2-Day's Lineup: DraftStreet NBA Playoffs
Seeing ‘2’ and ‘day’ so close together used to conjure up unpleasant memories of two-a-day high-school football practices during the torrid Florida Spring. But now DraftStreet has made ’2-Days’ something pleasant for me to to look forward to with their innovative game structure for the NBA Playoffs. To increase the size of the selectable player pool for its users D to the dollar-sign shifted their NBA contests to a ’2-Day’ format, as opposed to using the games from a Single Day as other Daily Fantasy Sports sites offer. Theoretically this increases the skill-edge a knowledgeable Grinder has over his or her weaker opponents and reduces the variance caused by smaller player pools. As teams continue to follow the Knicks into elimination, the opportunity for large player fields in Daily Fantasy NBA contests is going to diminish, making now the perfect time to get a few more NBA contests in before they are gone for good!
For Monday, April 25th we are dealing with six games over the next two days. Last night presented a rarity for the NBA Playoffs: a Value Pick. Gilbert Arenas went off to the tune of 20-5-2 line in just 22 minutes, and showed glimpses of his three-time NBA All Star form in the absence of Jason Richardson. However, J-Rich will be back on Tuesday, so all the attention turns to Kobe Bryant leaving the game on crutches for Value today. He pretty much as bad-ass as they get in the NBA when it comes to toughness (sorry Dwyane Wade, you’re migraines don’t make the cut), so expect him to be out there playing. While he’ll likely suit up, depsite a questionable tag, he’s not worth the $16,000 asking price on DraftStreet – I’ll pass. However, I won’t fault a soul for taking Shannon Brown for a measly $5,865 in the NBA playoffs if you’re betting that there’s a 10% or more chance that Kobe doesn’t get a full minute count. Heck, even Derek Fisher is a bit tantalizing in this situation when you while being suffocated by the infamous DraftStreet Player Pricing system of pure accuracy. You’re not going to get the familiar faces of the regular season you’ve grown to love, but be content knowing you can get players from six teams per game instead of just three today. Here’s my initial lineup; I’ll post any adjustments in the comment box as they are made. Good luck!
2-Day NBA Playoff Lineup – Draft$treet – April 25th
Note: The Bull/Pacers game and Magic/Hawks games’ players were omitted from player selection at the time of writing this article. I have contacted DraftStreet for clarification on why these four teams are not included for today.
The Grind Down: Quick-Hitting and Mind-Blowing Player Assessments
April 25th, 2011
- Brandon Roy seems like a must-play after his past two games and his low cost. Still, I’m tempering my expectations.
- Yea, Carl Landry is still worth his price tag…but I his ceiling doesn’t lend itself to larger fields.
- After his 46 point game, Serge Ibaka projected points range is now almost as wide as his wing-span, almost.
- I would not think you were dumb if you played Kenyon Martin. I would also not be upset if you played Kenyon Martin and you were my opponent.
- Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza are dialed in right now. CP3 is well worth his price (and makes Westbrook obsolete today), and it looks like Ariza’s vengeance has served him well vs. his former team.
- If you value 20 fantasy points > $9,401, then pick James Harden. The consistency of his Game Log is a work of art.
- Arron Afflalo is back in the starting lineup. He only had 12 points, but has high-upside and is only $9,000.
- Steer clear of the mess in Memphis at SG and SF. All players are eating into each others’ minutes at this point.
- Make sure to keep an eye on Antonio McDyess status for Monday. If he can’t play then Matt Bonner or DeJuan Blair could become serviceable value plays.
- If the Bulls are included make sure to keep an eye on Derrick Rose and if you get wind he could miss the game then consider CJ Watson.
- Tim Duncan saved some gas for the playoffs, and makes for a solid play for his price. If McDyess is out, I say try and get him in your lineup over Gerald Wallace or LaMarcus Aldridge.
- Dirk Nowitzki had, and still has the most accurate price-tag in the entire NBA. They don’t acknowledge the word ‘inconsistency’ where he comes from.
- Pau Gasol is due for a 40+ game, but I’m going with his brother Marc Gasol, his teammate Andrew Bynum or Nene for the price.
- It’s official. Kendrick Perkins leaving Boston did not cause Boston’s dry spell. The Celts were just coasting again and 20 point games have become a rarity for Perk.
Cameron MacMillan
RotoGrinders.com Fantasy Content Manager