Welcome to a special playoffs edition of NBA Tuesday daily fantasy competition. My name is Kevin, and I'll be your guide through this three-game slate we have on deck tonight. Opening tip of the first game - Bucks at Raptors - is set for 7:00 EDT, so get those lineups locked and loaded before you're distracted by your dinner plate.

Before jumping into the player selections, let's see what we can gather from the Vegas lines that have posted as of this writing. From a point total perspective, the Bulls at Celtics (206) are in a class of their own. Only problem with that being the case is that it's not a very enticing over/under line, generally speaking. But this is the hand we've been dealt on a night with just three games taking place and a number of them known for their defensive prowess (or lack of offense). From a stacking perspective, nearly anything is fair game. The fact that there are no double-digit spreads is promising, if you're playing the angle of stacking a game and praying for an overtime or two. That said, with such a small slate and no glaring *obvious* stacking play, you may be able to find yourself in an opportune place from a player ownership percentage if you decide to go a contrarian route.

In this article, I will be providing you with daily NBA lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/18/17. The picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays. Shall we dance?

FanDuel DFS Guards

Kyle Lowry - PG, vs MIL ($7,600)

Kyle Lowry was anything but good in the Raptors' game one loss to the Bucks. He shot just 2-for-11 from the field and pulled down only two rebounds to pair with a half-decent assist day (he had six). That 2-for-11 line included 0-for-6 from three and resulted in a FanDuel point total (18.4) that left owners quite disappointed. Now that that's out of the way, I can tell you why you should roster Lowry tonight in this game two matchup. For starters, his price tag has dropped $400 dollars, putting him in an ideal price range - one that he can more easily hit and surpass value at. On top of that, I not only see Lowry improving his field goal percentage, but there were also a few comments after the game - from Lowry and a few of his teammates - that suggested he was giving up too many open looks. While that doesn't etch 15+ shot attempts in stone tonight, I do think we'll see an increase in offensive output. Of all the point guards taking the floor tonight, just Isaiah Thomas has a higher Usage rate projection, coming in at 30.7 to Lowry's 25.7. Lowry can be deployed in both cash and tournament formats, but I prefer him in tournaments.

Also Consider: Isaiah Thomas - PG, vs CHI ($8,500) in cash/GPP or Rajon Rondo - PG, at BOS ($6,600) GPP only

DeMar Derozan - SG, vs MIL ($8,300)

I'm rolling with an all Toronto backcourt this evening. I think both of these guards provide a great (relative to the rest of the options) blend of upside, value and opportunity. DeRozan had a pretty strong night in game one, putting up a total of 37.1 FanDuel points and just beating out his price implied value. What I like about that line is that he was able to beat his price implied value on a night where just seven of his 21 shot attempts fell. I also like the fact that he owns an incredibly high Usage rate for the year, has averaged over 1.1 fantasy points per minute, and knows the fate of this (at least on the offensive end) team lies in his and Lowry's hands.

Also Consider: J.J. Redick - SG, vs UTA ($4,200) salary relief/value; Giannis Antetokounmpo - SG at TOR ($10,700) GPP play

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Jimmy Butler - SF, at BOS ($10,000)

It appears Dwyane Wade has no issue taking the offensive backseat to Jimmy Butler in their first playoff series together. What does that mean for us? That's right, Jimmy Butler is a must-play on tonight's six team slate. Butler got off to a slow start on Sunday in the first game of the series, but he made up for it late, pouring in 15 points of his own in the fourth quarter, which was enough for him to surpass value at the same price he's listed at tonight. Of all the small forwards available to roster this evening, Butler has the most elite combination when it comes to Usage rate and minutes projections, which stand at 27 and 40, respectively. For the year, he also owns the greatest fantasy points per minute mark of all the threes in action Tuesday, posting a 1.14 mark.

Also Consider: Khris Middleton - SF, at TOR ($5,900) - value play or Gordon Hayward - SF, at LAC ($7,300) - GPP pivot

Derrick Favors - PF, at LAC ($5,200)

They don't quite play the same position, but Rudy Gobert's absence from this series is going to lead to a pick uptick in minutes and Usage rate for Favors, similar to what we saw in the second half of game one on Sunday. His price climbed a little after that performance, but he's still in the range where he can be considered a valuable, cash-saving option. And thanks to the increase in offensive role, he has a higher point total ceiling than what we're used to projecting from him. The Clippers are a solid defensive team, but the defensive +/- by position reveals they've been just about average against opposing power forwards.

Also Consider: Bobby Portis - PF, at BOS ($5,000)

FanDuel DFS Centers

Greg Monroe - C, at TOR - $5,900

By all (Monroe) accounts, Greg had an excellent night on Sunday in his team's game one win over the Raptors. Monroe saw 25 minutes of action and was able to easily surpass his price implied value, totaling 36 FanDuel points on a 5-for-11 night from the field. His most impressive stat, by far, is the one that gives me confidence he can continue to produce at this rate, as he pulled down 15 boards. Toronto was in the bottom-third in team rankings for rebounds this year, so there's reason to believe Monroe can pick up where he left off. In addition to that, the team was pretty successful going to Monroe down low - a trend I think continues this evening. Of all the centers taking the floor tonight, not one tops Monroe's projection of a 25.3 Usage rate - which helps to create a solid floor and a higher potential ceiling.

Also Consider: Robin Lopez - C, at BOS ($5,100) value play

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