This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Tuesday brings the excitement of a Game 7 in the NBA with the Jazz and Nuggets set to go the distance in their series. We also have Game 2 of the series between the Celtics and Raptors, giving us a two-game slate to ponder over on Yahoo. Here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Jamal Murray, DEN vs. UTA ($37): How can you fade Murray at this point? He's scored at least 50 points in two of the last three games and is averaging 34 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists for the series. If the Nuggets are going to advance to the next round, they are going to need him to continue to dominate, so expect him to receive all of the scoring opportunities he can handle.
Mike Conley Jr., UTA at DEN ($23): After missing the first two games of the series, Conley has been a model of consistency since returning to the bubble. He's scored at least 33.3 Yahoo points in each of the last four games on the strength of averaging 22.8 points across 31.5 minutes a night. Minutes and shot attempts should continue to be easy for him to come by with Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) out, making him one of the most attractive budget-friendly options on this slate.
Guard to Avoid
Gary Harris, DEN vs. UTA ($12): Harris was able to make his series debut in Game 6 after being sidelined with a hip injury. However, he played just 21 minutes off the bench, scoring four points on four shot attempts. He only had a 15.1 percent usage rate during the regular season, so his lack of involvement in the offense should be of no surprise. Harris looked surprisingly spry on the defensive end, considering the long layoff, but he's unlikely to be a major factor on the other end in Game 7.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS at TOR ($40): The Celtics routed the Raptors in Game 1 despite Tatum scoring "only" 21 points. Yes, 21 points isn't a ton by his standards considering he averaged 27 points in the first round against the Sixers. Still, he's the focal point of the Celtics' offense and should continue to be busy on the boards, leaving him with the highest floor of any of the forwards on this slate.
Royce O'Neale, UTA at DEN ($12): After Tatum, it's difficult to get excited about the rest of the forward options. With that in mind, taking a chance on O'Neale at near the minimum salary might be the way to go so you can load up at other positions. At least he plays a lot, averaging 34.5 minutes a game in the series. Although he's mostly been underwhelming, he did score at least 24.3 Yahoo points on two occasions.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter Jr., DEN vs. UTA ($21): Porter began this series with a couple of productive games, but he has seen his production drop off with him scoring 16.9 Yahoo points or fewer in three of the last four games. He's lost his starting job and only scored two points across 28 minutes in Game 6. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, it's difficult to justify taking a chance on him.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. UTA ($43): Considering all of Murray's heroics, Jokic hasn't grabbed many headlines lately. That doesn't mean he's having a bad series, though. In fact, he's averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists. His salary will eat up a significant portion of your budget, but he's certainly one of the safer centers to target.
Daniel Theis, BOS at TOR ($14): The Raptors have size up front, so the Celtics could really use a strong series from Theis. He came through in Game 1, posting a double-double on his way to 37.5 Yahoo points. He also had a double-double in his final regular season matchup against the Raptors. If you want to fade Jokic in tournament play, rolling with Theis is a viable strategy that would enable to you use a more significant portion of your budget at other positions.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, TOR vs. BOS ($10): It was another quiet performance from Gasol in Game 1. He played only 26 minutes and finished with seven points, six rebounds and two assists. He's only scored in double digits one time across five playoff games and he's logged five rebounds or fewer four times. Theis carries significantly higher upside, so spending the extra four dollars could be well worth it.
