If you’re looking for some Game 3 action on the hardcourt this evening, the NBA has you covered.
Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET in Orlando, we’ve got three crucial games taking place. The Celtics and the Pacers are both looking to take dominant 3-0 series leads, while the Lakers and Timberwolves are battling in Minnesota to re-take control of that seven-game set.
Still, in DFS, we don’t care about the final scores. We just care about the fantasy points. Let’s break down a couple of the best value options on tonight’s mini playoff slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
PF/C Al Horford, Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, $4,800
This should play out a lot like Game 2. Jayson Tatum ($9,600; wrist) has once again been listed as doubtful and it seems unlikely that the Celtics are in a rush to get their All-Star back with such a commanding series lead. The wild card here is actually Jrue Holiday ($5,700; hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Game 3. Payton Pritchard ($5,600) already saw an expanded role on Wednesday with Tatum sidelined, so Sam Hauser ($3,200) would be asked to step-up if Holiday joins his teammate in street clothes. Heck, Hauser might even start, as Boston prefers to not mess with Pritchard’s role — he was only in the starting five three times in 2024-25. One thing we know for sure? Horford will get another start if Tatum is ruled out. The veteran big man’s salary is up $500 in the last 48 hours, yet Horford is still set to bring back value after a nine-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 2. If Horford logs anywhere close to 32.3 minutes again, he should be a lock for your lineups.
PF/C Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers, $5,100
The logic of Portis’ price tag is a little hard to follow. Somehow, following a 28-point, 12-rebound double-double in Game 2, Portis actually finds himself $100 cheaper than he was on Tuesday. I’m not sure I understand DraftKings’ algorithm, but I’ll gladly take the savings. To be frank, despite his role as sixth-man, Portis is clearly the Bucks’ third-best offensive option and, down 0-2 in the series, it’s time for Doc Rivers to lean more into utilizing the big man. In Game 2, Portis was second to only Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) in field goal attempts (19), and his 26.3% usage rate ranked third on the team behind Giannis and Kevin Porter Jr. ($4,200). That’s the only wrinkle here. Damian Lillard ($7,800) returned to action on Tuesday for the first time in over a month, and while he did log 37.0 minutes of action, he shot 30.8% from the field and posted just a 20.1% usage rate. He looked rusty. He’ll probably be slightly more comfortable in Game 3, yet not back to 100%. With Lillard compromised, Portis will be more heavily featured than usual.
