The Toronto Raptors rallied to win Game 2 over the Miami Heat in overtime and even their series at 1-1 as they travel to South Beach for Games 3 and 4. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers will look to answer back at home after falling behind 0-2 in their series with the Golden State Warriors but even if Stephen Curry doesn’t play they will be in tough to bounce back. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Saturday’s DraftKings NBA Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Goran Dragic, Miami
Salary: $6,200
Dragic has been on an absolute tear through the Heat’s first two games of its series with the Raptors and there is no reason to expect him to slow down as they head back to Miami for Game 3. Dragic has averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 three-point shots in two games against Toronto so we will continue to roll with the hot hand for Saturday’s NBA fantasy contests.
SG: Klay Thompson, Golden State
Salary: $9,100
Curry may or may not return in time for Game 3 in Portland but we like Thompson in this spot regardless. Thompson has averaged 32.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steal and a ridiculous 6.0 three-point shots per game through the first two matchups with the Trail Blazers so he is definitely worth the price as a lock at this position.
SF: Joe Johnson, Miami
Salary: $5,000
Raptors’ fans are well aware of how Johnson has burned them in the past and it’s no surprise that he is off to a strong start through the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Johnson has averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal versus Toronto and he slots in perfectly as a strong NBA fantasy value play in this spot.
PF: Draymond Green, Golden State
Salary: $11,200
The Warriors have leaned that much more heavily on Green with Curry out and we don’t expect his production to take too much of a hit even if the MVP plays in Game 3. Green has averaged 20.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.0 steal per game so far versus Portland and it’s our opinion that he and Thompson should be locks in the majority of Saturday’s DraftKings tournament lineups.
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto
Salary: $7,000
The fact that Valanciunas was limited to nine shots in Game 2 is absolutely ridiculous, especially considering six of those touches came in the fourth quarter in overtime. Valanciunas has been one of Toronto’s best players this postseason and if they are going to have any chance on the road against the Heat he will need a strong performance. Valanciunas has averaged 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game so far versus Miami and he could easily top those averages in Game 3.
G: Cory Joseph, Toronto
Salary: $3,700
Toronto’s guards continued to struggle in the first two games of its series with the Heat and that has opened the door for Joseph to be a strong contributor with an average of 24.5 minutes per game in the series. Joseph has responded with 9.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game against Miami and the potential is there for him to top those averages as a high value option for NBA fantasy.
F: Andre Iguodola, Golden State
Salary: $4,900
Iguodola is coming off one of his best performances of the playoffs in Game 2 against the Trail Blazers, in which he scored 15 points with five rebounds, four assists, two steals with one three-point shot. Last year’s NBA Finals MVP has the potential to put up some solid numbers in Game 3 on the road on Saturday and at $4.9K he appears to be the best option on the board at the forward position.
FLEX: Terrence Ross, Toronto
Salary: $2,500
After a quiet first round series against the Indiana Pacers, Ross has provided a spark for Toronto in its series with Miami by averaging 14.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal and 1.0 three-point shot in 27.5 minutes off the bench against the Heat. The fact that he is still available at just $2.5K despite that level of production makes him an absolute steal in DraftKings Daily Fantasy Leagues for Saturday.
