The NBA playoffs are underway and we had some wild action on Saturday as the postseason kicked off with an overtime game. While the NBA DraftKings fantasy leagues structure stays the same in the playoffs, the difference in the level of play adds an intriguing element to building optimal daily lineups. The schedule for Sunday’s action features some big names like LeBron James, Chris Paul and Damian Lillard, but constructing the best possible lineup that fits under the salary cap requires patience and finding some decent value plays to plug in. With that in mind, here is our look at the optimal lineup for Sunday’s DraftKings daily NBA fantasy league lineups.
PG: Isaiah Thomas, Boston
Salary: $6,400
Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving are the most obvious options here but Thomas has done an excellent job for the Celtics. While they aren’t going to upset the Cleveland Cavaliers in their series opener, they are going to score some points and their point guard has been their best player over the past couple of months. Thomas averaged 21.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 2.3 three-point shots over the final two weeks of action and while he was forced to sit out Boston’s season finale because of a lingering back issue, he should be fine for Game 1. He has to feel motived as he looks to keep the Celtics in it versus LeBron James and company.
SG: J.J. Redick, Los Angeles
Salary: $6,000
The Clippers had a tremendous finish to the regular season in order to lock up home-court advantage and they will need to capitalize on it against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are the obvious stud fantasy players on the Los Angeles roster but Redick has been an underrated fantasy play all season long. He has the potential to put up a solid stat line for Game 1 with his shooting ability a very important weapon for the Clippers. Redick averaged 19.0 points and 2.8 three-point shots for Los Angeles over the final two weeks of the regular season. He averaged 14.5 points per game with 2.3 threes, 2.3 free throws, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists in four regular season meetings against the Spurs and it won’t be a surprise if he played the role of unsung hero for the Clippers again in Round 1.
SF: Kyle Korver, Atlanta
Salary: $4,600
Speaking of three-point shooting, it makes sense to take a shot on Korver in the small forward slot with the Hawks ready to carve up a Brooklyn defense that finished 19th in the NBA in points allowed per game. The Nets could have trouble closing on Atlanta’s perimeter shooters and that could mean Korver slicing them up from beyond the three-point line in Game 1. Korver averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 three-point shots per game over the final two weeks of the regular season and could top those averages with a big performance against Brooklyn in game one.
PF: Zach Randolph, Memphis
Salary: $7,600
Marc Gasol is dealing with a sprained ankle and that could mean they lean on Randolph that much more for their series opener against Portland. Randolph averaged 14.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals during the final two weeks of the regular season and the Grizzlies might need to lean on him even more as Gasol continues to recover from his nagging injury. He’s typically a very strong playoff performer and should be able to muscle his way to a good line against a banged up LaMarcus Aldridge.
C: Al Horford, Atlanta
Salary: $7,100
The Hawks star center draws an excellent matchup versus the Nets with a chance to set the tone for the series with a big performance in Game 1. Horford averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks blockers over the final two weeks of action and he is an excellent fit for the postseason as a player that can contribute in a number of different categories across the board.
