The second round of playoffs is officially set and we have two great games lines up for Sunday. They start pretty early so make sure you are up early enough to catch some early-afternoon updates. The Rockets and Warriors series will be watched by a ton of people and for good reason, while the Warriors still have the talent advantage, the Rockets force them to play a different style. Despite having all-time great players who can arguably carry the load every night, look for there to be some inconsistencies in Game 1. Both teams know what they are getting into, but the Rockets are carrying some serious momentum right now and it should pay off in the box score.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/28/19. 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. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Chris Paul - PG, vs GSW ($6,900)
This is still the Warriors backcourt that is fairly susceptible to letting up points, not to mention Klay Thompson will be the one guarding James Harden, leaving Steph Curry (and others) to guard Chris Paul. Either way, the perception of playing on the road doesn't seem to affect the Rockets ALL that much, especially Paul, and at this point, shutting up the Warriors fans is pretty good, in-game motivation. Personally, I'm stacking the Rockets tonight and that means trusting both Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker to actually hit their shots.
Khris Middleton - SG/SF, vs. BOS ($6,200)
There aren't many options to go with at shooting guard, so it's either James Harden, Eric Gordon or Khris Middleton. If I had to make a case for Middleton tonight, it's that the Celtics backcourt is going to collapse toward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and while that will open up the court for Middleton, he is still going to have to hit his jump shots. Luckily, he had no problem scoring last series and although the Celtics defense will eventually have to stop him, Milwaukee is going to throw a lot at the Celtics defense at once so expect Middleton and a few others to get free fairly often.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Marcus Morris - SF/PF, at MIL ($4,400)
In the most recent game Marcus Morris had against the Bucks, he played 31 minutes, scoring 11 points on twelve shots. The first time these teams met this season, he scored 17 points in just 24 minutes, again taking twelve shots. In both contest he was able to contribute elsewhere, making this almost a certain pick for tonight. He will get minutes since he is the best defensive asset the Celtics frontcourt has right now, but his versatility is going to be essential whenever Aron Baynes or Al Horford need a rest.
Since he can play the five, he should extra minutes here and there, especially since the Bucks will want to incorporate Brook Lopez in their offense whenever they can. His shooting is always iffy, but his ability to rebound and stretch the floor specifically against Milwaukee gives him upside. It's somewhat comical that Morris is listed as a hybrid forward, whereas the next pick, Nikola Mirotic, is listed as a forward/center.
Nikola Mirotic - PF/C, vs. BOS ($3,600)
Favoring players who can stretch the floor is eventually going to be the backbone of playing DFS around this series. While Antetokounmpo will be nearly unstoppable, he is going to need his teammates to hit their shots whenever he finds them on the wing. In the playoffs, Mirotic' biggest concern has been minutes. While he still is fairly new to the team, and technically returning from an injury, it makes his upside just that much worse.
Regardless, his price is so low that there minimal downside. I expect Antetokounmpo to take over this game quickly, giving the Bucks bench a decent lead that the Celtics will somehow crawl back from. Mirotic has one job to do in the playoffs and it's to make three's. While on the Pelicans earlier this season, he scored 25 points on 15 shots against Boston, so there is promise, but he will need help.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Clint Capela - C, at GSW ($6,500)
This is a safe pick. Now that I said that, Clint Capela will post the worst dud of his career. That's how DFS works right? I watch an unhealthy amount of basketball and try to be analytical, just to have the basketball gods laugh in my face on a nightly basis. Jester seems a little more fitting every day...
Anyway, Capela has a track record for DESTROYING the Warriors. He's doubled-doubled in almost every game, and even if he didn't technically get 10 points and rebounds, he produced and exceeded his projected score. James Harden should hopefully catch the Warriors frontcourt slipping, leaving Capela to easy production around the rim. There's only so much Golden State's backcourt can do. Unless Andrew Bogut was the missing piece they needed 'oh' so badly...