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NBA DFS: Wednesday picks for three-game playoff slate

mike barner
·4 min read

Wednesday brings three more playoff games in the NBA. The first game will be a continuation of the marque series between the Celtics and Nets after Game 1 went down to the final second. The second game of the evening will feature a shift in venue as the 76ers taking their 2-0 lead over the Raptors to Toronto. Finally, the Bulls, who were able to put up a good fight in Game 1, will try to get over the hump and steal a game against the Bucks before their series moves to Chicago. Let's discuss some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Kyrie Irving, BKN at BOS ($43): The Nets may have lost Game 1, but Irving still put on a show. He thrived with the opposing crowd booing him the entire game, posting 39 points, five rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block over 42 minutes. Not only did he log 42 minutes, but he took 20 shots from the field and made all nine of his free-throw attempts. His playing time and usage rate should again be off the charts in Game 2.

Alex Caruso, CHI at MIL ($15): Although they still didn't win, the Bulls held the Bucks to 93 points in Game 1. One of the main reasons they were able to do so was Caruso, who was all over the place on the defensive end. He only scored 19.6 Yahoo points, but he did log 33 minutes. His lack of scoring will limit his upside, but he can still provide enough contributions in terms of assists and steals to provide value at this salary.

Guard to Avoid

Gary Trent Jr., TOR at PHI ($20): Trent entered the day listed as doubtful because of an illness, but still managed to suit up in Game 2. He clearly wasn't healthy, and ended up logging just 10 minutes. He's questionable for Game 3, and the Raptors could really use him with Scottie Barnes (ankle) expected to be out again. However, even if he is cleared to play, the potential that he sees limited minutes again makes him too risky.

FORWARDS

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. CHI ($57): The Bulls had no answer for Giannis during the regular season with him averaging 26.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks against them over four games. He followed that up with a masterful performance in Game 1 in which he scored 51.7 Yahoo points, despite being in foul trouble. While his salary will do a number on your budget, his also has a tremendously high floor.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo is a top NBA DFS play
Consider building your NBA DFS lineups around Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Al Horford, BOS vs. BKN ($24): The Celtics are thin up front with Robert Williams III (knee) currently sidelined. He's not expected to return in the first round, so they will need to continue to rely more heavily on Horford. Across six games that Horford has played since Williams went down, he has averaged 13.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals. He also logged 41 minutes in Game 1, and should continue to see plenty of playing time in Game 2.

Forward to Avoid

Bruce Brown, BKN at BOS ($23): Brown was quiet in Game 1, scoring 13.2 Yahoo points despite playing 37 minutes. The Nets don't draw up many shots for him, so while he's had his moments this season, he's also been an inconsistent source for production. If you're hunting for a forward in this salary range, Horford, Tobias Harris ($23) and OG Anunoby ($22) could all be better choices.

CENTERS

Pascal Siakam, TOR vs. PHI ($41): With all eyes on Joel Embiid ($54), some people might overlook Siakam when building their lineups. Embiid has scored a total of 86.2 Yahoo points across the first two games of the series, while Siakam has combined for 87.5 Yahoo points. Given their significantly contrasting salaries, Siakam might actually be the better play between the two.

Brook Lopez, MIL vs. CHI ($13): Lopez gives the Bulls problems. In their final meeting of the regular season, he scored 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, two steals and three blocks. In Game 1 of this series, he scored 18 points on his way to 28.0 Yahoo points. Nikola Vucevic is not a very good defender, especially around the perimeter, so Lopez could continue to have success throughout this series.

Center to Avoid

Andre Drummond, BKN at BOS ($23): We didn't see much of Drummond in the first game of this series. He logged only 17 minutes, scoring 19.8 Yahoo points along the way. Nicolas Claxton was far more effective, scoring 35.1 Yahoo points over 31 minutes. That might have earned Claxton more minutes in Game 2, which would likely come at Drummond's expense.