The NBA playoffs are up and running in Orlando. DraftKings is hosting massive DFS contests every day and we have another big slate of basketball action on Tuesday. The Miami Heat face the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the slate ends with the Los Angeles Clippers facing the Denver Nuggets at 9:00 p.m. ET in a winner-take-all Game 7.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NBA $500K Playoff Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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POINT GUARD
Stud
Kemba Walker, BOS vs. MIA, $7,700 — Quietly, Kemba stunk in the series against the Raptors. It was a rough matchup for him going up against Kyle Lowry and the Raptors’ defense. Toronto entered the playoffs with the second best defensive efficiency in the league and this new series sets up much better for Walker. He draws weaker defense from Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro, so I expect a big series from Kemba.
Value
Patrick Beverley, LAC vs. DEN, $4,000 — After a minutes restriction came off Beverley prior to last game, he only played 18 minutes. I still don’t see too much cause for concern. He fouled out in his limited playing time and should play much more in a normal situation tonight. Beverley averaged 22.37 DKFP in the regular season, so the salary is a bit too cheap assuming a normal role.
SHOOTING GUARD
Stud
Paul George, LAC vs. DEN, $8,600 — Jokes about Pandemic P aside, George is actually playing really well in this round. A frequent punchline on social media, nobody is talking about George because nobody cares to point out when he plays well. He’s scored at least 44 DKFP in four of the last five games and his usage rate jumped to 33.5% last game with the Clippers playing a high stakes game against Denver.
Value
Gary Harris, DEN vs. LAC, $4,600 — Now fully healthy, Harris is playing a massive role for the Nuggets. The only real concern is foul trouble. Last game, he played 42 minutes and scored 31.5 DKFP. In the two previous games, Harris fouled out and failed to meet salary expectations. Foul trouble is always a bit of a risk for Harris in this matchup, but if he avoids foul woes, I expect over 40 minutes and a strong game relative to his salary.
SMALL FORWARD
Stud
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. DEN, $10,400 — It is do or die time for the Clippers. Losing tonight and choking away a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets would be a massive disappointment for this team. Due to the stakes of the game, I think Kawhi will play close to the entire game. He played 41 minutes last game and might even see more run tonight. Leonard has at least 49 DKFP in four straight games and the Game 7 environment should mean more minutes and usage.
Value
Jerami Grant, DEN vs. LAC, $4,900 — Grant got into foul trouble last game which limited his playing time. Until I started writing this, I didn’t realize how big of a factor foul trouble played on Sunday. Almost half the starters weren’t able to avoid fouling. As for Grant, it’s not an issue I am too concerned about going forward. He’s played at least 34 minutes in eight of the last 10 games.
POWER FORWARD
Stud
Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. MIA, $9,700 — Tatum is in play, although there are a few expensive options on this slate that are higher priorities for me. As for an expensive power forward, he’s really the only choice, so I am forced to list him. Nobody else at the position is priced higher than $5,800. I am not going to force Tatum into lineups, but I am fine with rostering him if his salary fits into builds.
Value
Paul Millsap, DEN vs. LAC, $4,700 — Millsap has generally looked terrible this series. It looks like time has caught up to him and he doesn’t have much left in the tank. With that said, he has put up a couple of good postseason games and I think we could see the Nuggets lean on him a bit since he’s one of the only real veterans in the rotation. Millsap scored 28 DKFP two games ago and it’s possible he does something similar tonight.
CENTER
Stud
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAC, $10,000 — Since this is a Game 7, I prefer the expensive options from the Nuggets/Clippers game over the Celtics/Heat game. I think there will be more urgency to get the stars more minutes for a win or go home game. In addition, Los Angeles doesn’t have an answer for Jokic in the paint and he’s scored at least 51 DKFP in five straight games.
Value
Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. DEN, $4,800 — With Montrezl Harrell struggling in the playoffs, most of the minutes are going to Zubac. He’s averaging over 30 minutes per game in the last three contests and it doesn’t look like that playing time is going anywhere. As far as cheap plays go tonight, Zubac is the salary saving option with the most upside.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NBA $500K Playoff Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.