It is the second day of the NBA playoffs, and we have another two-game DFS slate to break down. The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Chicago Bulls, and later the Phoenix Suns play their first game at home against the New Orleans Pelicans. Like yesterday, we have some amazing options to spend up for on this slate. The budget plays are not great here, but we do have a few guys we really like getting to. We are looking at more of a balanced lineup, as there are some great stars between $7,000 – $8,000 to go after.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 4/17/22 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | C. Paul | $7,600 | |
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | |||
| Power Forward | J. Crowder | $4,200 | |
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
At this point in his career Chris Paul is absolutely built for the playoffs, he always steps into a much bigger role with all the marbles on the line. Paul averaged 40.9 FPTS on the season, and his floor time is going to go up here. Paul is one of the handful of midrange studs coming in at a great price tonight, as we are getting him for only $7,600.
We really like getting some of the defensive wings from the Suns, as they are all cheap here and will play massive minutes. Jae Crowder stands out tonight at $4,200, as we do not have many plays under $5,000 that look solid. Crowder should start tonight, and we always expect him to take on a ton of floor time in the playoffs. Crowder is not the most exciting DFS producer in the league, but we are desperate for cheap minutes with this one.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 4/17/22 (using DraftKings Values)
As mentioned we have some great price tags on the stars tonight, so it is going to be tough getting to guys who do not stand out. Khris Middleton is a fade for us tonight at $8,100, as we have a handful of better producers for cheaper. We would much prefer to save some salary and roster a guy like Paul or spend up more and get to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here Is What Your Get If You Subscribe For $15 Per Month or $99 For The Year…
• A star guard with a great price tag.
• A few budget options to save salary here
• One superstar we like spending up for.
• Some general strategy for Cash games and Tournaments tonight.
Point Guard
Alex Caruso – ($4,200 DK) We are curious to see what starting unit the Bulls run out tonight, as they are still thin on guards with Lonzo Ball sidelined. Caruso should start and play a ton of minutes here, as the Bulls need his defense for the playoffs. Caruso is one of the only options we have in this price range that should see big minutes, so we will be getting to him a lot for savings.
Shooting Guard
Brandon Ingram – ($7,800 DK) Ingram was a priority for us last time out, as we expected him to see a ton of minutes in this team’s playoff rotation. He was great last time out with 45.5 FPTS in 42.4 minutes. We are getting Ingram at the same $7,800 price tag as last time, so he still looks great here. Ingram does have a tough matchup against the Suns, but we still like him given the role he should take on.
Mikal Bridges – ($5,200 DK) Bridges is one of our favorite value plays tonight, as he is significantly cheaper than where he was typically priced by the end of the season. Bridges should play crazy minutes in competitive playoff games, as the Suns always want him out there for his defense.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – ($11,000 DK) Antetokounmpo stands out as the clear most productive and most expensive player on this slate, so he is going to be popular here. We expect Antetokounmpo to see a ton of floor time in a great matchup against the Chicago Bulls, so we are happy to spend up for him. A big game from Antetokounmpo could make him a must have here, as no one else on the slate compares to him as a producer.
Center
Nikola Vucevic – ($7,700 DK) Vucevic is another stud coming in at a great price here, as he averaged 40.8 FPTS on the season. Vucevic has a ton of upside, and we know he will be on the floor as much as possible in-game one tonight. We are not going to have enough salary for all these guys, but this is the pool of players we will be using for our lineups.
General strategy
Our priorities tonight are based on how contrarian we want our lineup to be, as we have a separate strategy for Cash games and Tournaments. We expect Antetokounmpo to be very high owned here, so he is going to be a Cash game lock for us. For tournaments, we are happy getting to a more balanced roster with Ingram, Vucevic, Paul, and Zach Lavine. Good luck tonight and have fun watching the playoffs.
