The NBA has another nice three-game slate this Friday night with pivotal Game 3 matchups from Orlando, Milwaukee and Minnesota. The Celtics and Pacers are both up 2-0 in their series as they go on the road, while the Lakers and Timberwolves are tied 1-1. With six teams on the slate, it’s a big player pool by NBA Playoffs standards. As you assemble your squad, there are a couple of key NBA DFS stacks to consider building around.
Today’s daily injury report isn’t long, but it definitely is impactful, since Celtics star Jayson Tatum is doubtful again due to a wrist injury. Be sure to check back for updates to the injury report before the action tips off at 7 p.m. ET.
The NBA DFS main slate includes a variety of contests and pay-out structures on DraftKings, headlined by the NBA $350K Shootaround [$100K to 1st].
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
The Celtics were able to win Game 2 without Tatum, and they may be without him for Game 3 as well. Jrue Holiday ($5,700; hamstring) and Jaylen Brown ($8,100; knee) are also questionable, which would leave even more usage available. Like on Wednesday without Tatum, the rest of the Celtics will have to step up and take on bigger roles, making them good options at their price points.
Core Plays: If Holiday joins Tatum out, Derrick White ($7,200) would take on even more work in the backcourt. He had 46.5 fantasy points in Game 1 and 34.5 fantasy points in Game 2. Brown came up huge in Game 2 with 36 points, a double-double and 60.5 fantasy points, but he could be limited by his knee injury if he’s even available. Kristaps Porzingis ($7,500) also had a double-double and 42 fantasy points despite suffering a gash on his forehead. Any or all of those three players could star in Game 3 for Boston, but with Holiday’s uncertainty, I’d lean toward White as the safest play of the bunch.
Value Options: Payton Pritchard ($5,600) would also get more work if Holiday is out and has a very high ceiling. Big Al Horford ($4,800) stepped up with nine points and 10 boards on his way to 25 fantasy points in Game 2. He averaged 26.9 fantasy points in games without Tatum this season and has another gear he can reach when called on. If Brown is out or limited along with Tatum, Sam Hauser ($3,200) could get more playing time and be a good bargain.
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The Pacers-Bucks game has the highest point total on the board by a wide margin. Indiana scored 117 and 123 points in the first two games of the series and will look to take a dominant 3-0 lead on Friday. They play fast and pile up points, and the Bucks haven’t shown any real way to slow them down yet. They are the second option in my NBA DFS stacks since they have looked so strong in the first few games of the series and still come at reasonable salaries.
Core Plays: In the first game of the series, Tyrese Haliburton ($8,400) struggled from the field but still had a double-double and 37.75 fantasy points. He was sharper in Game 2, totaling 46.75 fantasy points with another double-double. Pascal Siakam ($7,300) was more consistent with 41.75 and 49.75 fantasy points, and he finished the regular season with a great run of production as well.
Value Options: From a value perspective, Andrew Nembhard ($5,100) has been huge with 17 points and over 30 fantasy points in each of the first two games of the series. He is a versatile multi-category producer with good upside and a big role due to his defensive contributions. T.J. McConnell ($3,700) has been very good off the bench as a bargain as well, with Aaron Nesmith ($4,600) and Bennedict Mathurin ($4,500) sharing time on the wing and bringing boom-or-bust upside.
