This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The excitement of the playoffs is finally starting to kick in, as both series are now tied at 2-2. FanDuel is offering both single game slates and multi-day slates, and this article will focus on the latter. The Celtics and Cavaliers matchup once again on Wednesday, while the Warriors and Rockets face off in Game 5 on Thursday, so the following list of players provides some of the more intriguing DFS options for those contests.
Guards:
James Harden, HOU vs. GS ($11,500): Harden and Chris Paul once again carried the Rockets to a win in Game 4 on Tuesday and both will continue to have to play extremely well if Houston wants a chance at reaching the finals. Look for Harden to have the ball in his hands early and often Thursday and he's $2,000 cheaper than the top overall priced player in LeBron James ($13,500), so taking Harden as your No. 1 option gives you a little more roster flexibility elsewhere. Harden posted 30 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three steals in Game 4, which was good enough for 53.8 FanDuel points. However, he's shown multiple times previously in the playoffs that he can score at a much higher rate, so there's plenty of potential for improvement on his last game.
Terry Rozier, BOS vs. CLE ($7,400): After putting together three straight performances of less than 30 FanDuel points to start the series against the Cavaliers, Rozier finally got back on track in Game 4, posting 16 points, six rebounds, 11 assists and three steals. That was good enough for 48.7 FanDuel points, which is the type of production he was having earlier in the playoffs against the Bucks and the 76ers. He's still decently priced in that mid-tier range and has plenty of upside overall, so go ahead and fire Rozier up in lineups.
Eric Gordon, HOU vs. GS ($5,100): Gordon's main calling card is his scoring ability, as he struggles to provide much of anything in the other stat categories. That definitely limits his overall upside, though at this price, he's still a viable option if you're looking to go a bit cheaper at the guard position. He's hit 30 or more FanDuel points three times since the start of the playoffs and while that's nothing overly significant, it does show he's got the capability of going off on any given night if his shot is on. For that reason, he can be utilized in tournament settings as some added salary relief.
Forwards:
Kevin Durant, GS at HOU ($10,800): Durant has hovered in the mid-40's for FanDuel points over the last five games, so he'll need to step it up a bit in order to hit value at his current price. However, after the Warriors fell to the Rockets in Game 4, it wouldn't be surprising if Durant comes back with a very strong showing. He's scoring at a high rate, but needs to be a little more consistent with his rebound and assist numbers. While I still like Harden better if you're only paying up for one of the top guys, Durant is a nice fallback option for those who'd rather look elsewhere.
Draymond Green, GS at HOU ($8,700) Green continues to be one of the more well-rounded players when it comes to racking up multi-category statistics. He doesn't score a ton, but he does border on double-digit assists and rebounds on a night-to-night basis. He's had 42.6 and 47.4 FanDuel points over the last two games, respectively, hitting double-digit rebounds in both while having a solid amount of assists as well. While he's definitely getting a bit expensive, there's not a whole lot of cheaper forward options in these two games, so if you can pay up for Green, I would highly recommend it.
P.J. Tucker, HOU vs. GS ($5,000): Tucker is one of the lone cheap options that I'm considering for my lineup at the forward slot. He's still only $5,000 despite the fact that he's surpassed 35 FanDuel points in two of the last three games. It's been his work on the boards that has been particularly impressive, tallying a ridiculous 16 in Game 4 on Tuesday. If he can continue to give himself a solid floor in that category, while chipping in elsewhere across the stat sheet, Tucker should have no problems hitting value at his price.
Centers:
Al Horford, BOS vs. CLE ($7,900): The highest priced center on the slate is Clint Capela at $8,400, but his minutes have been questionable at best, so I'm avoiding him at all costs. That makes Horford the most expensive option that I would consider at the position. Horford has put together a few clunkers of late, with 30.9 and 20.4 FanDuel points, respectively, over the last two games. However, he preceded those contests with 45, 39.8 and 43.1 FanDuel points, which is the sort of upside he has overall. If you have the room, feel free to pay up a bit for Horford.
Tristan Thompson, CLE at BOS ($4,800): If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, Thompson is definitely the guy to pivot to. He's coming off his best outing of the postseason after going off for 13 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal across 38 minutes in Game 4. That was good enough for 38.4 FanDuel points, which would be monster production at this price. I certainly don't expect him to duplicate that line, but it wouldn't be surprising if he continues to hover around double-digit rebounds, which gives him a decent floor. That actually ends up making Thompson my favorite center option on the slate considering his cheaper price also gives you plenty of flexibility to pay up for guys like Harden, Rozier and Green.
