The first round of the NBA playoffs continues Sunday with a four-game slate beginning at 1:00 PM EST and DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players. Below, I dive into three of my favorite DFS picks to consider for Sunday’s NBA playoff four-game slate.
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PG, Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks, $9,500
Cunningham continues to be severely underpriced and is the No. 1 value on the slate. The Pistons are looking to even this series with the Knicks at two wins apiece after losing Game 3 on Thursday and Cunningham was sensational in that contest despite the defeat, posting 60.75 FPTS across 42 minutes. The guard has scored at least 53 FPTS in four of his last five starts and Cunningham is averaging 53.7 FPTS per game in seven matchups with New York this season.
Cunningham has seen over 42 minutes in back-to-back games and this huge volume is guaranteed to continue in Game 4 with so much at stake. Cunningham is scoring 1.5 FPTS per minute with a 33.3% usage rate and 41% assist percentage this season, and another outing over 60 FPTS is a realistic expectation for the guard Sunday.
SF/PF, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, $9,200
After missing Game 2, Tatum returned for Friday’s Game 3 vs. the Magic and the superstar wasn’t bothered by his wrist injury in any way. In 39 minutes, Tatum finished with 55.75 FPTS while shooting 46% from the field. Jrue Holiday (hamstring) missed that game and will remain out for Game 4. Jaylen Brown (knee) is also questionable, but he played through a questionable tag in Game 3 and should be available Sunday. Nonetheless, with Holiday out and the Celtics looking to get back on track after losing Game 3, Tatum should have a huge performance Sunday.
In the 17 starts the forward has made without Holiday this season, Tatum is leading Boston with 51.9 FPTS per game. With Holiday off the floor this season, Tatum is producing a team-high 1.44 FPTS per minute thanks to his usage rate increasing 3.1 percentage points to 34.4%. Tatum was just priced up to $11,000 on DraftKings five games ago and he is a must-play at only $9,200.
C, Paul Reed, Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks, $3,300
Isaiah Stewart (knee) will remain sidelined for Sunday’s Game 4, leaving Reed as the Pistons’ backup center. With this role in Game 3, Reed was solid in his 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with 15.5 FPTS. This was the 15th game Stewart has missed this season and Reed is generating 19.1 FPTS in 15 minutes per game on those occasions.
Facing the Knicks, the Pistons need to have a natural center on the floor at all times and Reed should see 15-20 minutes off the bench in Game 4, giving him more than enough time to outproduce his bare minimum price tag. Reed is a strong fantasy producer who is amassing 1.23 FPTS per minute this season and he has a ceiling near 20 FPTS. While Reed isn’t the most exciting option, he is the strongest sub-$4K option on the board and rostering Reed helps you fit multiple studs in your lineup.
