The NBA playoffs are here and that makes it that much more exciting to play in DraftKings daily fantasy leagues where it’s clear that every player on the board is bringing their best to the table for a chance to help their team advance to the next round. Building a winning lineup still comes down to finding the best mix of superstar talent and value plays and that is the case here with a starting five you can build around for Tuesday’s NBA action.
PG: Isaiah Thomas, Boston
Salary: $5,700
Boston will be in tough to keep up with the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of their opening round series but Thomas led the Celtics in scoring and assists this season and should be in for another strong fantasy performance. He had a solid stat line in their Game 1 loss, scoring a team-high 22 points with 10 assists, five rebounds, two threes and one steal. He could be primed for a bigger performance with even more minutes than the 32 he played in the series opener as Boston’s best offensive threat.
SG: James Harden, Houston
Salary: $10,400
If there is one superstar on the board worth investing in heading in to Tuesday’s action, it would be Harden as he has been a consistent fantasy MVP all season. He should be a lock for a big performance when the Rockets play their second game of playoffs at home against the Dallas Mavericks. Harden has averaged 25.4 points, 7.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game over the past two weeks and there is a good chance he tops those numbers across the board against a suspect Mavericks defense. After a relatively average performance in Game 1 – by his lofty standards – look for an even better outing in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Salary: $10,600
By finding value plays elsewhere, you can load up on Tuesday with the top two players on the board in Harden and LeBron. James scored 20 points with seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in Game 1 against Boston and could easily build on those totals with a bigger performance in Game 2. Even superstar players could need a game to adjust to playoff basketball, so expect LeBron to come out and make a statement in game two.
PF: Terrence Jones, Houston
Salary: $6,700
Jones was an absolute fantasy stud for the Rockets in their series opener when he scored 19 points with nine rebounds, six assists and one steal. There is no doubt that they will lean on him heavily in Game 2 as one of their best secondary scoring option behind Harden after such a strong performance. Dwight Howard is clearly not at full strength right now and he battled foul trouble in the opener. Jones has a relatively easy matchup with Dirk Nowitzki as Dirk is strong at the offensive end but is often a defensive liability. That makes Jones a sneaky value play for Tuesday night’s action in what should be another high scoring game against Dallas.
C: Kelly Olynyk, Boston
Salary: $3,500
Olynyk managed to finish game one against Cleveland with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and two threes despite playing with five stitches in his head. He was elbowed in the Celtics season finale and that may have distracted him but there is a good chance he will improve on those totals in Game 2. It wouldn’t’ be a surprise to see Olynyk put up 15 and 5 in Game 2 – especially since he played better on the road than at home this season. In just 22.6 minutes per game on the road, Olynyk averaged 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 threes, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks. He only played 18 minutes in Game 1 but if can get some more burn, which he should, the numbers will approach the season averages. Considering his ability to fill the stat sheet in a number of areas, he is a quality play here at a discount price.
