Two games between four teams make up this evening’s portion of NBA playoff action. At 6:00 pm ET, it’ll be Jalen Johnson ($10,000) and the Hawks facing Jalen Brunson ($8,500) and the Knicks. At 8:30 pm ET, the Rockets and Kevin Durant ($8,400) will battle LeBron James’ ($9,400) Lakers in primetime. Even with so many stars on the floor, every winning lineup needs role players. That’s true in fantasy basketball as well; diamonds in the rough make all the difference during the postseason. Which bargains should managers prioritize ahead of Saturday’s contests?
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st] (Night)
C Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks vs. ATL ($4,400)
Few role players in the NBA are more impactful than Mitchell Robinson. Granted, the eighth-year pro’s contributions aren’t always apparent when looking over the box score. Still, he’s a rim-running, shot-blocking beast that can tilt a game with his rebounding prowess. Through 60 games this season, the center is averaging 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals (22.1 FPTS). In addition, he’s shooting 72% from the field. Granted, poor free throw shooting (41% FT) is an issue. We’ll see if the Hawks deploy a hack-a-Mitch strategy to put the big man on the line.
Robinson, a proven playoff performer, should be licking his chops heading into this matchup. The Hawks are fairly generous down low, especially when it comes to boxing out. They’ve given up 53.4 rebounds per game to opponents, 13th-most in basketball. In addition, Atlanta has allowed the NBA’s 11th-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Backup big man Jock Landale (ankle) is out as well, leaving Onyeka Okongwu ($6,600) without much help down low. Robinson has snagged double-digit rebounds in five of his last six meetings with the Hawks. That bodes well for his chances at a solid stat line this evening.
C Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers vs. HOU ($4,300)
No team is more short-handed going into the postseason than Los Angeles. Both Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) have been ruled out tonight. As a result, some lesser-known Lakers are in line for increased minutes on Saturday. That includes Jaxson Hayes, who has been playing well over the past few weeks. The center has posted 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 85% from the field over his last eight games (26.9 FPTS). It’s not as if starter Deandre Ayton ($5,500) is the most consistent player either.
Facing the Rockets isn’t ideal for most opposing big men. After all, they’ve held centers to the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game this season. With that being said, Houston’s massive front court also increases Los Angeles’ need to counter size with size. It’s difficult to imagine LA not giving its red-hot backup a decent amount of work tonight. After all, he’s logged at least 20 minutes in six of his last seven appearances. At just $4,300, Hayes makes plenty of sense for cost-conscious fantasy managers.
