DFS Alerts
My Favorite Stud To Pay For Tonight
KD has played at least 40 minutes in the past three competitive games. He should be in line for the same tonight with a tight spread on the road in New Orleans and being on two days of rest. The price tag is a no-brainer on DK, and he laps the rest of the position on FD. He is an easy plug-and-play for me tonight in all formats.
Jaylen Brown (hamstring strain) upgraded to probable Thursday
Brown was originally slated as doubtful by head coach Brad Stevens in advance of Thursday’s Game 2 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a strained right hamstring, but he has been upgraded to probable after putting in an on-court pregame workout to test his ailing hamstring. Despite there being no reported minute restriction for Brown, the severity of the strain is still a bit of a mystery and it does seem unlikely that he’ll be able to handle a full minute allotment, though that is admittedly pure speculation at this point. Stevens already stated during his media availability at shootaround this morning that Brown would come off the bench if he’s able to play, which means Marcus Smart will remain in the starting unit following a respectable Game 1 daily fantasy performance in 32 minutes of action alongside Terry Rozier in the Boston Celtics backcourt.
As reported by: Jay King via Twitter
Top Play of the Slate Isn't Who You Might Think
LeBron James is an excellent play anytime he steps on the floor in the playoffs, but his price is finally to a point where we can consider fading him when there are viable alternatives. I’m expecting a strong showing from the Sixers, who were big favorites against the Celtics before Game 1. Boston has had no answer for Joel Embiid this season, as he is averaging 49 fantasy points per game against them. He should see minutes in the mid-30s and be dominant on both ends of the floor.
Must Win Game at Home
The Raptors can’t seem to get over that mental hurdle when facing the Cavaliers. They are clearly the more talented team and they had home-court advantage, but let it slip with a loss in Game 1. They can’t afford to head to Cleveland down two games, so I expect a strong outing tonight. Kyle Lowry should see minutes in the upper 30s in an elite matchup.
Savings at Small Forward
We actually have quite a few choices in the value bin tonight. One of my favorites is C.J. Miles, who should see around 20 minutes in an elite matchup at home against the Cavaliers. Miles can be hit or miss at times, but Cleveland doesn’t defend the three-point line well. Miles can catch fire at any time and with both of these teams playing small, there are more minutes to go around for these Raptors’ guards.
The Clear Top Play if You Can Fit His Salary
As usual, if you have the salary to spend on James, he is the top player on the nightly playoff slate. He took a whopping 30 shot attempts in the Game 1 upset victory over the Raptors, and he added a triple-double with 11 rebounds and 13 assists. The salary is a bit challenging, but that might keep him a bit under-owned in GPP formats. The upside is obviously there.
A Solid Source of Salary Relief
Belinelli is certainly not a sexy DFS option, but he is a much needed source of salary relief on this slate. He has been playing big minutes in the playoffs and is a key piece of the second unit for the Sixers. The shot attempts have been there, and I think he will be a big component of the Sixers pulling out a close win on the road tonight.
Thriving Thanks to Injuries
It’s hard to get used to Rozier being a big time performer, but he has stepped up in the absence of Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown. He has logged back-to-back 50+ point fantasy games, and he is simply the top offensive weapon for this Boston team right now. CourtIQ tells us that Rozier owns a 26% usage rate and has scored 50+ fantasy points per 36 minutes with those two off the floor over the last four weeks. Don’t overlook him on a short slate.
Right Back To The Well Tonight For Boston
I liked Tatum in Game 1, and I think we should be looking at him again for Game 2. The usage rate skyrocketed to 29.6% in Game 1 without Jaylen Brown, and I see no reason we don’t see something similar tonight. His rebound rate and assist rate were well below his season averages in that game, which were the only things stopping him from having a monster fantasy night. If he puts all of that together tonight, he could crush these price tags.
A Stable Mid Tier Option
We know what we are going to get with Redick: mid 30’s minutes and a lot of shots. He will grab a few rebounds, chip in a few assists, and get a steal or two, which makes him not as scoring dependent as some might think. At $5,400 on both FD and DK, he is my first stop for a little bit of salary relief on this two-game slate.
Too Cheap For These Minutes
Despite Boston being a difficult matchup, these price tags are just too cheap for Embiid across the industry. That is especially so if we can expect these type of minutes going forward. He played 35 minutes in Game 1 against Boston after not topping 31 in Round 1 against Miami. The guy got 1.5 fantasy points per minute in the regular season, and he is below $10,000 on both FD and DK. Sign me up please.
Luc Mbah a Moute will get extended minutes tonight, according to Mike D’Antoni
In his pre-game meeting with the media, Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said that Luc Mbah a Moute will get extended minutes tonight in game 2 versus Utah. He played 21 minutes in game 1, his first game back from injury. Look for him to get into the 26-30 minutes range tonight.
As reported by: Kelly Iko via twitter
A Good Salary Saver Tonight
As Utah looks to adjust some of their scheme after losing Game 1, look for Ariza to be a potential beneficiary for Houston tonight. If Utah tries to take away more of Harden’s scoring and force him into being more of a distributor, the shooters for Houston could find themselves with a ton of open looks. Ariza only got up four three-point attempts in Game 1, and I expect those to increase in Game 2. If he is hitting them and contributing a little in other categories, you are looking at a nice little payoff. And after his disappointing Game 1, ownership shouldn’t be outlandish here.
The Best Tournament Play On The Slate
We know James Harden will be immensely popular after his Game 1 performance. It’s a one-game slate; of course we want to get Harden where we can. However, Mitchell has the next highest ceiling on this slate and comes at a significant discount to Harden. I will want to jam in both if I can because I think Mitchell has an absolutely monster game tonight in Houston for Game 2 without Rubio.
A Top Tournament Option
James Harden is the clear top choice for cash games, but I love Mitchell in tournament formats. If the Jazz want to hang with the Rockets in this series, Mitchell is going to need to have a few monster games. His usage is through the roof with Rubio off the floor, and he took 22 shot attempts in the series opener. I have a feeling Utah keeps this game competitive, and Mitchell will be a big reason why. There’s potential for him to be the top fantasy scorer in this game.