Fantasy Basketball 2021: Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks for Tuesday's NBA Playoffs
The absences of Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul have made the daily fantasy basketball approach to the Western Conference Finals fairly easy when it comes to the stars.
Paul George and Devin Booker are must-start players at the top of your five-man FanDuel lineup because of how much the ball is in their hands.
Booker turned in a 40-point triple-double in his first Western Conference Finals appearance for the Phoenix Suns, while George led the Los Angeles Clippers with 34 points.
A combination of the two primary stars of the series leaves you with $30,500 in salary to select three role players.
There are plenty of ways you can mix the second-tier stars in a DFS lineup, and one of them includes the use of one low-salary player to open up room for Deandre Ayton.
Roster Devin Booker and Paul George
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The usage rates of Booker and George without Paul and Leonard on the court can't be ignored.
Booker attempted 29 field goals in his 40-point outing in Game 1, and he experienced an uptick in assists without Phoenix's top distributor on the floor.
Prior to Game 1, the 24-year-old's postseason single-game high in assists was eight. He had 11 handouts in the series opener.
Sunday's win also marked a new personal high in field-goal attempts for Booker. His previous best was 26 from Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, and he closed the second round with 48 shots in Games 3 and 4 versus the Denver Nuggets.
George has reached another level in the three games since Leonard was ruled out of the Clippers-Utah Jazz series.
In Game 1, the 31-year-old attempted the most field goals of this postseason, as he went 10-for-26. He also went 7-for-15, which was a postseason high for him in three-point attempts.
George was not deterred by Phoenix's defensive approach, and he should reach the 30-point mark with ease again on Tuesday with Leonard unavailable.
The only debate around the DFS status of Booker and George is which player should go into the MVP (2x points) position.
Booker had more FanDuel points in Game 1, and he could be the best option for that role if his assist total remains high in Paul's absence.
Make Room for Deandre Ayton
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Ayton has been fantastic down low for the Suns during their postseason run.
On Sunday, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick turned in his fifth 20-point performance of the postseason. He added nine rebounds and an assist to his scoring output.
Ayton has an advantage in the frontcourt matchup against whomever the Clippers place on the court, whether it be DeMarcus Cousins, Ivica Zubac or Nicolas Batum.
Phoenix should try to exploit Ayton's matchup throughout the series, and it could be an edge that leads to a quick victory over the No. 4 seed.
If the 22-year-old chips in around 15-20 points per game, Booker goes off in every game and other role players add throughout the scoring column, Phoenix should have a deep scoring threat.
When Paul gets back, Ayton's impact on the series could be even larger if he is the beneficiary of the point guard's dishes from the painted area.
For Game 2, the Arizona product makes sense as a No. 3 choice behind George and Booker because he could be the third-best scorer in the contest.
Ayton produced over 30 FanDuel points in seven playoff games. He would be a perfect fit for the Pro (1.2 x) position, and then you only have to worry about finding the best two role players within the salary constraints.
Look to Cameron Johnson as Best Value Play
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Until Paul comes back, Cameron Johnson feels like a mandatory play with an $8,500 salary.
The 25-year-old's production went up in Game 1 with Cameron Payne moved into the starting lineup in Paul's place.
Johnson is now Phoenix's top scorer off the bench. He had 12 points off 5-for-8 shooting in Game 1.
Sunday marked the first time the North Carolina product recorded more than 20 FanDuel points since the clinching game of the Lakers series. He wasn't much of a factor in the Denver series because Paul increased his scoring production through the mid-range game.
Johnson's salary allows you to comfortably fit in George, Booker and Ayton into a lineup and gives you space to land Mikal Bridges with the remaining $10,000 in salary.
A George-Booker-Ayton-Johnson-Bridges lineup should give you one of the best point combinations for Game 2, and it is worth taking advantage of while it lasts.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
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