NBA Friday: Fade a pair of Warriors in your daily fantasy basketball picks
Two home teams will be looking to advance to the Conference Finals on Friday. More postseason action means more opportunities to play Yahoo DFS. Let's discuss some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Jalen Brunson, NY at MIA ($31): Brunson was as good as it gets in the Knicks' win in Game 5 scoring 38 points while shooting 12-for-22 from the field and 10-for-12 from the charity stripe. He also chipped in nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes. After having managed at least 30 points from three of the last four, Brunson should once again carry a heavy workload with the Knicks trying to force a Game 7.
Kyle Lowry, MIA vs. NY ($13): Lowry struggled from the field on Wednesday with only nine points on 3-for-11 shooting. On the bright side, the 11 shot attempts were the second-most he's recorded during the Heat's playoff run. Lowry did salvage that stat line with five assists, two steals and a block. With at least 22.7 Yahoo points in each game of this series, he offers the potential to provide value.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS at LAL ($21): Thompson has gone cold at the wrong time for the Warriors as he's shooting just 29.7 percent from the field across the last three outings. He's also seen his opportunities dwindle, having averaged 12.3 shot attempts during that stretch. While Thompson can quickly heat up, his recent struggles make him risky in DFS.
FORWARDS
Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. NY ($44): Surprisingly, Butler wasn't very aggressive in Game 5. He did attempt 11 free throws, but only took 12 shots from the field while averaging 20.6 this postseason. Butler was still able to contribute seven rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks. The Heat desperately don't want to go back to New York for Game 7, so expect Butler to look for his shot more Friday night.
Max Strus, MIA vs. NY ($11): After a quiet series opener, Strus has posted at least 14 points in each of the last four games. He's frequently jacked up three-pointers and has gone 14-for-37 from behind the arc during that stretch. Miami badly needs Strus's long-distance shooting to help with spacing on offense, so expect him to continue receiving significant opportunities.
Forward to Avoid
Josh Hart, NY at MIA ($13): It's been a rough last couple of games for Hart. He fouled out over only 22 minutes in Game 4, then was limited to a measly nine minutes due to foul trouble on Wednesday. The Knicks rode their starters hard in Game 5 with Brunson and Quentin Grimes playing the entire game while Julius Randle and RJ Barrett logged 36 and 38 minutes. Combine that with Hart potentially picking up too many fouls guarding Jimmy Butler, and that makes him someone to avoid.
CENTERS
Anthony Davis, LAL vs. GS ($51): It looks like the Lakers avoided a disaster. Davis left Game 5 after getting hit in the head, but is listed as probable Friday. If LA wants to close out this series at home, they need Davis to be healthy. He's been dominant for much of the series averaging 22.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks.
Draymond Green, GS at LAL ($25): When Green is playing like he did Wednesday, the Warriors are tough to beat. He was locked in from the start and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Asking Green to duplicate that offensive total isn't realistic, but he's averaged 7.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks this series. That makes him worth considering for those who want to fade Davis.
Center to Avoid
Kevon Looney, GS at LAL ($19): Looney received more playing time in Game 5, but still only played 20 minutes. Since moving to the bench, he's only provided 4.3 points and 5.8 rebounds across four games. Unless we receive news Looney would be returning to the starting lineup, he's not worth rostering.
