Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic shoots free throws during an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Dallas, Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
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Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 59.5 DK - 65.6
Like Giannis yesterday, Luka is very expensive though it’s for a very good reason. Even in the loss against the Suns in the first game, Luka played 44 minutes and took 30 shots. He finished with a whopping 45 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. And the Mavericks are going to need everything from Doncic and more to get through this series. The Suns are just such a tough out at this point. He should continue playing minutes in the mid-40s as long as the games stay close and that’s enough for him to make good on these salaries. He’s just that good.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 30.88 DK - 35
Herro took the most shots on the team for Miami in Game 1 with 17 even though he only played 29 minutes in the affair. I’m a little concerned that 30 minutes might be around the max for Herro considering he actually closed this one out despite the score being a little out of hand by the end. Because he comes off the bench, in this way the run is a bit capped in a way we don’t see from starters. But his usage rate goes up with Lowry out of the mix and he’s asked to play on ball more as well. He ended up with 25 points and seven assists in that game and isn’t going all that expensive. He’s especially a bargain on FanDuel.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 24.04 DK - 26.9
Vincent should continue starting for the injured Kyle Lowry and he’s still coming cheap enough on both sites to warrant a play. In fact, his salary is what makes it a bit easier to pay up for guys like Luka and some others that we will get to shortly. Vincent took 12 shots in Game 1, the third-most on the team and finished with 10 points and three rebounds and assists each. It’s not an overwhelming line by any means, and the minutes aren’t going to go much higher that 30, but on these slates that’s about as much as you can ask for from the cheap plays.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 23.99 DK - 27.57
Strus was largely ineffective in Game 1, playing 33 minutes but only scoring five points and pulling in five rebounds. The 1-7 from behind the arc didn’t help and he really needs to hit threes in order to be fantasy viable. Thankfully, we know that he can do that and I think he, like Vincent, represents a chance to save a little money in order to get up to the more expensive plays. For the most part, the superstars rule these slates and they need to be the priority. Guys like Strus are what make that possible.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 57.4 DK - 62.78
If the Sixers are going to survive without Joel Embiid, they are going to need to get a superstar performance and more out of James Harden. And even then it’s going to be tough. They definitely didn’t get it in Game 1 with the Heat working overtime to make his life as tough as possible. He only got up 13 shots in his 35 minutes, finishing with 16 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Of course, it wasn’t nearly good enough and there is some concern that he won’t be able to muster more than this going forward. But the price is daring you to believe at least for one more game because he’s just coming pretty cheap all things considered.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 31.29 DK - 33.01
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 27.63 DK - 29.81
The Suns and the Mavericks are calling on these two to play a million minutes in this series because their versatility and their ability to play, and guard, multiple positions. Bridges and DFS played 42 and 40 minutes respectively in the first game and as long as things are close, that should be the number (or higher) going forward. Bridges finished with more than 30 fantasy points thanks to a balanced line and considering he isn’t going to have high usage in this offense, he needs to contribute everywhere else. Meanwhile DFS was able to continue his productive streak that he’s shown throughout the playoffs. He’s averaged 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks+steals per game in this stretch. The minutes are going to be through the roof going forward, and there’s safety in that.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 43.83 DK - 46.2 Without Embiid the Sixers are really depleted on the interior and that showed in the first game of the series. With the corpse of DeAndre Jordan back there, as well as Philly going smaller, Bam finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, and three blocks+steals. He was dominant and that is set to continue as long as this is the case for Philly. The price hasn’t come up in the short term and he’s set for another dominant performance as long as this is the state of the Sixers. I think he will be a popular play on this slate.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 39.64 DK - 42.69
The usage rate for Harris goes up considerably with Embiid off the court and that showed in the first game. He took the most shots on the team with 18 and finished with 27 points and six rebounds in his 37 minutes. The price hasn’t climbed enough on Harris considering the situation with the Sixers missing their best player. And though the matchup against the Heat is a tough one, I think we just need to ride this situation moving forward. Considering the production and usage that’s left on the table with Embiid out, the Sixers are still coming at values especially among the guys left who can take shots.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 25.95 DK - 27.8
Crowder had foul trouble in the first game which cut off some of his minutes. That, in turn led to a decrease in production. But Crowder will be useful in this series especially considering how small the Mavericks are going to want to play when they go five-out. Crowder is still a bargain on both sites and you shouldn’t let the sub-30 minutes in the first game throw you off along those lines.
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