The second round of the NBA Playoffs begins Monday with a two-game slate. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I dive into two of my favorite bargain plays for this slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
SF, Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $5,200
The Spurs have had nearly a week off after eliminating the Trail Blazers in five games in the first round and Vassell continues to be way underpriced at only $5,200. The wing finished with just 17.75 FPTS in Game 5 vs. Portland, but before this, Vassell scored at least 26 FPTS in the first four games of the postseason. The veteran is logging 33.8 minutes per game during the playoffs, which is a notable upgrade from the 30.5 minutes per game Vassell saw in the regular season.
Vassell is scoring 0.8 FPTS per minute with an 18% usage rate this season. The Timberwolves rank seventh in defensive rating this postseason, but Vassell did score 31.75 FPTS in his lone matchup vs. Minnesota in the regular season, albeit a game that Victor Wembanyama missed. Nonetheless, $5,200 is simply too low of a salary for Vassell and his current workload in the playoffs, and he is a core play for this short slate with small forward thin on options.
C, Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, $3,700
Robinson was awesome vs. the 76ers in the regular season. In four matchups with the division rival, the big man scored 49.5, 14.75, 26.5 and 26 FPTS. That 49.5 FPTS outing is a season-best for Robinson and in these meetings with Philadelphia, Robinson shot 82% from the field and he was a +5.0 in plus/minus.
Between Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond, the 76ers prefer a natural center on the floor at all times. The Knicks need Robinson to match Philadelphia’s size in this matchup and he should see 15-20 minutes off the bench for tonight’s Game 1.
Averaging 1.2 FPTS per minute this season, Robinson is a strong fantasy producer and over 20 FPTS is a realistic possibility for him tonight, especially with the Knicks at home at Madison Square Garden. On his home floor this season, Robinson is scoring 2.2 more FPTS per game than when on the road.
