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Harden & D’Antoni vs Suns: Mike D’Antoni was once the offensive genius behind the Suns’ Seven Seconds or Less offense. Now, he faces his former team and, instead of Steve Nash, he is trying to make an MVP of James Harden. Harden puts up video game numbers on the regular, and the Suns perimeter defense stinks, so this could be a fun game tonight.

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Team Analysis

Defense to avoid: Utah Jazz, vs BOS. The Jazz give up the fewest fantasy points to guards and forwards, and the third-least to centers according to the DraftKings scoring system. Their opponents, the Celtics, still have the ability to produce at an individual level but have the odds against them to outperform their usual efforts.

Offenses to Use: Houston Rockets, vs PHO. The Suns are weak across the board defensively, allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to guards, the fifth-most to forwards, and the eighth-most to centers. On Saturday night they will also be facing a Rockets team led by former coach and offensive guru Mike D’Antoni, with offensive machine James Harden at the point, and playing in an up-tempo game that just leads to more fantasy scoring opportunities.

Teams on Back-to-Backs:

First game: None

Second game: Nuggets, Warriors, Pacers, Heat, Bucks, Suns

Please see the entire DraftKings article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

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The NBA has a bit of a split schedule on Saturday, with the Clippers playing the Hornets at 5:00 PM ET, two hours before any other game tips. While FanDuel does have some “early” game options featuring this game, the majority of the games begin at 7:00 PM and will thus be the main focus of this article. At 7:00 the Bucks play in Indiana, then at 7:30 the Nuggets are in Cleveland and the Heat tip in Philadelphia. At 8:30 the Warriors travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder, then a half hour later the Magic tip in Dallas and the Suns face the Rockets. Finally, the late game is the Celtics at Utah.

The first storyline that jumps out on Saturday is Kevin Durant returning to Oklahoma City for the first time wearing a Warriors uniform. Durant has exploded in each of his first two games against the Thunder in Oakland, but this time he will have to see his old fans in person. James Harden and Mike D’Antoni against the Suns is another exciting contest, while the 76ers get to experience another game without Joel “The Process” Embiid on the court. On the other hand, another young big man, Nikola Jokic, looks to build on his 40-point outing on Friday night with another good game against the defending champion Cavs. Lots of good stuff tonight, so let’s get to it.

My favorite plays of the day can be found on the following slides in FanSided’s FanDuel daily picks. Each day in order to offer a variety of price points at each position, you can find two slides for each position–one for high-salary options and one for high-value options. Each pick is ranked on a scale of 1-5 stars to indicate the confidence in the pick. The final slide of this post has more detail on what each level means, but in short, more stars means more confidence in the selection on a points-per-dollar basis.

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While four teams tipped off last night, 20 more make their debuts on Wednesday in addition to two squads playing the second half of their first back-to-backs. There’s action across the board, with some excellent match-ups, underpriced veterans and downright inexpensive rookies to look at. Let’s dig in.

Please see the entire FanDuel article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

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Can Kyrie really carry a squad? One of the big storylines I want to see answered is whether Kyrie Irving was really ready to carry his own, contending squad. The Celtics have quite a bit of talent, but will be relying heavily on Kyrie to take the leap to become their frontline superstar. Can he do it? We know he can score, but can he do so and still create offense for his team? If so, not only will his team be happy, but he would also be very likely to be a fantasy basketball superstar as well. I’m expecting a big game from him tonight, in Cleveland, so he features prominently on my DFS advice in the articles below.

What will Paul and Harden look like, in a D’Antoni offense together? The other biggest storyline I’ll be watching tonight is how Chris Paul and James Harden do, playing together, in one of the most lead-guard friendly offenses of all-time. Is there enough room for them to both thrive? Will one have to take a step back? If so, which? My theory is that this all works out for the Rockets and they become a formidable team, but fantasy-wise the production distribution will be of keen interest. 

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The NBA season is here! The season tips off with two games, both of which featuring teams favored to compete for their conference championships. The Cavaliers defeated the Celtics 4 – 1 in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, but in the offseason Kyrie Irving requested a trade and ended up as the new leader of the Celtics. That game could have bad blood, and expect the Cavaliers crowd to boo him all night.

