This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Are you guys ready for the best two words in sports? GAME 7!!! Yes, we get a Game 7 in this Eastern Conference showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets to decide who goes to the ECF. It's expected to be a close game, too, with Brooklyn entering this matchup as a measly 1.5-point favorite. That means we should be in for a blood bath and a fun DFS slate. There's a lot to discuss, though, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Guards
Jrue Holiday, MIL at BKN ($30)
It sounds weird to say at this juncture, but the guards on this slate are hard to trust. These clubs are run by their forwards, and it has left the guards lacking. With that said, Holiday has proven to be a fantasy beast. Despite going 6-for-24 from three-point range over the last three games, Jrue is still averaging 38 Yahoo points per game across 38 minutes a night in that span. That means 35-40 fantasy points are his floor with those shooting struggles because Holiday stuffs the stat sheet at ease. That's scary to think about since he's likely looking at 45 minutes here, making him one of the best values on the board at just $30.
Guard to Avoid
James Harden, BKN vs. MIL ($47)
This is a pretty easy fade right now. While Harden is one of the best fantasy players in our game, he's simply not the same player right now. Despite playing 86 total minutes over the last two games, James has just 58.2 Yahoo combined Yahoo points in that span. Getting 29 fantasy points sounds solid, but it's actually a terrible total from someone this expensive. In fact, you need about 50 Y! points for Harden to reach value at this price tag, and it's hard to imagine him doing that with how limited he looks out there right now.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at BKN ($54)
You can't fade Giannis on a one-game slate. The main reason for that is his floor, scoring at least 44 Yahoo points in nine of his 10 playoff games while scoring at least 29 fantasy points in every full game he played this year. That's hard to overlook, especially when you see his 53-point average in these playoffs. All of that easily makes him the best pure play on the board, and we expect him to be especially hungry in this must-win Game 7. In his final elimination game last season, Giannis had 28 Yahoo points in just 11 minutes on 8-of-10 shooting before getting injured, and that's a good indicator of how aggressive we expect him to be here.
Kevin Durant, BKN vs. MIL ($51)
To put it simply, you have to use both of these superstars. Both of these guys are dominating this series, with KD taking over Brooklyn's offense. The absence of Kyrie Irving is a major reason why, but the limitations of Harden have allowed Durant to feast. That's permitted him to score at least 43 fantasy points in all six games of this series, averaging 59 Y! points per game across 41 minutes a night. He's been even better since Kyrie went down, posting a 70-point average in the last two games while taking 27 shots a night. We love all of that in an elimination game, with Durant possibly playing a full 48 minutes.
Blake Griffin, BKN vs. MIL ($15)
We've mentioned a lot of high-priced options, so let's give you a good value. BG is probably the best bargain on the board, starting for the Nets and playing 30-35 minutes a night. The big man has scored at least 21 Y! points in all six games of this series, averaging 27.3 Yahoo points per game across 29 minutes a night. That's the guy we remember from his Clippers days, and it's clear how motivated he is when you see him diving all over the floor. All of that makes him a fantastic value at this price, and it makes it much easier to get those aforementioned studs into your lineup. Don't forget about Jeff Green, too, getting a start in Game 6.
Forward to Avoid
Joe Harris, BKN vs. MIL ($13)
The Nets need Harris to score some more, but he looks off right now. In the last five games of this series, Harris hasn't cracked 17 fantasy points in any of those while playing an absurd 36 minutes a night. That's horrendous when you look at his 12-point average in that stretch, shooting 29 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range. Much of that has to do with this tough Milwaukee defense, but we also hate Harris' usage. Joe has a putrid 12 percent usage rate in that same span while taking just 10 shots a night.
Centers
Brook Lopez, MIL at BKN ($19)
Lopez is the only usable player at the center position. We say that because there's literally no other guy who will play 20 minutes, with Bro-Lo being the only true center in this series. We're talking about a guy averaging over 26 Yahoo points per game since the end of March, which actually isn't far from his postseason numbers. That's all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and we certainly don't mind that Brooklyn surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing centers in the regular season, either.
Center to Avoid
Every other center!
Let's keep this one simple. These teams are playing small-ball with KD and Giannis at the center positions for a ton of minutes, and it's leaving this position extremely thin. The only center we see playing for more than 15 minutes is Lopez, and it makes every player at this position easy to fade. The good news is that this is a single-game slate which means you don't even have to use a center if you don't want to.
