This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The first two days of playoff action have had a bit of everything, including a pair of sizable upsets in Tuesday's round of Game 1 showdowns. We now head into the first set of Game 2 battles, with the same eight teams from Monday's slate back in action.
One lesson gleaned from some of the first installments between the teams we'll see Wednesday is that coaches will sometimes zig when expected to zag with respect to their second units. We saw some reserve players that has made a solid impact during seeding games get little to no playing time in their respective Game 1 contests.
We'll begin by delving into the two games with particularly high projected totals Wednesday, and we'll proceed to examine the general state of each position, review some key injuries and delve into expected chalk plays and both under-the-radar and popular value plays to consider.
Before delving into the slate, a reminder that FanDuel has reverted to its previous format of NOT dropping the lowest scoring in lineups after a one-year experiment with that feature. Therefore, it will be important to be prudent with each selection, as each player's total will count toward your final score.
Without further ado, let's dive into Wednesday's slate!
Slate Overview
Here's a further look at the games with the two highest-projected totals on Wednesday's slate:
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (Projected total: 226.0 points)
The oddsmakers are boosting up this projected total four points over the one they'd posted prior to Game 1. Toronto lambasted Brooklyn by a 134-110 score in Monday's opener, with all five starters and two reserves posting double-digit scoring efforts and the Raps shooting 47.1 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range. However, it's worth noting the Nets drained 46.7 percent of their attempts as well, even with Caris LeVert shooting just 5-for-14 from the floor, so the total here is certainly a reasonable one.
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers (Projected total: 230.0 points)
The Mavs and Clippers combined for 228 points in Game 1 despite Kristaps Porzingis getting the hook early in the third quarter and Luka Doncic also missing time in the first half to tend to an ankle issue. The two squads could well be set for another wire-to-wire battle Wednesday, especially if Porzingis plays through his questionable tag (more details in injury section). Therefore, the 230-point total, which was also the projected figure before Monday's contest, could be very reachable.
Positional Breakdown
PG: Mike Conley will remain out for Game 2, but otherwise, the position is in good health. Kyle Lowry once again heads up the pool, while Jamal Murray and Kemba Walker make for fine pivots following very strong Game 1 efforts. However, the position does see a significant drop-off below Walker, with the exception of Patrick Beverley, who appears to be over his calf issue.
SG: This once again could be the highest-upside position of the slate. Luka Doncic, Caris LeVert, Paul George and Donovan Mitchell are a top-notch foursome up top, while Fred VanVleet, Marcus Smart, Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson and Josh Richardson all make for excellent cost-savings choices below them.
SF: Gordon Hayward is now out for several weeks with an ankle injury, and his absence will be immediately felt Wednesday in terms of the overall depth at the position. Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Tobias Harris are the top trio, while Jaylen Brown carries a probable tag and is fully expected to play with likely increased offensive responsibility in Hayward's absence. Joe Ingles, Tim Hardaway and Joe Harris are all value options that are viable as well.
PF: Kristaps Porzingis is carrying a questionable tag due to knee soreness, but given the importance of the game, it's likely to safe to assume he has a solid chance of playing. There aren't a ton of true high-upside options outside of the big man and Jayson Tatum, although Michael Porter, Serge Ibaka, Al Horford and Marcus Morris are among the appealing options under $7K.
C: As was ultimately the case Monday, there's a clean bill of health at center Wednesday. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert and Jarrett Allen are the top four options, and the Clippers duo of Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell could be two of the strongest value plays of the night.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written (usually late morning Eastern time), check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate.
Gordon Hayward, BOS (ankle)
Hayward's ankle sprain is expected to keep him out approximately four weeks. Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams could be the primary beneficiaries in terms of a boost in playing time, while the usage of the remainder of the Celtics' starting five,which is now likely to include Marcus Smart, should also see an increase.
Mike Conley, UTA (personal)
Conley will continue out for Game 2, but he's already returned to the Orlando bubble after exiting for the birth of his child. Depending on the length of his required quarantine, he could be available for Game 4 of the series.
