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The semifinal round rolls on in both conferences Monday night with a two-game slate. There’s already a major injury at play, as James Harden will miss Monday’s Game 2 for the Nets due to his hamstring injury. Brooklyn still managed a solid Game 1 win over the Bucks without him, but Milwaukee could certainly be more prepared to exploit the situation Monday given the advance notice of his absence.
We also have the opening salvo in what should be a fascinating Nuggets-Suns series, considering all three regular-season meetings between the clubs were nail-biting affairs, including a pair of overtime thrillers.
ln this article, I will be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Kyrie Irving, PG – vs. MIL ($9,700)
Irving should find himself in the role of primary ball handler with Harden out of action, and he’s sporting a 31.1 percent usage rate and averaging 49.1 FD points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor this season and postseason. Irving also posted 48 FD points while essentially playing the entire game without Harden in Game 1, and he averaged 29.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.0 block in two regular-season games against the Bucks as well.
Devin Booker, SG – vs. DEN ($8,700)
Booker almost finished off the Lakers single-handedly in the first round, averaging 38.5 points on 62.2 percent shooting, including 62.5 percent from distance, over the last two games against Los Angeles. He therefore checks into the semifinal-round series with a scalding hot hand, and he also enjoyed success versus the Nuggets during the regular season. Booker finished with averages of 26.5 points (on 52.6 percent shooting), 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 37.5 minutes over two games.
Mike James, PG – vs. MIL ($4,800)
James played 30 minutes in Game 1 after Harden exited, and he could be set for another hefty workload off the bench Monday night with his teammate already ruled out. James compiled 24.9 FD points in that contest, and he also scored over 20 FD points in four other contests during the tail end of the regular season. The veteran is capable of getting hot from distance and can also check off virtually every other box on the stat sheet, making him a potentially rewarding value play in a game where he could see another solid allotment of minutes.
Also consider: Jrue Holiday ($8,300); Chris Paul ($7,300); Monte Morris ($6,700)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo- at BKN ($11,300)
Although the Bucks came up short in Game 1, Antetokounmpo was one player who did not disappoint. The Greek Freak looked about as dominant as he had during the first-round series against the Heat, posting 54.2 FD points across 35 minutes. Antetokounmpo also scored 54.4 to 75.6 FD points against the Nets in three regular-season games and Brooklyn is allowing 55.6 FD points per game to PFs over the last seven contests, enhancing Antetokounmpo’s case even further.
Kevin Durant, SF – vs. MIL ($10,700)
Durant, like Irving, will be set for a bump in his already massive usage Monday with Harden out. KD sports a 31.2 percent usage rate and averages 52.4 FD points per 36 minutes with The Beard off the floor. Durant posted 51.5 FD points over 40 minutes in Game 1 without Durant, and he averaged 54.0 FD points over the five-game first-round clash with the Celtics. KD also trampled Milwaukee for 34.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 52.0 percent from three-point range over three regular-season games.
Jae Crowder, PF – vs. DEN ($5,500)
There are a number of intriguing value forwards to choose from Monday, and Crowder is as strong a candidate as any after posting 24.2 to 40.4 FD points in four of the last five games in the first-round series against the Lakers. Crowder was particularly aggressive from distance in that sample (7.8 three-point attempts per game) and he averaged a solid 11.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal in three games against Denver this season. The Nuggets are also allowing the highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (27.9 percent), making Crowder all the more appealing at his very reasonable salary.
Also consider: Michael Porter Jr. ($7,800); Khris Middleton ($7,700); Joe Harris ($5,500); Blake Griffin ($5,100)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic – at PHO ($10,800)
Jokic is coming off a first-round series where he averaged 53.2 FD points per game across 35 minutes against the Trail Blazers. The big man put up a combined 53 shot attempts over the final two games of the series versus Portland and now faces a Suns team that he averaged 25.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range against over three games. The Suns are also allowing 53.1 FD points to centers over the last seven games, and Jokic represents a major step up in competition after Phoenix only had to primarily deal with Andre Drummond and Marc Gasol in the first round.
Brook Lopez – at BKN ($6,000)
Lopez was encouragingly involved in Game 1, putting up 11 shot attempts and draining eight of them on his way to 19 points. The floor-spacing big man only put up one shot attempt from long range, but he’s certainly capable of being much more involved in that aspect on any given night. The Nets also rank in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to centers (33.6 percent), and they’ve allowed 54.3 FD points per game to fives over the last seven contests. With three tallies of over 25 FD points already during this postseason, Lopez has enough of a ceiling to warrant being rostered at this salary.
Also consider: Nicolas Claxton ($3,900)
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