Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Sunday brings two big playoff games. The Heat will attempt to sweep the Bucks on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Rockets will try to put the Lakers in an 0-2 series hole. We also have another chance to play Yahoo DFS, so here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

LeBron James, LAL vs. HOU ($52): James wasn't exactly great in Game 1, but he showed how high his floor is by scoring 42.1 Yahoo points in the Lakers' 15-point defeat. He's only managed one playoff game this year where he's scored fewer Yahoo points, which was a blowout win over the Blazers that saw him only play 28 minutes. With the Lakers looking to tie up the series, expect them to lean heavily on James to get them there.

Goran Dragic, MIA vs. MIL ($25): Although Jimmy Butler gets most of the headlines for the Heat, Dragic's contributions shouldn't be overlooked. He played well again in Game 3 and has now recorded at least 33.5 Yahoo points in six of the Heat's seven playoff games. Dragic's salary has remained reasonable despite his excellent production, making him an extremely appealing option.

Guard to Avoid

Eric Bledsoe, MIL at MIA ($19): Bledsoe underwhelmed again in Game 3 by posting eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals across 30 minutes. He's scored more than 28.9 Yahoo points in only one playoff game so far, so there isn't much to like about him in Game 4. The only reason to consider Bledsoe is if Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) is unable to play, but expect Giannis to make every effort to take the floor with the Bucks' season on the line.

FORWARDS

Anthony Davis, LAL vs. HOU ($51): This series is set up for Davis to dominate with how small the Rockets play. They had no answer for him in Game 1, leaving him to score 25 points to go along with 14 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Davis has scored at least 52.7 Yahoo points in all but one playoff game this season, and should once again be productive in this matchup.

Jae Crowder, MIA vs. MIL ($18): After a quiet first game of the series, Crowder has bounced back to score 32.2 and 29.3 Yahoo points, respectively, the last two contests. He's logged at least 34 minutes in all three games, which does help his floor considerably. As far as budget-friendly forwards go, few are as appealing as Crowder.

Forward to Avoid

Kyle Kuzma, LAL vs. HOU ($15): Kuzma hasn't been able to find his shot in the playoffs, leaving him at 35.6 percent from the field. He doesn't provide much in the way of assists or defensive stats, so he's not really contributing much if he isn't scoring. Kuzma has now scored 19.1 Yahoo points or fewer in four of the last five games.

CENTERS

Brook Lopez, MIL at MIA ($21): Lopez has actually played well despite the Bucks being on the verge of elimination. He's averaged 20.7 points per game in the series, thanks to his 60 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. Lopez's 4.7 rebounds during that stretch won't exactly blow anyone away, but he has totaled three steals and five blocks. This type of shooting efficiency is obviously not sustainable over a long stretch, but Lopez's salary is low enough that it could be worth taking a chance on his heater continuing for at least one more game.

P.J. Tucker, HOU at LAL ($12): The key with Tucker is his heavy allotment of minutes. James Harden and Russell Westbrook receive the bulk of the scoring attempts and even secondary options like Eric Gordon and Robert Covington are usually more involved in the offense than Tucker. However, Tucker's three-point shooting is key and he grabs a lot of rebounds playing center. At near the minimum salary, he's a great option if you want to spend at other positions.

Center to Avoid

Jeff Green, HOU at LAL ($14): Green posted a couple of strong performances against the Thunder, but he's scored 24.5 Yahoo points or fewer in five straight games. He normally logs fewer minutes than Tucker and, at best, offers similar upside. With Tucker's salary being two dollars cheaper, rolling with Green seems unnecessary.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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