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The NBA playoffs roll on Monday with a second set of second-round games. The two-game slate narrows our player pool plenty, but Monday, it's even more sparse on star power when factoring Joel Embiid's and Kyle Lowry's confirmed absences, as well as a possible one on the part of Jimmy Butler due to his knee injury.
Whenever there are star players sidelined, there's always plenty of opportunity for others on their squads, and the good news is salaries aren't always commensurate to the expected expanded roles. Those types of circumstances help guide some of today's selections.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/2/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock, which is at 7:30 pm ET tonight. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Luka Doncic - PG, DAL at PHX ($11,200 DK; $11,000 FD)
Doncic left no doubt as to his health over the three games he played in the first round when he scored at least 50 fantasy points on either site and shot a solid 46.9 percent overall across 36.3 minutes. Doncic also accrued 49 DK points in his one game against Phoenix this season, despite shooting under 40.0 percent and committing eight turnovers in that contest. And, while the matchup against Chris Paul certainly isn't the most welcoming, Doncic has averaged 26.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.0 steals in head-to-head matchups against the defensive wizard in his career.
James Harden - PG/SG, PHI at MIA ($9,800 DK; $9,800 FD)
Harden sports a 36.1 percent usage rate and is averaging 55.9 DK/52.1 FD points per 36 minutes with Embiid off the floor this season, making him a very good value even at his elevated salaries. The Beard hasn't quite looked like himself consistently thus far this postseason, but despite his occasional struggles, he still exceeded 50 fantasy points twice against the Raptors in the first round and shot a respectable 38.2 percent from three-point range during the series. Harden shot just 33.3 percent in his one game against Miami this season, but he won't have to worry about Lowry's defense Monday and should certainly be even busier than usual with Embiid out.
Jalen Brunson - PG/SG, DAL at PHX ($7,200 DK; $7,300 FD)
Brunson was excellent throughout the series against the Jazz, and he encouragingly still averaged 23.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steals once Doncic returned for the final three games. Brunson also enjoyed plenty of success against the Suns during the regular season, shooting 40.0 percent against Phoenix from three-point range over three games while averaging over 35 fantasy points per game. Given his now-cemented role as the most important offensive component outside of Doncic on Dallas, he makes for a very appealing cash or tournament play at his salaries.
ALSO CONSIDER: Victor Oladipo, MIA vs. PHI ($5,100 DK; $5,000 FD); Gabe Vincent, MIA vs. PHI ($4,400 DK; 4,800 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Tobias Harris - PF, PHI at MIA ($8,000 DK; $8,000 FD)
Harris is naturally another member of the 76ers that will be in line to see a bigger role with Embiid out, as evidenced by the fact he already sports a 29.0 percent usage rate and averages 41.3 DK/40.1 FD points per 36 minutes with the big man off the floor. Harris also had no trouble against the Heat this regular season, shooting 51.7 percent, including 41.7 percent from distance, versus Miami over three games. Even with Embiid available against Toronto, Harris averaged over 35 fantasy points per game on either site, so a return of 40-plus certainly wouldn't be out of the question Monday.
Mikal Bridges - PF, PHX vs. DAL ($6,100 DK; $6,500 FD)
Bridges' production does tend to fluctuate at times, but the defensive-minded wing averaged an impressive 17.3 points (on 55.1 percent shooting, including 53.3 percent from three-point range), 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks over the six-game series against the Pelicans. Bridges was similarly sharp against the Mavericks during the regular season, boasting a 55.2 percent success rate from the floor and averaging over 30 fantasy points per game on both sites in three contests. Dallas was tough on paper against small forwards all season, but at his salaries and with his track record, Bridges remains very much in play.
Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL at PHX ($5,800 DK; $6,300 FD)
Finney-Smith stepped up his production during the just-concluded series against the Jazz, averaging 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 45.9 percent, including 39.5 percent from behind the arc. The versatile forward also shot 43.8 percent from three-point range in three games against the Suns during the regular season, and Phoenix comes in ranked No. 17 in offensive efficiency allowed to power forwards (25.5 percent).
ALSO CONSIDER: Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. PHI ($9,200 DK; $10,700 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Deandre Ayton - PHX vs. DAL ($7,700 DK; $8,100 FD)
Ayton averaged just under 40 fantasy points per game over two games against the Mavericks this season and just wrapped up the series against the Pelicans with averages of 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. The big man should be similarly busy in Monday's opener and should have an advantage over the likes of Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber down low.
Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. PHI ($7,300 DK; $7,400 FD)
Adebayo won't have to worry about Embiid down low Monday and already comes in averaging over 30 fantasy points on either site in two games against the 76ers during the regular season. He's also averaging 43.2 DK/44.0 FD points per 36 minutes with Lowry off the floor this season, and although Butler is saying he'll play through his knee injury Monday, he could also be limited, which would boost Adebayo's involvement even further. The Sixers gave up some big games to Pascal Siakam in the first round with Embiid on the floor, so Adebayo could be set for a big night.
ALSO CONSIDER: Maxi Kleber, DAL at PHX ($3,800 DK; $4,000 FD)
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