This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
We have another four games in the NBA playoffs Friday, all included in Yahoo's main slate. Let's dig into the matchups and see which players could be productive in their respective Game 3s, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Fred VanVleet, TOR vs. BKN ($31): The Nets have had no answer for VanVleet over the first two games of this series, as he racked up 56.9 Yahoo points in Game 1 and followed that up with 46 in Game 2. One of the keys to his success is playing a lot, with him averaging 36 minutes a game during the regular season while seeing at least 39 minutes in the first two games of this series. VanVleet's salary has started to climb, but it's still reasonable given his high floor.
Garrett Temple, BKN vs. TOR ($16): As if the Nets weren't in enough trouble being down 0-2, they will have to try and get their first win on the board without Joe Harris after he left the bubble to attend to a personal matter. He's played at least 33 minutes in both of the first two games, taking a total of 23 shots, 12 of which came from behind the arc. Temple is coming off 31.1 Yahoo points in Game 2 and should be asked to contribute more offensively with Harris out.
Guard to Avoid
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. PHI ($18): Now that Gordon Hayward (ankle) is sidelined, Smart is going to start for the foreseeable future. He played 30 minutes in that role during a blowout win in Game 2, but only finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. Smart's on the Celtics to play defense, which resulted in recording only an 18.9 percent usage rate during the regular season. With this lack of scoring upside, it might be best to keep him out of your entry.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. PHI ($40): Tatum impressed from behind the arc in Game 2 by making eight of his 12 attempts. He took a total of 20 shots in the game, marking his second straight contest with at least that many attempts. With Hayward no longer in the picture, expect Tatum to receive all the scoring opportunities he can handle moving forward. But he's not just a scorer, as regular-season averages of 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals will show.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, BKN vs. TOR ($12): The Nets have had to dig deep on their depth chart due to injuries and players opting out of the restart. One player who has emerged with a larger role within the bubble is Luwawu-Cabarrot and he's gone on to average 25 minutes across 10 games. He's made the most of his opportunitie by, averaging 16.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. At near the minimum salary, Luwawu-Cabarrot looks even more intriguing with Harris out.
Forward to Avoid
Al Horford, PHI vs. BOS ($18): This series hasn't gone well so far for Horford against his former team. He was moved to the bench for Game 2 and finished with only four points and two rebounds across 23 minutes. Horford's now scored fewer than 10 points in five of his last eight games while also averaging only 5.9 rebounds during that eight-game stretch. There are enough viable options where you don't need to take a risk on him here.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. UTA ($44): Jokic has proven to be a tough matchup for the Jazz by averaging 29.3 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists across three regular-season games. He's carried over that success into the playoffs by scoring 50.5 Yahoo points in Game 1 and 48.2 in Game 2. While Joel Embiid ($49) will likely be a popular option against the Celtics, Jokic promises similar upside at a smaller salary.
Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. BKN ($20): Even though Ibaka continues to come off the bench behind Marc Gasol ($12), he's played more minutes than Gasol in each of the first two games. He scored 36.9 Yahoo points in Game 1, but regressed a bit with 19.7 Yahoo points in Game 2. Ibaka doesn't exactly provide consistent production, but he's someone to at least have on your radar if you're look to save some of your budget while fading the big names at center.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. DAL ($16): After playing only 14 minutes in Game 1, Harrell took the floor for 22 minutes in Game 2. The bad news is he only finished with 10 points and two rebounds. Harrell's continuing to work his way back into shape after missing each of the Clippers' final regular season games in Orlando, so don't be surprised if he provides another underwhelming stat line in Game 3.
