This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
With the Heat on the brink of advancing to the NBA Finals, this might be one of our last opportunities for some DFS action on Yahoo, so let's take advantage of it while we still can. Here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Goran Dragic, MIA at BOS ($24): One of the main reasons why the Heat lost Game 3 was because Dragic struggled on the offensive end. He rectified that in Game 4, scoring 22 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. With at least 33.5 Yahoo points in nine of the last 11 games, Dragic is an appealing option with a high floor given his salary.
Tyler Herro, MIA at BOS ($23): It's not often that you see a rookie dominate a playoff game off the bench the way Herro did in Game 4. He came up with big bucket after big bucket, scoring 37 points on his way to 47.7 Yahoo points. That's obviously going to be difficult for him to duplicate, but he's still a great target considering he's scored at least 29.3 Yahoo points in five straight games.
Guard to Avoid
Kemba Walker, BOS vs. MIA ($25): Walker actually had one of his best games during the playoffs in Game 4, scoring 20 points to go along with four rebounds, five assists and no turnovers. The zero turnovers were big since he had nine turnovers over the last two games. Still, he came away with 32.3 Yahoo points and hasn't scored more than that many Yahoo points in three of the four games of this series. It's not huge savings, but rolling with Dragic should at least bring a similar floor and he comes at a cheaper salary.
FORWARDS
Anthony Davis, LAL at DEN ($50): Talk about an odd stat line for Davis in Game 3. Scoring was not the problem for him since he finished with 27 points. However, after grabbing 19 rebounds across the first two games, he came away with a paltry two boards. Don't expect that to happen again in Game 4. He should once again provide plenty of scoring, as well, leaving him as one of the safer options on the slate.
Jerami Grant, DEN vs. LAL ($14): Grant was one of the big reasons why the Nuggets won their first game of the series Tuesday, scoring 26 points across 34 minutes. The rest of his stat line was underwhelming with three rebounds and one assist, but he did record two steals, as well. It's highly unlikely that he duplicates that type of offensive performance, but at such a reduced salary, he's still someone to at least consider since he should see extensive playing time.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter Jr., DEN vs. LAL ($18): Game 3 once again brought limited opportunities for Porter, who logged only 22 minutes. He's now played 22 minutes or fewer in four of the last six games, scoring 22.2 Yahoo points or fewer in each of those contests. His defensive shortcomings should continue to limit his playing time, making him a risky option.
CENTERS
Bam Adebayo, MIA at BOS ($34): Adebayo continued his dominance down low in Game 4, posting his third straight double-double on his way to scoring 43.4 Yahoo points. The only thing to keep an eye on is the status of his left arm as he appeared to injury his shoulder or elbow late in the fourth quarter. If he's given the all-clear, he should be extremely productive as the Heat look to close things out.
Dwight Howard, LAL at DEN ($10): If you decide not to pay up for Adebayo or Nikola Jokic ($46), you might as well go with a player at the minimum salary. Howard showed some promise by scoring 26.6 Yahoo points in Game 1, but he followed that up with 18.6 Yahoo points across the last two games, combined. Again, not much to be excited about here other than the salary relief.
Center to Avoid
Daniel Theis, BOS vs. MIA ($15): Theis has done a good job for a small Celtics team this season, but he's no match for Adebayo. He's been locked down in this series, scoring 19.1 Yahoo points or fewer in all four games. If you want to save money at center, it might be a better idea to just punt the position altogether and roll with Howard given Theis' lack of upside.
