This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: Utah Jazz, at POR. The Jazz have been one of the best defenses in the NBA all season, and they still have something to play for as they jostle with the Clippers for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In addition to their impressive defensive resume overall, they have successfully suppressed the main skill performers for the Trail Blazers in their meetings this season. Damian Lillard has averaged six fewer fantasy points in three games against the Jazz than his season average, and McCollum has averaged more than seven fewer fantasy points.
Offenses to Use: Milwaukee Bucks, at PHI. The Bucks are still fighting for a playoff spot, while the 76ers are well established in the lottery. Plus, the 76ers have been decimated by injury to the point that much of their rotation began the season either out of the NBA or chained to someone's bench. The 76ers have allowed the most fantasy points to centers, the fourth-most to forwards, and the 14th-most to guards in their last 10 games.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: none
Second game: Heat, Pelicans, Spurs, Jazz
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at PHI ($9,800): Antetokounmpo has averaged 53.4 fantasy points in his last five games, with a min of 35 and a max of 74.3. The Bucks still haven't officially clinched a playoff spot, so he still has something to play for. In three games against the 76ers this season, he has averaged 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.7 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Bradley Beal, WAS vs MIA ($7,000): Beal has averaged 32.3 fantasy points over his last six games, with a min of 22.3 and a max of 37.3. The Wizards are still jostling for playoff seeding, so he still has something to play for. In two games against the Heat this year, Beal has averaged 31.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 treys, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
Shaun Livingston, GS vs NO ($3,000): Livingston is expected to start at point guard for the Warriors on Saturday, because Stephen Curry is listed as doubtful with a knee contusion. Livingston isn't a high-volume producer, but as a min-priced starter he has solid punt-value upside.
Kevin Durant, GS vs NO ($8,700): Durant is expected to return from his long injury layoff on Saturday, and it has been reported that he won't face any minutes restriction in his return. He's a risky play, but his price is well below what it would have been when healthy. And we saw earlier this week, with Kyle Lowry's 50-fantasy-point explosion in his first game back, that it's possible for a star player to return after a layoff without missing a beat.
Blake Griffin, LAC at SA ($7,800): Griffin had a long mediocre streak, but lately he's played up to form with an average of 51.9 fantasy points with a min of 46.3 and a max of 56.5 in his last four games. The Clippers are still fighting for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, so Griffin still has something to play for. Meanwhile, the Spurs have their playoff position locked up and sat all of their main players on Friday. It is unclear who will be playing, or at what level, for the Spurs on Saturday.
Kyle Anderson, SA vs LAC ($4,100): The Spurs are a mystery wrapped in an enigma right now. They have their playoff seed locked up, they sat all of their main rotation players on Friday, and have not announced what their team will look like on Saturday. Anderson, though, is one of the few players that has been productive whether the regulars play or not, of late. He has scored between 23.8 and 39 fantasy points in three of his last four games, with the fourth being a single-digit fantasy scoring effort against the Grizzlies. He's risky, but has upside regardless of how the Spurs deploy their team on Saturday.
Hassan Whiteside, MIA at WAS ($7,700): Whiteside has averaged 37.7 fantasy points, with a min of 28 and a max of 47 in his last five outings. The Heat are still fighting for a playoff spot, so Whiteside has motivation to play his best on Saturday. In two games against the Wizards this season, Whiteside has averaged 17.5 points, 17 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at SA ($6,600): Jordan has averaged 42 fantasy points in his last four games, with a min of 36.3 and a max of 53.5. Like Griffin, Jordan still has motivation to play for playoff positioning. It is unclear what Spurs team he will face on Saturday, as they have their playoff slot clinched and sat all of their rotation players for Friday's game.
Shawn Long, PHI vs MIL ($4,300): Long has averaged 20.8 fantasy points, with a min of 13.8 and a max of 28, in his last five games. On Saturday, he faces a Bucks defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to centers in their last 10 games.
