This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Here we go with a one-game playoff slate between the Raptors and 76ers on Thursday night.
Because this is a single-game format, the following write-ups will be constructed differently. For these contests, DraftKings allows you to roster a "captain" who collects 1.5 times the fantasy points. However, he also costs 1.5x the listed salary. From here, you'll have five remaining utility spots to assemble a lineup. The corresponding analysis will heavily consider the strategy within that while listing viable players to choose from.
TOP PICKS
Kawhi Leonard – TOR at PHI ($11,200): Leonard is a no-brainer pick for your captain spot. He has easily served as the most reliable fantasy contributor from both sides, holding the best floor and ceiling combination with 125.5 total fantasy points through two games in this series. His shooting percentage fell in Game 2, but he still managed 56 fantasy points. Go ahead and lock him in as your top pick.
Pascal Siakam – TOR at PHI ($9,800): Siakam directly benefits from Leonard's dominance in this series. The Toronto power forward will likely see plenty offensive opportunities with Philadelphia sending "crowds" of defenders to disrupt Leonard. That was the case in Game 2, as Siakam took 25 shot attempts on his way to 44.25 fantasy points. Don't get me wrong, Leonard will find his production, but Siakam is next in line as one of the few reliable 40-plus fantasy point scorers on this slate.
Jimmy Butler – PHI vs. TOR ($9,200): Butler hasn't been great this postseason, speaking from a fantasy point of view. He posted 55 fantasy points in Game 1 against Brooklyn and 56 fantasy points on Monday at Toronto. Other than that, he's averaging a modest 27 fantasy points through five other postseason outings. Having said that, his Game 2 breakout against the Raptors doesn't seem like a fluke. He's no longer tasked with guarding Leonard, presenting more freedom to do his thing offensively. The Sixers need that out of him, as Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid haven't been able to get anything going in this series. Look for Butler to remain aggressive in Game 3 tonight.
BARGAINS
Kyle Lowry – TOR at PHI ($7,800): Lowry isn't a flat-out bargain, but he checks in as a relative value on this single game slate. The point guard will continue to see a ton of minutes and opportunities to keep providing respectable fantasy lines. He has posted 34 or more fantasy points in five of seven postseason games, and I'm expecting him to exceed that threshold tonight. While Lowry has shown he's prone to off nights, he checks in at a substantial discount compared to Embiid, Simmons, and Tobias Harris, while holding similar fantasy expectations.
James Ennis III – PHI vs. TOR ($3,200): Ennis is one of the few Philadelphia bench players who is actually seeing respectable playing time. He logged 24 minutes in Game 2, finishing second on the team in scoring while posting 26.5 fantasy points. He's averaging 21 minutes and 17 fantasy points through five postseason games, which is good enough to be considered a bargain filler on this slate.
Greg Monroe – PHI vs. TOR ($2,000): Monroe is probable tonight after tweaking his ankle on Monday, and I'm expecting him to serve as the primary backup for Embiid. He took that role for 19.25 fantasy points through 12 minutes in Game 2, which is a promising sign moving forward in this series. There are too many positives when digging this deep in the bargain bin, so we'll take what we can get with Monroe.
