventually bury you. If you go big but down have the defense to guard other bigs, they will beat you. If you actually decide to let LeBron James be the one to beat you, then you will lose in royal fashion. Expect the Raptors to let the Cavaliers shoot themselves in or out of this one. I'm going with in and Love dropping around 23 points.

 

DraftKings DFS Centers

David West - C, vs. NOP ($3,500)
In game one, David West did a little bit of everything, today we'll need him to do a bit more. Luckily, West just needs minute and the right role to produce, which he'll have both of tonight. He contributed in just about every statistical category and that should be a trend going forward. When West is on the court, there's a matter of consistency that the Warriors can rely on given bad shooting. I am not saying the Warriors will have a bad shooting night, but it's always possible and seeing how well Draymond Green shot in game one, I assume he spreads the shooting around a bit more game two.

 

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Royce Lewis

Twins Activate Royce Lewis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
Corbin Carroll

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
Yordan Alvarez

Could Return Early Next Week
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Kerry Carpenter

Shelved with Hamstring Issue
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard Waived By Milwaukee
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Shea Langeliers

Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Wilyer Abreu

Belts Grand Slam and Hits Inside-the-Park Home Run
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
New York Knicks

Jordan Clarkson Expected to Sign With Knicks
Zack Wheeler

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings, Punches Out 10
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
George Springer

Exits Early Monday With Neck Injury
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Los Angeles Clippers

Brook Lopez Strikes Deal With Clippers
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Hunter Goodman

Likely Headed to Injured List
Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones Remaining in Chicago
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith Signing With Rockets
Trent Grisham

Exits With Hamstring Tightness
Atlanta Hawks

Caris LeVert Joining Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks Reach Agreement on a New Contract
Brooklyn Nets

D'Angelo Russell Heading to Dallas
Denver Nuggets

Bruce Brown Jr. Heading Back to Denver
Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela Returning to Houston
Cameron Johnson

Traded to Denver
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Michael Porter Jr.

Traded to Brooklyn
Matt Chapman

Could Return for Start of Giants Homestand
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Return on Saturday
Yanquiel Fernández

Yanquiel Fernandez Called Up to Majors
Tyler Mahle

Dealing With Rotator-Cuff Strain
Brooklyn Nets

Ziaire Williams Expected to Return to Nets
Austin Wells

to Miss Next Two Games
Bo Bichette

Scratched With Sore Knee
Jurickson Profar

to Return on Wednesday
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Colby Thomas

Called Up From Triple-A
Shea Langeliers

A's Reinstate Shea Langeliers From Injured List
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Bryce Harper

Activated and Starting on Monday
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF