This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We're teed up for a two-game Saturday slate featuring a pair of Game 3s in series that are currently knotted at 1-1. Both games should make for highly competitive affairs where there are multiple useful DFS performances generated, even as the Grizzlies-Warriors game has a relatively expansive spread for a second-round playoff game.
Slate Overview
Boston Celtics (-2) at Milwaukee Bucks (O/U: 212.5 points)
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors (-7) (O/U: 225.5 points)
Oddsmakers apparently had the right read on the Celtics in Game 2, as they turned the tables on the Bucks and fashioned an impressive 109-86 win on their home floor. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were the stars for Boston, and it remains to be seen if they'll be able to take their hot shooting on the road. Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to be a mostly unstoppable force for Milwaukee, recording 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists despite his team's dismal performance.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies put on an impressive show in Game 2 at FedEx Forum, forging a come-from-behind 106-101 win in which Ja Morant fought through an eye injury to record an impressive 47 points. However, Memphis also lost Dillon Brooks to an ejection early in the game for a flagrant foul on Gary Payton which has now led to a one-game suspension. His absence, combined with Golden State's clear home-floor edge, are likely the driving forces behind the elevated spread.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Khris Middleton, MIL (knee): OUT
In Middleton's ongoing absence, Bobby Portis should remain in the starting five, while Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton should continue to enjoy expanded roles off the bench.
Dillon Brooks, MEM (suspension): OUT
Brooks' suspension is likely to lead to a start for Ziaire Williams, while De'Anthony Melton could also continue to see a solid role off the bench.
Marcus Smart, BOS (quadriceps): PROBABLE
Smart's return should move Derrick White back to his customary bench role.
Other notable injuries:
George Hill, MIL (abdomen): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500), Ja Morant ($10,300) and Jayson Tatum ($10,000).
Antetokounmpo has had one of the safest floors of any player in the postseason and comes into Game 3 having put up 64.3 and 51.3 DK points in the first two games of the series. He's also now averaging 53.8 DK points in five games against Boston since the start of the season.
Morant's 47-point outburst in Game 2 netted 76.5 DK points, and that was after he generated 68.3 DK points in Game 1. Morant is now shooting 46.7 percent in five games against the Warriors since the start of the season, leading to an average of 56.5 DK points in that sample.
Tatum opened the series with a rough shooting performance that still netted 42 DK points, but he bounced back with a 50.0 percent effort in Game 2 on his way to 53.3 DK points. He's now averaging 51.3 DK points in five games against the Bucks since the start of the season, shooting an impressive 45.5 percent from behind the arc.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Stephen Curry, GSW ($9,200)
Curry was over 50 DK points in Game 2 and now returns home, where he's averaged 45.0 DK points this season.
Jrue Holiday, MIL ($8,100)
Holiday slumped to 37.5 DK points in Game 2 after posting 50.3 DK points in Game 1, but he should still be a popular play at home, where he's shot 49.8 percent since the start of the season.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($8,000)
Brown rebounded from a lackluster Game 1 by posting 54.5 DK points in Game 2, setting him up to be highly rostered again Saturday.
Jordan Poole, GSW ($7,200)
Poole scored 30.3 DK points in Game 2, and although that was a far cry from the 59 he amassed in Game 1, he still shot 50.0 percent from the field.
Key Values
Al Horford, BOS at MIL ($5,900)
Horford has scored 37.5 and 40.8 DK points in the first two games of the series, and he's now averaging 32.9 DK points in four games versus the Bucks since the start of the regular season. Milwaukee also ranks just 18th in offensive efficiency allowed to power forwards (25.3 percent), and Horford's ability to complement his fantasy production with defensive stats could well help him to yet another strong return on what's still a very reasonable salary.
De'Anthony Melton, MEM at GSW ($4,300)
Melton has already scored 33.3 and 24.5 DK points in the first two games of the series, logging 25 and 26 minutes in those games. The talented guard is averaging 28.1 DK points overall against the Warriors in six games since the start of the regular season, shooting 47.3 percent in that sample. Melton is also averaging 38.7 DK points per 36 minutes without Brooks on the floor this season, furthering his case at a surprisingly low salary.
Grant Williams, BOS at MIL ($4,200)
Williams' production can fluctuate, but that volatility is certainly factored into what is a very appealing salary. His upside has been evident in several games this postseason, including Game 2, when he recorded 33.3 DK points. He also has tallies of 30 and 26.8 DK points since the start of the playoffs, and he's shooting 47.4 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range, against the Bucks in five games since the start of the regular season.