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL (heel)
Porzingis is considered questionable for Game 2 against the Clippers with knee soreness. Boban Marjanovic, who helped fill in for Porzingis during a pair of seeding games with considerable success, would be set for a potential spot start at center should the big man sit out.
Jaylen Brown, BOS (thigh)
Brown is considered probable for Game 2 with a thigh bruise.
Gary Harris, DEN (hip)
Harris will remain out for Game 2 against the Jazz.
Will Barton (knee)
Barton will remain out for Game 2 against the Jazz.
Jamal Crawford, BKN (hamstring)
Crawford will remain out for Game 2 against the Raptors.
Glenn Robinson, PHI (oblique)
Robinson will remain out for Game 2 against the Celtics.
Other injuries to monitor:
Ed Davis, UTA (knee)- Out
Long-term injuries of note: Ben Simmons, PHI; Bojan Bogdanovic, UTA; Patrick McCaw, TOR
Elite Players
Luka Doncic is once again the only five-figure player on the slate with a price of $10.5K, and he's certainly worth every penny, even more so if Kristaps Porzingis is forced to sit out. Kawhi Leonard ($9.6K), Nikola Jokic ($9.3K) and Joel Embiid ($9.3K) are among those capable of offering elite-level production at lower prices than Doncic, and Jayson Tatum could be a bargain at $8.7K after compiling 57.1 FD points in Game 1 and now being forced to play without Gordon Hayward (ankle) for the foreseeable future.
Donovan Mitchell ($8.2K) certainly enters the elite players conversation as well after a record-setting 57-point performance in Game 1, and both Paul George ($8.1K) and Kyle Lowry ($8K) are also capable of significantly outpacing their salaries under the right circumstances.
Expected Chalk
All the names in the prior section are going to be very popular, with Mitchell likely to see the biggest boost in rostering rate over Game 1. Celtics such as Walker, Brown and Tatum should also see an uptick in clicks with Gordon Hayward (ankle) out.
As usual, I've also compiled the names of some sub-$6K value plays that should also find themselves on plenty of rosters and listed them under the next section.
Key Values
Garrett Temple, BKN vs. TOR ($4,300)
Temple is one value play that we shouldn't have any playing time concerns about, as he's logged no fewer than Monday's 34 minutes in any of his last three contests and at least 23 in all but one seeding game. Temple should continue seeing a steady role off the bench with Jamal Crawford (hamstring) still out, especially with his typically stalwart defense. Temple has also made some strong offensive contributions in Orlando, averaging 11.1 points – along with 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists – over eight contests. Given his price and expected opportunity, he makes for what should be a relatively low-rostered cost-savings option.
Matisse Thybulle, PHI vs. BOS ($3,900)
Thybulle has delivered over 20 FanDuel points in four of his last five games, and he encouragingly logged 33 minutes during Game 1. Thybulle's efficiency has been off the charts during that span, as he's shooting an outstanding 61.9 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range. Thybulle also has multiple steals in six of the last seven games -- a level of thievery that always gives him a chance to supplement his fantasy production and deliver a strong return on a particularly low salary -- and he should continue seeing a dependable allotment of minutes with Glenn Robinson (oblique) out of action.
Other under-the-radar-plays to consider: Miles Plumlee, DEN ($3,600); Terence Davis, TOR ($3,500)
Popular value plays to consider: Serge Ibaka, TOR ($5,800); Marcus Smart, BOS ($5,600); Joe Ingles ($5,500); Al Horford ($5,500); Joe Harris ($5,400); Lou Williams ($5,300); Tim Hardaway, DAL ($5,200); Jordan Clarkson, UTA ($5,100); Ivica Zubac, LAC ($5,100); Montrezl Harrell, LAC ($5,000); Josh Richardson, PHI ($4,900); Marcus Morris, LAC ($4,700); Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ($4,400); Alec Burks, PHI ($4,100)