The second game of the night features two teams likely to lead the NBA in offense, with Chris Paul having joined James Harden and crew to try to compete with these Warriors. There’s always the chance for rust in the early games of the season, but if these teams play to potential we could have two great match-ups with plenty of points scored all around.

Please see the entire FanDuel article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

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After a long summer wait, NBA action returns to the court on Tuesday. This offseason was amazing, with huge trades and big free agent moves. One of the biggest deals of the offseason involved the Cleveland Cavaliers trading Kyrie Irving to he rival Boston Celtics, after Irving ’s trade request. On Tuesday, Irving and the Celtics make their only trip of the season to Cleveland, where Irving is sure to get booed incessantly.

Another huge move this offseason involved Chris Paul , arguably the greatest point guard of his generation, going to join MVP runner-up James Harden in Houston. This combo of efficient scoring, distributing lead guards in a Mike D’Antoni system should a) lead to a lot of points and b) give the Rockets the best chance they’ve had in recent years to catch up to Golden State Warriors. They will get their first crack at the defending NBA champions on Tuesday, while the Warriors will be eager to prove that they are clearly still the best team in the West.

In addition to both games being rivalry match-ups between squads with championship aspirations, both games also feature two strong offenses with questionable defenses. Despite there being only four teams on display, there’s a reasonable likelihood that a lot of fantasy points will be produced.

Please see the entire FanDuel article, including individual player recommendations, at Fansided.

Bargains on DK: The DK scoring system has been slow to update some players that I expect to be useful. JaVale McGee started in Game 3 and scored 16 points in 12 minutes, but he’s still priced at only $2700. Similarly, with Isaiah Thomas done, Terry Rozier is worth keeping an eye on at $2700 himself.

At the upper end, Stephen Curry is still only $9600, despite averaging 53.3 fantasy points in the Conference FInals. For perspective, only LeBron is averaging more at 62 fantasy points, and he’s $3k more expensive. Even Kevin Durant is more expensive, and Curry’s average in the Conference Finals is more than seven fantasy points higher.

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Team Analysis

Defense to Avoid: Cleveland Cavaliers vs BOS. Both series have been blowouts, but at least the Spurs have shown some resistance and are playing at home. The Cavs blew out Boston by 44 points in Game 2, the game wasn't even really that close, and that was with Isaiah Thomas actually starting. Thomas is done for the playoffs, the game has shifted to Cleveland, and it is hard to find reasons to believe that this game will be competitive at all. Offense to Use: Golden State Warriors at SA. Again, the Warriors and Spurs series has been the more competitive of the two, even with Kawhi Leonard out. But with that said, the Warriors are still clearly the favorites in Game 4, which would suggest that their offensive players should play better. However, if Leonard sits again, it should be noted that the Spurs are full of low-priced plays that could out-produce their tag.

Which game closer?: The two series have a combined record of 5 - 0, with most of those games ending in blowouts. Blowouts are potentially bad for DFS starters, but can be good for young players off the bench that get extra playing time. It’s hard to predict that, usually, but the blowout likelihood in these series is higher than the likelihood of a close game. But the question becomes, which game is more likely to be competitive?

Well, the Cavs were up by more than 20 points in the second half of Game 1, and then coasted down the stretch. They then were up by more than 40 points at the half of Game 2, and won by 44. Isaiah Thomas is done for the series now. While the Spurs have been outgunned without Kawhi Leonard, they’ve at least shown some spirit. Thus, I’d say the Warriors/Spurs game is more likely to be competitive than the Cavs/Celtics. So, as a tie-breaker, I’m giving a bit more credence to the starters in the West (e.g. Stephen Curry over Kyrie Irving or Klay Thompson over Avery Bradley) and maybe slightly more credence to bench players like Terry Rozier or in the East. 

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The Spurs got blown out in Game 3, but they kept it competitive enough that the starters didn’t completely sit until late in the fourth quarter. Kawhi Leonard sat his second straight game, but if he is able to play Monday, it should be noted that the Spurs were up by 23 points in Game 1 when he got hurt. In Cleveland on Sunday, the Cavaliers come home on the heels of a 44-point victory in Game 2. Plus, with the news that Isaiah Thomas is out for the playoffs with a hip injury, it seems very unlikely that the Celtics can even make Game 3 competitive.

