Yahoo DFS Basketball: Tuesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Tuesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

After a rare day with no games Monday, the NBA playoffs resume with two games Tuesday. The Heat and Celtics will be tipping off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and the Nuggets will try to mount another comeback against the Clippers in Game 7 of their series.

We also have Yahoo DFS on our plate, so here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to potentially avoid.

GUARDS

Jimmy Butler, MIA at BOS ($36): Butler and the Heat have certainly had plenty of time to rest after making quick work of the Bucks. He had an amazing series, averaging 23.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals. Despite the Celtics being another tough defensive foe, Butler's leading role with the Heat still makes him an appealing option with a high floor.

Goran Dragic, MIA at BOS ($24): Dragic's contributions in the playoffs should not be overlooked. The Heat decided to move him into the starting five and it's paid off with him averaging 21.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals across nine games. The key has been him averaging 35 minutes a night in his new role, compared to his average of 28 minutes a game off the bench during the regular season. Expect Dragic, who leads the Heat in usage rate, to once again be busy in this series.

Guard to Avoid

Lou Williams, LAC vs. DEN ($19): Williams has seen his role within the Clippers' offense shrink during this series. He averaged 14.4 shot attempts per game during the regular season, but he's only averaged 11.3 shot attempts against the Nuggets. The result has been him scoring 24.5 Yahoo points or fewer in four of the six games. Since his salary isn't overly cheap, it might be best to keep him out of your entry.

FORWARDS

Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. DEN ($51): Can Leonard regroup the Clippers and lead them to the Conference Finals? He's certainly done his part in this series, scoring at least 42.9 Yahoo points in all six games. The Clippers will likely ask for even more from him here with their playoff lives on the line, so look for Leonard to step up with a monster all-around stat line. Last time Leonard played in a Game 7 -- 2019 against Philadelphia -- he took a career-high 39 shots.

Jae Crowder, MIA at BOS ($19): Crowder didn't play much in the first round, averaging 26 minutes a night against the Pacers. That changed in the second round with him averaging 34 minutes a game against the Bucks. He cashed in to score at least 29.3 Yahoo points in four of those contests. If he can continue to see an expanded role here, he could provide value.

Forward to Avoid

Marcus Morris, LAC vs. DEN ($15): There isn't much to see here with Morris, who has scored 23.4 Yahoo points or fewer in each of the last five games. He even scored 12.7 Yahoo points or fewer three times during that stretch. His scoring opportunities will likely remain limited and he provides very little in the way of assists and defensive stats, so it's difficult to get excited about adding him to your entry. 

CENTERS

Nikola Jokic, DEN at LAC ($44): With the team once again facing elimination, Jokic stepped up in a big way in Game 6. He dominated the boards with 14 rebounds and was an offensive force with 34 points and seven assists on his way to 62.3 Yahoo points. The Clippers haven't been able to slow him down outside of Game 1, leaving Jokic to score at least 48.2 Yahoo points in five straight games. He's one of the safest options at any position for this slate.

Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. DEN ($16): As far as centers with reduced salaries go, there isn't a lot to be excited about for this slate. Daniel Theis ($17) has been productive for the Celtics, but having to face Bam Adebayo should leave him with an uphill battle. That leaves us to consider Zubac, who has scored at least 22.9 Yahoo points in three of the last five games and has encouragingly logged at least 30 minutes in three straight contests.

Center to Avoid

Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. DEN ($12): The reason why Zubac has been playing more is that Harrell has struggled to find his way onto the floor. He's scored a total of 11 points over the last two games and is only averaging 18 minutes a night during the playoffs. His salary is dropping, but he's still not a great target as long as he continues to see so little action.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NBA Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NBA fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Wednesday's Play-In Games
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Wednesday's Play-In Games
Yahoo DFS Basketball: Who to Play, Who to Avoid for Wednesday's Play-In Games
Yahoo DFS Basketball: Who to Play, Who to Avoid for Wednesday's Play-In Games
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, April 16 - Play-In Tournament
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, April 16 - Play-In Tournament
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Tuesday's Play-In Games
Free NBA Picks Today: Best Bets for Tuesday's Play-In Games