NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Sleepers – FanDuel Advice for 4/26/15

NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, and MLB daily games. This is the time of year in which FanDuel and DFS players get as giddy as Augustus Gloop receiving a golden ticket to tour the Willy Wonka Chocolate factory. So many games and so many options are available that it can be hard to keep up at times. Don’t worry, Rotoballer is here to help you with your NBA playoffs picks so you don’t drown in a metaphorical chocolate river of DFS debt.

We have provided our daily picks throughout the year and we will continue to push hard during this second NBA season. Below are our favorite FanDuel DFS picks for Saturday April 18th, 2015.

Keep in mind, fantasy basketball is a fickle game when it comes to injured players, so be sure to check all lineups prior to tip-off. If you want to chat about your roster picks, check out the DFS chat room at the bottom of this post.

 

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Worth the FanDuel Investment

Kyrie Irving (Cle, G) - $7,900

Kyrie Irving seems pretty darn comfortable in the playoffs. After a sizzling first two games, Irving cooled down in Game 3 against Boston. However, don’t let this slight derailment stop you from using Uncle Drew in your lineups on Sunday. Irving has proven to be a dynamic player and should very well show up with brooms to help LeBron finish off the Celtics. He should come into Game 4 ready to continue his great play. In his three playoff games thus far, Irving has averaged 23.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks. His numbers have been terrific, and he looks very comfortable out there. He has cut down his turnovers significantly from the regular season. Irving averaged 2.5 TOs in the regular season, but has decreased it to 1.7 TOs. He has shown maturity as well as dominance against his defensive matchups against the Celtics. Irving's investment price is well worth his potential performance in Game 4.

Honorable Mention: Isaiah Thomas (Bos, G)

 

Kawhi Leonard (SA, F) - $8,400

Go ahead. Shell out for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard was absolutely dynamite in Game 3 against the Clippers, showing incredible efficiency as well as dominance in his match-ups. No one on the Clippers can really guard him. Matt Barnes hasn’t shown much in the playoffs to prove he can lock down the budding star, and Leonard has really improved with every game this series. Leonard is averaging 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 10 blocks, and 2.7 steals. In Game 3, Leonard scored a career high 32 points, and will be heavily relied upon to carry this Spurs team. This is especially the case since a long series does not bode well for the longevity of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. Look for Pop to continue to rely on Leonard as one of the primary options in Game 4, as the Spurs will look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Love (Cle, F)

 

Marcin Gortat (Was, C) - $7,000

Speaking of guys who are improving each game in the playoffs, Marcin Gortat has been a pleasant fantasy basketball surprise. In fact, his improved performance may be strongly attributed to the fact that Coach Randy Wittman finally sees Gortat’s ability to cause match-up problems against the Raptors. Jonas Valanciunas is the only player on the Raptors who has the size to match up against Gortat, but even he can’t really keep up with the Polish Hammer in pick-and-rolls. Gortat was able to play 42 minutes in Game 3, which is huge compared to the 26 and 28 minutes that he played in Game 1 and Game 2. In these three games, Gortat has averaged 16.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 blocks. Perhaps we can count on Wittman to once again rely on Gortat to have a huge game, as the Wizards attempt to sweep this series against Toronto.

Honorable Mention: Dwight Howard (Hou, C)

 

FanDuel Sleepers & Value Picks

Monta Ellis (Dal, G) - $6,400

I really can’t believe I am saying this, but Monta Ellis is a sleeper pick on Sunday. Ellis’s price is barely above that of J. J. Reddick, and I’d pick Ellis over Reddick any day. Ellis is also valued lower than Evan Turner, which doesn’t really make sense to me either. Ellis is capable of a huge performance on any given night, whereas a guy like Evan Turner has a limited fantasy ceiling. If you are going to win in a large pool on FanDuel, you need someone like Ellis to play way over his low investment price. It’s very possible for Ellis to have a huge performance on Sunday, because the Mavericks have their backs against the wall in a win or go home situation. Ellis will go out there and do everything he can to keep this team alive, and he definitely showed his drive to do that in Game 3 by recording 34 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Smith (Hou, F), Tony Parker (SA, G)

 

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