Fantasy Basketball 2021: Daily Fantasy Tips for Wednesday's NBA Playoffs
Wednesday's NBA playoffs slate is the first weeknight of the postseason to have four games.
With eight teams in action, there should be plenty of variety in FanDuel daily fantasy basketball contests. Unfortunately, though, the lineups will not possess one of the top stars on the schedule.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 against the Washington Wizards due to a right knee injury, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 27-year-old's absence affects Wednesday's DFS approach in two ways. It makes Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons better lineup candidates and allows you to find some value at center without giving up a large chunk of salary.
If Embiid does not play, only three players with salaries over $10,000 in FanDuel contests will be in action: Russell Westbrook, Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard.
Take Tobias Harris over Ben Simmons
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If you still like Philadelphia's matchup with Washington, Harris or Simmons should find their way into your lineup. The former is the better choice for a handful of reasons, starting with the fact that he is $300 cheaper in salary than the latter.
There are also more value plays at point guard beneath Simmons, like Ja Morant, Mike Conley, Derrick Rose and Jordan Clarkson.
The options beneath Harris at power forward are a bit limited since Kristaps Porzingis and John Collins have not been top scorers in all four games of their respective series.
Harris is also a better choice than Simmons because of his shooting ability. Harris has no fear pulling up from three-point range and attacking the basket. Simmons will only run at Washington's big men.
When Embiid left Game 4, Washington attempted to smother the perimeter, and if does that again to Seth Curry and Danny Green, Harris could be left with a few more looks from three.
Even with Embiid in the lineup, Harris has the team's best scoring average in the series with 24.3 points per game.
With that in mind, Harris should be the top choice from Philadelphia's roster, and potentially the entire game, due to his scoring prowess and salary.
Run with Jonas Valanciunas at Center
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If Embiid does not play, Jonas Valanciunas, Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela are your three options at center.
Even though Dwight Howard should start for Philadelphia, it seems unlikely he will turn in a massive scoring performance with Harris and Simmons around him.
At $7,700, Valanciunas has the lowest salary and could end up as the best play because of how much he receives the ball on the post.
The 29-year-old had had over 30 FanDuel fantasy points in all four games, and he produced three double-doubles against Utah. He had 18 points in Game 2, the one contest in which he did not record a double-double.
Although Gobert carries a slight edge in points and rebounds per game, Valanciunas is worth the play because he hasn't been completely outplayed by the Utah center.
In Game 4, the two were separated by 0.2 FanDuel fantasy points, and if they remain close in that category in Game 5, it's worth saving some salary by starting Valanciunas with a handful of stars at both guard positions.
Pair Dillon Brooks with Paul George at Shooting Guard
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Dillon Brooks might be a must-start DFS player on Wednesday because of his $6,800 salary.
The 25-year-old has the fourth-highest salary at shooting guard and could easily be one of the top two point earners at the position.
The Memphis guard is averaging 25.5 points per game and shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Those averages and his $6,800 salary will make him hard to ignore.
If you roster Brooks and end up with one or two value plays elsewhere, you can combine him with one of Paul George, Bradley Beal or Donovan Mitchell.
George could be the best partner of the three since he has over 35 FanDuel fantasy points in three games against Dallas and comes at $500 less than Beal.
The 31-year-old produced his series high of 29 points in Game 3 and earned 20 points in the Game 4 blowout victory.
With Dallas expected to be much closer to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 than it was in Game 4, George should score at a high volume.
He could even eclipse the 30-point mark if he is more efficient from three-point range. In Game 4, he hit three three-point shots for the first time in the series.
A George-Brooks combination should allow you to still pick two of the top five point guards and Valanciunas to provide a ton of quality to your Wednesday lineup.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
