RADIO
Happy Tuesday, Rotoballers! The final series of the second round tips off tonight with the opening game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. It will be some must-watch action as the two superstars, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, battle a team full of talent up and down the roster lead by Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Meanwhile, Atlanta will try to shock the basketball world again and put Philadelphia in a 0-2 hole in their Eastern Conference second-round matchup.
Vegas seems to believe the Hawks-76ers matchup will be the higher-scoring contest with a 223-point over/under. It's not too much higher than the Clippers-Jazz (220), but Philadelphia is the only remaining team that averages more than 100 possession per game in the playoffs. Of course, you have to find the small edges on a two-game slate to differentiate your lineups from other DFS players, but don't be afraid to let it fly with a couple of dart throws, either. With so many high-priced stars in the player pool, grabbing a couple of players in the $4,000 range could open up a whole world of options for lineup construction.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/8/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Trae Young - PG, ATL at PHI ($9,200)
Young is stamping his name as the breakout player of the playoffs as he continues to carry Atlanta as far as he can take them. Over the first six games of his debut postseason, the All-Star point guard averages 30.2 points, 9.8 assists, 3.0 three-pointers, and 2.7 rebounds. All in all, it's totaling 50.6 DraftKings points per contest. Young has even picked it up a level in the last couple of matches with back-to-back 58 fantasy-point games. I am incredibly interested to see how the 76ers adjust their defense in Game 2 to Young and the rest of the Hawks. The 22-year old is skilled enough to dish out plenty of assists to get his teammates involved if he is taken out of the game plan. This gives him a safe enough floor even against a defense like Philadelphia and a worthy anchor to your DFS lineups.
Reggie Jackson - PG/SG, LAC at UTA ($5,400)
As the Clippers seemingly toyed with the idea of an early vacation or becoming title favorites, they stumbled into a solid rotation of players who made them so successful over the final two games of their first-round series with Dallas. That rotation includes Reggie Jackson. The veteran guard scored at least 15 points in each of the last six games in the series but really took it up a notch in the final three games. As the Clippers battled elimination, Jackson averaged 20 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and a massive four triples. If Clippers Head Coach, Ty Lue, wants his team to continue the good times in Round 2, Reggie Jackson seems to be one of the catalysts for this team. Utah's backcourt defense isn't exactly lights out, and Jackson will have his fair shares of look to accumulate some fantasy points.
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kawhi Leonard - SF, LAC at UTA ($9,900)
As previously mentioned, the Clippers came very close to booking an early vacation in their Round 1 series against the Mavericks. Unfortunately for Dallas, it seems like Playoff Kawhi was fully activated, and he carried Los Angeles to a comeback series win. I'm hoping the switch remains on for the remainder of the playoffs, and we get an entire series of Leonard at the peak of his powers, starting with Game 1 tonight. Over his previous two games, The Claw averaged 36.5 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three three-pointers in 41.9 minutes. The Jazz actually has the worst defensive rating (115.0) in the playoffs among the four teams on tonight's schedule. Leonard can affect the game in so many ways, and it allows me to roster him without any hesitation.
Danilo Gallinari - PF, ATL at PHI ($4,200)
Gallo is my dartboard throw of the evening. If you want to take down that massive tournament, you'll need a wildcard or three. Gallinari fits the bill as someone who has the capabilities of getting red hot from behind the three-point line and exploding for an unexpected DFS night. While it didn't happen very often, Gallinari recorded seven games with at least 30 fantasy points, one with 43 fantasy points, and one with 50.5 fantasy points this season. Unfortunately, he's not in my cash game consideration because he hasn't shot more than 10 times since Game 2 versus New York. Still, if Atlanta wants to swipe another win in Philly, they'll need a surprising performance from somewhere, and Gallo is my pick.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Dwight Howard - C, PHI vs. ATL ($4,500)
Joel Embiid (knee) is questionable for Game 2 against the Hawks. While many will say it's a must-win game for the 76ers, they have enough talent throughout their roster to play their All-Pro center on a minutes limit and still grab a win in Game 2. This is where Dwight Howard comes into play. If Embiid somehow sits, Howard will be the chalk. Therefore, I hope Embiid does play and, as a result, lowers the roster percentage of Philly's backup center. In Round 1 against the Wizards, Howard posted two games with at least 20 fantasy points, then added a 30-point outing in the Game 5 closeout. He has the potential to provide massive returns on his minimal $4,500 salary for Tuesday's two-game slate.
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