Please see the entire FanDuel article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

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We could be on a crash-course to history, as never in NBA history have the Finals been comprised of two teams that went undefeated through their Conference playoffs. But the Warriors are now one game away and the Cavaliers only two from making that history a reality.

The Celtics lost by 44 points in Game 2, and compounded that by losing best player Isaiah Thomas to a hip injury for the rest of the playoffs. The games have shifted to Cleveland, and the Cavaliers look to be about five levels beyond what we've seen from the Celtics to this point. It seems unlikely that the Celtics can even keep this game competitive, and for them to win would require one of the great upsets in NBA history.

Out West, the Spurs put up a spirited effort on Saturday but still fell to the Warriors by double-figures. The Spurs are game, but simply outmanned without Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is questionable to play on Monday, though coach Greg Popovich has already announced that it is unlikely that he plays. The Spurs have several value plays with Leonard out, and if they are as scrappy on Monday as they were on Saturday, that could also force the Warriors to play their starters long enough to reach normal output.

Risk Isaiah?: Isaiah Thomas was scheduled to have tests run on his hip injury on Saturday. There’s been no word yet as to what the results are, but he had to leave Game 2 at the half which makes him a risk to play on Sunday. Since the line-up locks today, and Isaiah and the Celtics played terrible in Game 2 anyway, I see no reason to take a chance on Thomas here. Wait for the next one, would be my advice.

ETA: Thomas is out for the rest of the playoffs with his hip injury.

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Team Analysis

Defense to avoid: Cleveland Cavaliers, vs BOS: This slot could have very easily gone to the Warriors, once again facing a Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs offense. In Game 2, the Warriors beat the Spurs by 36 while in Game 2, the Cavaliers beat the Celtics by 44 in Boston. In Game 3 the Warriors have to travel to San Antonio, while the Cavaliers return home. Both games currently project as blowouts, so the Cavs get the tie-breaker for playing at home. Offense to Use: Golden State Warriors, at SA: As mentioned above, the favorites demolished the underdogs in both Game 2s and project to do so again in Game 3. But, since the Spurs at home, they maybe have a better chance to offer some resistance than the Cavs do. Resistance helps the offenses, because if the game is competitive the starters should play longer than they do in monster blowouts.

But with that said...why would you take the risk? Durant is healthy, so why wouldn’t he be the default pick of the two anyway? Plus, LeBron is only $11 more in the Yahoo format...it seems to me he’d be a better investment than hurt Kawhi, and since he plays tonight you wouldn’t be able to wait until tomorrow to make that change. 

All told...I just don’t see the reason to risk Kawhi. To each their own, but he won’t be on my team tonight. 

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Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals is Friday while Game 3 of the Western Conference finals is Saturday. The biggest question of the slate is about the availability of Kawhi Leonard, who left Game 1 after re-injuring his ankle, and he has been unable to practice after sitting out Game 2. If Leonard plays, with the game in San Antonio, the Spurs have a chance to be more competitive than they were in the blowout loss in Game 2. If not, it changes the value propositions of all involved. Let’s explore some of the available options, knowing that there is uncertainty.

Please see the entire article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

Link to Tuesday FanDuel Lesson Plan

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Team Analysis

Defenses to avoid: No one: All four teams playing on Tuesday and Wednesday have demonstrated the ability to put up big numbers against each other. The Spurs have the best defense, are at home, and succeed when they are able to slow the action down against the Rockets. So, possibly, they could be the answer here. That said, the Rockets have already blown the Spurs out in San Antonio during this series, and there are plenty of value plays on the Rockets that make them difficult to avoid. Offense to use: Boston Celtics, vs WAS: The Celtics and Wizards have traded victories on their home courts all season, so with this game being in Boston it makes sense to project the Celtics to have the slightly bigger fantasy numbers. But in reality, there is major value on both sides, led by two all-stars at the point guard spots.  

Please see the entire DraftKings article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

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(Minus the completion of the article, please reference the Fansided FanDuel article here for player information based upon how they’ve performed, and what they might be expected to do. Meanwhile, here is an example line-up from the DraftKings scoring system:

PG: Patty Mills SG: Avery Bradley SF: Marcus Smart PF: Kevin Durant C: Al Horford G: Danny Green F: LaMarcus Aldridge U: Tristan Thompson  )