The first round of the NBA playoffs continues to wind down and after watching three Game 5’s the night before basketball fans will be left with a single game on the schedule for Thursday night. That means fewer options to choose from and much less room for error when it comes to building the ideal roster for DraftKings competitions. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Thursday’s DraftKings NBA Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
Salary: $8,600
After climbing out of a 0-2 hole with back-to-back home wins the Celtics dropped a 110-83 decision on the road in Game 5 as the Atlanta Hawks pushed them to the brink of elimination. Now Boston is in a must-win situation and that means Thomas is primed for a big performance. Thomas struggled with an ankle injury in Game 5 but he has said he will be ready for the start of Game 6 and the Celtics need him to show up in a big way. The All-Star point guard averaged 35.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal and 3.5 three-point shots in Boston’s two home wins and if he can come close to hitting those totals then he will be worth building around for NBA fantasy.
SG: Evan Turner, Boston Celtics
Salary: $6,600
Turner has been solid for the Celtics averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in this series. Boston will need him to step up again at home in Game 6 and that could result in Turner producing a similar stat line to the one he delivered in a Game 4 win in which he had 17 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Turner is available at a very reasonable price and considering the must-win situation the Celtics are in it only makes sense to roll with him in NBA fantasy.
SF: Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $5,900
Bazemore was extremely efficient in Game 5, scoring 16 points with five rebounds, four three-point shots and one block in just 23 minutes off the bench. The Hawks will hope for a similar performance in Game 6 as they look to put the Celtics away on the road. Bazemore can contribute in multiple categories across the board in addition to being a strong scoring threat so it makes sense to roll with him at the small forward position.
PF: Amir Johnson, Boston Celtics
Salary: $5,100
Johnson played just 13 minutes in Boston’s Game 5 loss but he has the potential for a strong bounce back performance in Game 6 if he gets more playing time. That could be more likely than not considering he scored 15 points with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 31 minutes in Game 3. The Celtics need Johnson to perform at a high level at both ends of the floor in this contest and at $5.1K he is still a decent value option.
C: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $7,800
Horford has struggled to find his shot in the series including a combined 4-for-19 shooting performance in Games 4 and 5. However, he has been extremely consistent on the boards with 9.4 rebounds per game so far in the series and his shot is going to start falling eventually. Look for the Hawks to get him the ball closer to the net in order to put him in a better position to finish at the rim with a good chance Horford has his best NBA fantasy performance of the series so far in Game 6.
G: Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $7,000
Teague has been Atlanta’s best player in the series and we expect that to continue in Game 6. Teague has averaged 17.6 points, 6.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 three-point shot per game so far in the playoffs and it’s a good idea to plug him in at this guard position in order to roll with the two best players in this matchup with Teague and Thomas locked in.
F: Thabo Sefolosha, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $2,600
In order to have both Thomas and Teague we have to take a chance on a strong value option somewhere and Sefolosha makes sense in big part because he is available at just $2.6K. Sefolosha has averaged 4.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 three-point shots in 19.8 minutes through the first five games of the series and while we don’t expect a breakout performance in this game he will be a strong value play if he can top his averages for the series in this contest.
FLEX: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Salary: $5,300
Smart is another of the several Celtics’ players that has performed much better at home than on the road throughout the first round series and we expect that trend to continue in Game 6. Smart has averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal and 2.5 three-point shots in two home games in the series and at $5.3K he is the best available option we can afford with the money we have left over for this final position.
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