This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are three games Friday night, but one will take precedence over the other two from a fantasy standpoint. The Thunder/Rockets game has an over/under (224) that's 17 points more than Bulls/Celtics and 27 higher than Jazz/Clippers, and that'll be a good starting point for putting together your FanDuel lineup.
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. HOU ($14,600): As seen last game when he finished with 88.5 fantasy points, Westbrook is worth the price. In a dire situation down 2-0 in the series, Westbrook could have another ridiculous triple-double that sees him top at least 30 points.
Victor Oladipo, OKC vs. HOU ($5,900): It's logical to think Oladipo will break out of this funk at some point, especially at home. While he's not a great shooter, going 5-of-26 from the floor is far below his season average (44.2%). In the two regular-season home games against the Rockets, Oladipo shot 17-of-31 from the field for 41 points and 17 rebounds. Take the average from those two games and that'll be good enough.
Jerian Grant, CHI vs. BOS ($1,500): With Rajon Rondo out, Grant becomes the ultimate value play as the Game 3 starting point guard for the Bulls. While minutes aren't guaranteed, grabbing him would allow you to go big on a couple other options. Grant played 27 total minutes in the first two games, but he closed the season playing decently, averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the final five.
Jimmy Butler, CHI vs. BOS ($11,200): If you're going to use the anti-Westbrook lineup, Butler is a must-have in the squad. Much cheaper than Westbrook and James Harden, Butler doesn't have the same upside, but he provides the consistency. The reason to back him again after 44.3 and 52.6 fantasy points in the first two games is because the Celtics have struggled against players like him all season. That's seen in the numbers for the last 10 games, as the Celtics have been worst in the league allowing 52.5 fantasy points per game to small forwards.
Taj Gibson, OKC vs. HOU ($4,000): There's nothing enticing about this play outside of the money. But unlike Enes Kanter, Gibson will find time on the court because he can rebound and play defense. Kanter has the upside and better offensive game, but Gibson provides some kind of consistency and at least has the ability to reach 20 fantasy points at a small price.
Bobby Portis, CHI vs. BOS ($4,400): It's been a weird two games for Portis, who barely saw the floor in Game 2. After breaking out for 19 points and nine boards in his playoff debut, he played just nine minutes the next game. But that's only going to happen again if Paul Zipser goes off or Nikola Mirotic catches fire. The nine minutes Portis got is not the norm and he should be up near his late-season average of around 20 minutes. If that's the case against a Celtics team that has been in the bottom third of allowing fantasy points to power forwards this season (45.0 allowed), he'll produce enough for the price.
Kelly Olynyk, BOS vs. CHI ($5,100): In the first two games Olynyk did a little bit of everything en route to at least 26.3 fantasy points in each contest. Conveniently, that lines up with how things went in the regular season against the Bulls and in a must-win situation, Olynyk can stretch the floor and keep Robin Lopez on his toes (something Amir Johnson can't do).
Steven Adams, OKC vs. HOU ($5,100): There are a lot of Thunder players in this article, but that's what happens when there are three games and one of them has a much higher over/under. Similar to Gibson, this hasn't been a great series for Adams, who has just 11 points and 12 rebounds total. Simply put, someone else is going to step up on the Thunder outside of Westbrook and finding that guy will be key. Last time playing at home against Houston, Adams finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Even after a rough couple games for OKC, the Rockets closed the season as one of the worst at guarding the center position, allowing 59.8 fantasy points in their last 10.
Nene Hilario, HOU vs. OKC ($5,000): There's no question about Nene's game. He'll get easy buckets and throw in a few rebounds, but nothing more. That's been good for about 20 fantasy points in the first couple games in this series and if that's all you're hoping for, he'll get the job done.
Editor's note: an earlier version of this article included a section on Rajon Rondo, but he was ruled out after it was posted. Jerian Grant was added as a replacement.
