This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings three potential elimination games in the NBA. The Celtics, Nuggets and Suns will all have a chance to advance to the second round with wins on their respective home floors. We also have another opportunity to play Yahoo DFS, so let's discuss some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
Guards
Devin Booker, PHO vs. LAC ($41): The Suns don't have much of a bench, which has forced them to rely even more on Booker in the playoffs. He has logged at least 41 minutes in all four games, averaging 34.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. As the Suns look to advance without having to travel back to Los Angeles, look for Booker to provide another excellent all-around stat line.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL at BOS ($16): The Hawks will try to stave off elimination without Dejounte Murray, who was suspended after making contact with an official following Game 4. Murray has logged at least 36 minutes and scored at least 23 points in all four games of the series, so there will be lots of minutes and shot attempts up for grabs. Enter Bogdanovic, who averaged 17.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals across 21 games in which he played at least 30 minutes during the regular season.
Guard to Avoid
Malcolm Brogdon, BOS vs. ATL ($19): The Celtics have a lot of depth at guard, and it has shown in this series. Brogdon has logged 23 minutes or fewer two times and scored 23.7 Yahoo points or fewer three times. Bogdanovic should be looking at a larger role with the Hawks and he has a cheaper salary, making it difficult to justify taking a chance on Brogdon.
Forwards
Kevin Durant, PHO vs. LAC ($43): Durant had plenty of injury issues this season, but he's healthy at the right time for the Suns. He has played at least 42 minutes in all four games of this series, which enabled him to score at least 42.7 Yahoo points each time. With all of the shot attempts and minutes that he can handle coming his way again, he's as appealing as it gets for DFS.
Taurean Prince, MIN at DEN ($10): Already down Jaden McDaniels (hand), the Timberwolves have been dealt another blow with Kyle Anderson (eye) having been ruled out. Prince hasn't made much of an impact in this series, logging 23 or fewer minutes in all four games. However, the injury to Anderson could leave him with more minutes, making him worth considering at the minimum salary.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. MIN ($24): Gordon has been efficient in this series, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. However, he has only averaged 9.3 shot attempts per game while providing very little in terms of assists and defensive stats. That's contributed to him scoring 28.9 Yahoo points or fewer in each game. Don't expect his role to change anytime soon.
Centers
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. MIN ($52): The Nuggets had a chance to sweep the Timberwolves, but couldn't close things out on the road in Game 4. Jokic did his part in that matchup, scoring 67.2 Yahoo points. In this series, he has averaged 25.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists. Even with the Timberwolves having plenty of size up front with Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, Jokic has as high of a floor as any player in this slate.
Robert Williams III, BOS vs. ATL ($19): It was an injury-filled regular season for Williams, who only appeared in 35 games. Even when he was on the floor, he wasn't relied upon heavily, averaging just 24 minutes per game. He still isn't playing a ton in the playoffs, but he did log 29 minutes in Game 4. That boost in playing time helped him score 45.5 Yahoo points. It will likely be difficult for him to replicate that kind of production, but if he can approach 30 minutes again, he can still provide value.
Center to Avoid
Clint Capela, ATL at BOS ($22): Capela has had a quiet series, averaging 9.0 points and 8.3 rebounds. He has attempted an average of just 6.5 shots per game, and he logged 27 minutes or fewer three times. They Hawks have the promising young big man Onyeka Okongwu, who should continue to eat into Capela's playing time. Also, Capela isn't likely to be more involved in the offense, even with Murray out. That means it might be best to look elsewhere for a center with a reduced salary who could provide some upside.
