Tuesday’s NBA playoff schedule features a two-game slate, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Point Guard
Stud
Trae Young has been balling during the postseason. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he’s scored at least 58.0 DraftKings points in each of his past two. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.40 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 38.7 minutes in our NBA Models. The 76ers represent a tough matchup — they were second in the league in defensive efficiency during the regular season — but Young is simply too cheap on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 98 percent.
Value
It will be interesting to see what the Clippers’ rotation looks like in Game 1 against the Jazz. They played super small to close out their series vs. the Mavericks, but I don’t think that’s a possibility in their new series against the Jazz. That likely means Ivica Zubac returns to the starting lineup, and he will cut into the playing time for some of the Clippers’ role players.
That said, Reggie Jackson’s role should be safe. He has emerged as the most trusted member of the Clippers’ point guard trio, and he played nearly 38 minutes in a must-win Game 6 against the Mavericks. He’s one of the best pure values at the position on FanDuel, where his $4,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 82 percent.
Fast Break
Mike Conley is currently listed as questionable for Game 1 vs. the Clippers, and his status will be important to monitor. If he suits up, he could be worth some consideration at his current salary across the industry. He scored at least 49.0 DraftKings points in his first three playoff contests this season, which gives him solid upside.
Ben Simmons has the best individual matchup at the position. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +1.50 vs. the Hawks, and he responded with 46.0 DraftKings points in Game 1. He remains underpriced at $8,200, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 88 percent.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Donovan Mitchell missed Game 1 of the first round, which was the only contest that the Jazz lost in that series. He came back with a vengeance in Game 2, and he ultimately scored at least 41.0 DraftKings points in each of the final three games of the series. He didn’t even see a full workload in those contests — he played less than 30 minutes in two of the three games — but his playing time should increase vs. the Clippers. Mitchell has increased his production to 1.49 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he has massive upside at his current salary.
He would also be one of the primary beneficiaries if Conley is unable to suit up. He’s operated more as a playmaker with Conley off the court this season, increasing his assist rate by a team-high +3.6%. Make sure to monitor this situation using the Labs Insiders tool.
Value
Seth Curry has become one of the most underrated role players in basketball. He will always have the unfortunate designation of being compared to his brother, but he provides elite spacing for a team that sorely needs it. He’s capable of providing excellent fantasy value as well, and he’s scored at least 33.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games.
Fast Break
Paul George could be the preferred stud target at the position on FanDuel. He’s a slightly better value, and he has carried a massive workload for the Clippers recently. He’s logged at least 43.4 minutes in each of the past two games, and his 41.4 projected minutes is easily the top mark at the shooting guard position.
Bogdan Bogdanovic should carry lower ownership than Mitchell and George, which makes him an interesting pivot. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five games, and his seven Pro Trends on FanDuel are tied for the most at the position.
Small Forward
Stud
Kawhi Leonard has been available at a discount for most of the postseason, but his price has crept up across the industry. That said, his $9,900 salary on DraftKings still comes with a Bargain Rating of 99 percent. He was fantastic in the first round vs. the Mavericks, scoring at least 55.0 DraftKings points in six of seven games, and he racked up at least 61.5 DraftKings points in the final two games of the series. The Jazz are a tough matchup, but Leonard can put up a big game against anyone.
Value
De’Andre Hunter was unavailable for the Hawks in Game 1, and he’s currently listed as questionable for Game 2. He was a huge reason for their success in the first round against the Knicks, and the Hawks have been significantly better on the defensive end with Hunter on the court. He’s an interesting value option if he’s able to suit up.
If Hunter is out, Kevin Huerter would become a nice option. Solomon Hill drew the start in place of Hunter, but Huerter saw a bigger boost in playing time off the bench. He played 28.8 minutes and averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Fast Break
Bojan Bogdanovic stands out as the best value at the position on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 82%. He’s coming off a huge performance in his last game, finishing with 35.6 FanDuel points, and he’s currently projected for 32.4 minutes in our NBA Models. He would be another beneficiary if Conley is ruled out, with Bogdanovic increasing his usage rate by a team-high +1.5% with Conley off the court this season.
Nicolas Batum owns a Bargain Rating of 98% on DraftKings, and he has become a vital part of the Clippers’ rotation. They would not have gotten past the Mavericks without him, and while he could play a smaller role against the Jazz, he should still see plenty of playing time. He’s currently projected for 33.0 minutes in our NBA Models, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.80 (per the Trends tool).
Power Forward
Stud
Power forward is the weakest position on the slate. Tobias Harris is priced like a stud across the industry, but he doesn’t carry a ton of appeal with Joel Embiid back in the lineup. He was able to return value in Game 1 vs. the Hawks, but he shot 8 of 13 from the field. He’s likely due for some shooting regression in Game 2, so he could struggle if he doesn’t see an uptick in volume. I’m fine with paying down at the position.
Value
John Collins can occasionally get forgotten about for the Hawks, and he’s an interesting buy-low candidate. His price has dropped to just $5,600 on DraftKings, which represents a decrease of minus-$900 since the start of the postseason. Collins has still averaged a productive 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 33.0 minutes in our NBA Models.
Fast Break
Marcus Morris is another important role player for the Clippers. He was up-and-down during the first round, but he did score at least 35.75 DraftKings points in two of the final three games of that series. He’s averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute this season, and his $4,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 88 percent.
Royce O’Neale is really the only other player you can consider at the position on FanDuel. That’s how shallow it is on Tuesday. Unfortunately, his salary has increased after posting some big games against the Grizzlies in first round, but only Harris is projected for more minutes at the position on the slate.
Center
Stud
Embiid is officially questionable for Game 2, but it seems like there is little doubt that he’ll be able to suit up. He’s currently dealing with a small tear in his meniscus, but he showed no signs of it during Game 1 against the Hawks. He was his usual dominant self, racking up 62.75 DraftKings points thanks to 39 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. He was also able to play more than 38 minutes. Honestly, if you didn’t know about the injury, you would not have been able to tell by watching him play.
There’s no guarantee that he remains that effective moving forward, but it’s definitely a lot easier to trust him in Game 2. No one on the slate can match his average of 1.63 DraftKings points per minute this season, which gives him arguably the highest ceiling among the players.
Value
I think Zubac is a really intriguing option at just $3,500 on DraftKings. The Clippers simply can’t play as small against the Jazz as they did against the Mavericks, and Serge Ibaka remains out of the lineup with a back injury. That leaves Zubac as their only real option to combat Rudy Gobert on the interior. He’s currently projected for 16.4 minutes in our NBA Models, and he has a great chance of paying off his salary with that much playing time.
Fast Break
Speaking of Gobert, he’s a strong option at just $7,900 on DraftKings. His current price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 98%, and he leads all centers with nine Pro Trends. He wasn’t really asked to do a lot of heavy lifting in the first round against the Grizzlies, but that could change against the Clippers.
Clint Capela is a nice pivot off Embiid in tournaments on FanDuel. His 72% Bargain Rating is easily the top mark among the stud centers, and he averaged a stout 1.31 FanDuel points per minute this season. His production has been down over the past month, but he clearly has upside at his current price tag.
