This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Despite there being only three games on the schedule for Wednesday's playoff slate, there's still plenty of options to sort through at all levels of the price scale. The following list should provide a handful of players to consider building your lineup around:
GUARDS:
Damian Lillard, POR at NOP ($9,600): Lillard has struggled somewhat significantly on the offensive end over the first two games of the playoffs. He's shot just 31.7 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from the three-point line, while averaging 17.5 points. That's way less than his numbers from the regular season, so at some point, he's going to turn things around. I'm betting on that being Thursday in Game 3, as the Trail Blazers look to avoid going down 0-3 in the series. Lillard is still getting his looks considering he's averaged 20.5 field-goal attempts since the start of the playoffs, so it's simply a matter of those shots falling.
Rajon Rondo, NOP vs. POR ($7,000): Rondo is slowly creeping up to a price where I'm going to have to pass on him, but $7,000 still gives enough room to where I think he won't have a problem hitting value. In the first two games of the series, Rondo has tallied 35.5 and 42.1 FanDuel points, respectively, and he'll continue to have a strong floor considering his consistency in the assist department. The Pelicans also finished the regular season at the top in terms of pace of play, so they'll continue to push the tempo, which is always beneficial for DFS purposes.
Dwyane Wade, MIA vs. PHI ($4,900): I also think guys like Marco Belinelli ($5,700) and J.J. Redick ($5,600) are strong options in this price range, though Wade is a little cheaper and further aids owners in potentially fitting Anthony Davis into their lineups. The 36-year-old veteran came out of nowhere to put up 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals across 26 minutes in Game 2, which was good enough for 43.9 FanDuel points. I certainly don't expect him to come anywhere near those numbers in Game 3, but I do think the Heat will rely on him a bit more than they expected to to start the playoffs, so minutes in the mid-20s is possible. With that sort of workload, Wade shouldn't have a ton of trouble reaching the 30-FanDuel-point mark, which would be hitting value at his current price.
FORWARDS:
Anthony Davis, NOP vs. POR ($12,700): Davis is officially at that absurdly high price where you have to consider fading him for a guy like LaMarcus Aldridge ($10,000) instead. However, unlike the usual three-game slate, there are a couple of near minimum guys that I find fairly intriguing, which allows me to pay up for Davis without severely sacrificing production elsewhere across the board. Davis has the highest upside of anybody on the slate, so despite the price, I'm going to do everything I can to get him in my lineup. While Davis had just 46.1 FanDuel points in Game 2, he preceded that with a 68.3-FanDuel-point showing in the opener, which is the sort of numbers I'm looking for.
Draymond Green, GS at SA ($7,300): In terms of fantasy production, Green had a pretty weak showing in Game 2, finishing with just 28.0 FanDuel points. However, that's resulted in his price falling from $8,200 to $7,300, which pulls my interest back in. At such a discounted price, there's an argument to be made for playing Green, especially considering his contributions across the stat sheet always put him on triple-double watch. In the playoff opener, Green posted 12 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and a block, so if he can put up another line like that, DFS owners will be getting some solid value at his current price.
Kelly Olynyk, MIA at PHI ($6,300): With the 76ers going small, the Heat have pivoted away from starter Hassan Whiteside more than usual, which has allowed Olynyk to benefit with added run in the froncourt. Over the first two games of the series, Olynyk has averaged 34.7 FanDuel points across 32.0 minutes, exemplifying his sizable workload. The 76ers are set to be without Joel Embiid (face) once again in Game 3, so another small ball lineup from Philadelphia likely means the Heat will counter will plenty of Olynyk. Another heavy dose of playing time means Olynyk should be a fine DFS play Thursday.
Maurice Harkless, POR at NOP ($3,600): Now comes my run on near minimum priced players, all of which make Davis a realistic possibility for DFS owners. Harkless will be in his second game back from a knee injury and his price hasn't reflected that quite yet. He saw a full dose of minutes in his return during Game 2, when he posted 11 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block across 33 minutes. That workload suggests he's over any lingering discomfort. Coach Terry Stotts also hinted that he could change up his starting lineup and Harkless would be one of the favorites to get the promotion over a guy like Evan Turner. Officially at full strength and potentially reclaiming a starting role results in plenty to like for a near minimum priced Harkless.
CENTERS:
JaVale McGee, GSW at SAS ($3,600): McGee remains questionable for Thursday's contest due to a quad injury, though he was seen getting shots up at morning shootaround, which suggests he's on track to take the court as usual. While McGee has averaged just 17.5 minutes over the first two games of the playoffs, he's been extremely efficient and has actually notched 28.4 and 28.8 FanDuel points, respectively. That's huge production relative to his near minimum price, so I'm keeping an eye on his injury status and firing him up in lineups if cleared. It also helps that the top three centers on the slate are Jusuf Nurkic ($7,500), Hassan Whiteside ($5,500) and Pau Gasol ($4,700), so this seems to be a prime opportunity to go extremely cheap.
Zach Collins, POR at NOP ($3,500): Like I mentioned in the McGee blurb, I'm not going to pay up for any of the poor mid-to-upper tier options at center, which leaves me with a couple of minimum guys. Collins fits the mold there and with the Trail Blazers falling to 0-2 in the series, they could try and unleash him a little more than they already have. Over the first two games of the series, Collins notched 16.0 and 23.9 FanDuel points, respectively, which aren't horrible numbers for a minimum price. While I certainly suggest going with McGee if he's available, Collins presents a secondary option if McGee can't give it a go.
