May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Ty Jerome had 21 Points in Sunday's loss to the Indiana Pacers. He added eight assists and one steal.
Darius Garland (toe) remained out for this one, so Jerome continued to get more opportunities to produce, with the 27-year-old and
Donovan Mitchell combing for 50 shot attempts on the night. Garland may be back for Game 2 on Tuesday. However, he could be limited if he does return. Still, it's hard to imagine Jerome staying as involved on the scoring end, regardless of Garland's status.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen had 12 points, five boards, and two steals in the loss to Indiana on Sunday night. Allen wasn't much of a factor offensively, although he did shoot an efficient 6-for-7 from the field.
Darius Garland (toe) wasn't available for this one. However, there's a chance he could be back for Game 2 on Tuesday night. If so, Allen should be more involved on the offensive end. But if Garland doesn't return, Allen could continue to struggle to put up points.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward
Pascal Siakam had 17 points, eight rebounds, and one steal in Sunday's win over the Cavs. While
Tyrese Haliburton,
Andrew Nembhard,
Aaron Nesmith, and
Myles Turner were also productive, Siakam did his part to help Indiana take the opening game of the series. The Cavs had trouble keeping up with the speedy Pacers' offense. It's likely head coach Rick Carlisle will look to keep things moving in Game 2 on Tuesday evening, meaning Siakam should continue to be involved on both ends of the floor.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers center
Myles Turner finished with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers. He added three steals and two blocks. Turner had a nice showing for DFS participants in Game 1, which also could be said for
Tyrese Haliburton,
Andrew Nembhard, and
Pascal Siakam. With that in mind, the 29-year-old wasn't as productive versus the Cavs during the regular season, at least on the glass, amassing 5.8 boards in four meetings. Still, Turner should get all the work he can handle in Game 2 on Tuesday, leaving little room for involvement from
Thomas Bryant, who had two points, two rebounds, and one block in six minutes.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard scored a team-high 23 points in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers. The 25-year-old also logged 37 minutes, more than anyone else on the roster, while missing only one of his six tries from behind the arc. While Nembhard struggled versus Cleveland during the regular season, averaging 8.5 points in four meetings, DFS managers must keep him on the radar on Tuesday night after such a strong effort.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points in Sunday's win over the Cavs. He added 13 assists, three blocks, and one steal. The 25-year-old was all over the place in Game 1, and he was also efficient shooting the ball, going 9-for-15 from the field. Cleveland fought hard to get back into the contest. However, it wasn't enough, with Indiana taking the series opener, mostly due to Haliburton's efforts on both ends of the floor. The teams will meet again on Tuesday night. With that in mind, DFS managers should expect to see an increase in Haliburton's rostering cost after the superb outing.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals versus Indiana. He added two steals. Unfortunately, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year had trouble taking care of the ball, committing a game-high four turnovers on the night. Still, Mobley was at least efficient from the field, going 9-for-13, while draining two of his five attempts from deep. With the Pacers taking Game 1, both clubs will go at it again on Tuesday night. While head coach Kenny Atkinson will surely make some adjustments, Mobley will likely see between 30-35 minutes of work.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points in the Game 1 Eastern Conference semi-final meeting with Indiana. He added five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. While Mitchell was productive, he struggled shooting the ball, going 13-for-30 from the field and 1-for-11 from behind the three-point line. He did have a strong run in the third quarter. Still, his efforts weren't good enough to lead the Cavs to a victory. With Cleveland dropping the first game of the series, both clubs will do it again on Tuesday night. Mitchell should remain heavily involved on the offensive end even if
Darius Garland (toe) is back in the mix.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski will start in Sunday's postseason meeting with the Rockets.
Gary Payton II (illness) was ruled out, so head coach Steve Kerr made the call to move Podziemski back into the starting lineup. He logged 29 minutes off the bench in Friday's loss to Houston, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal. However, those marks fall in line with what Podziemski has averaged throughout the series, meaning the move back to the starting lineup won't increase or decrease his DFS ceiling.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Golden State Warriors
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Darius Garland (toe) won't play on Sunday against the Pacers. NBA TV's Jared Greenberg indicated Garland has been battling a left toe sprain, an injury that's been causing him a great deal of pain. Greenberg also added that had this injury occurred during the regular season, he likely would have been shut down for "a week to two weeks." But now it appears
Donovan Mitchell will continue to handle most of the play making duties, at least for Game 1, with
Ty Jerome and
De'Andre Hunter both expected to benefit from a fantasy standpoint.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Chris Fedor
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (illness) won't play on Sunday night versus the Rockets. He popped up on the injury report earlier in the day. Unfortunately, Payton's illness will keep him on the floor for the series finale. Although he hasn't done much on the offensive end during the series, his absence will be felt on the defensive side of the ball. At any rate, DFS managers should expect more involvement from
Moses Moody,
Quinten Post, and
Buddy Hield. There is also a chance
Jonathan Kuminga works his way back into the rotation for Game 7.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
May 4, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Jaylen Brown (knee) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Monday's series-opening matchup versus the Knicks. He had routinely carried questionable designations because of a nagging knee issue during the previous series against the Orlando Magic. However, the 28-year-old didn't miss any time. He recently indicated he's feeling better, which is great news. Unfortunately, Brown averaged only 16.3 points in four regular season meetings with New York, making him hard to trust from a DFS standpoint.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Boston Celtics
May 4, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday (hamstring) isn't listed on the injury report heading into Monday's Eastern Conference semi-final clash with the Knicks. The 34-year-old missed the last three games of the C's series versus the Orlando Magic. As a result,
Al Horford had been getting the start, most recently amassing nine points, six boards, one block, and one steal in Game 5. While Horford will presumably head back to the bench, he should still remain involved enough to continue receiving lineup consideration from DFS managers.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Boston Celtics
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (illness) is questionable for Sunday's postseason clash with the Rockets. He has averaged only 6.3 points during the series against Houston. Still, the 32-year-old, who got the start in Game 6, is certainly valued for his abilities on the defensive side of the ball. It's unknown if Steve Kerr will keep Payton with the first-five in Game 7. But with Kerr keeping his rotation tight to the vest, it appears the door is open for more work for
Jonathan Kuminga,
Buddy Hield,
Moses Moody, and
Quinten Post, regardless of Payton's status for Game 7.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
May 4, 2025
According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Los Angeles Clippers guard
James Harden is expected to remain with the team. Harden has a $36 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, although it's realistic both sides will work on a new contact over the summer. The 35-year-old had only seven points in the series-clinching, Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Still, he is coming off another quality year, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.5 steals in 79 games while being named an All-Star for the seventh time of his career. Without question, Harden should continue to receive attention from fantasy managers heading into next season, and he should remain a top fantasy option, regardless of how the Clippers do in the standings, assuming he stays in Los Angeles.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Law Murray
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