Yahoo NBA DFS Breakdown: Tuesday, May 10
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks head into Phoenix for Game 5 with the series tied 2-2.
This is easily the best slate of the season up to this point. We have two Game 5s here, with both of them featuring a 2-2 series. The home teams have won all eight games in both of these series, and it’ll be interesting to see which club breaks serve first. With that in mind, let’s take a look at things on Yahoo!
Injury Report
- Joel Embiid (face) Questionable
- Tyler Herro (ankle) Questionable
- Kyle Lowry (hamstring) OUT
- P.J. Tucker (knee) Questionable
- Max Strus (hamstring) Questionable
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot) OUT
Core Plays
James Harden (PG – PHI): $38
Harden’s price has fallen a bit too far. People might forget he was the best player in fantasy just two years ago. He’s shown glimpses of that recently, collecting 31 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in Game 4. Fans have been waiting to see that guy, but it’s hard to argue with his 47-point average in the regular season. This is one of the safest bets for 30 Yahoo points, and it makes him an easy play in this price range.
Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $41
Butler is hungry right now. The All-Star dropped 64 Yahoo points in Game 4 and has scored 51 or more fantasy points in six of his last seven games. That’s one of the best stretches of his career, and it’s clear this feisty forward will do everything possible to get his team into the Eastern Conference finals.
Cash Game Considerations
Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $56
Luka is the best option in fantasy right now, and he should be in every lineup out there. The All-Star guard has at least 48 Yahoo points in 16 straight games, flirting with a 60-point average in that span. That stretch is no fluke either, with Doncic averaging over 53 Yahoo points per game in the regular season. The simple fact is, this guy will play 40 minutes, take 25 shots and post a usage rate north of 30 percent! Don’t be the small percentage of people who fade him!
Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $50
Embiid is still dealing with an injury, but he remains one of the best options in fantasy. The big man scored at least 30 fantasy points in all but three games this season and is one of the safest bets for 40 Yahoo points. That makes him a worthy option at any price, especially since he’s taking 20 shots and 15 free throws a night while playing 40 minutes!
GPP Targets
Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $28
Ayton has been all over the map in terms of consistency, but he should feast in this matchup. The Mavericks have one of the worst frontcourts in the NBA, with Ayton amassing a 37-point average over his last 12 outings. That alone would be great from a player in this price range, and we certainly don’t mind that Ayton has at least 34 Yahoo points in four of his six matchups with Dallas this year.
Max Strus (SF- MIA): $12
Strus took Duncan Robinson’s job as Miami’s primary sharpshooter, and he’s going to have a big night sooner rather than later. We say that because of his role, playing 29 minutes a night in the postseason. He’s only averaging 21 Yahoo points per game, but he’s got the ability to reach 30 fantasy points if he’s knocking down some shots. That’d be quite the game from a player in this price range, and Strus has shown us that upside on numerous occasions this season.
Value Plays
Tobias Harris (PF – PHI): $23
Toby is way too cheap on Yahoo. He’s definitely seen his role drop off since the Harden trade, but this guy should never be below $25. He’s still scored at least 27 Yahoo points in 10 straight outings, posting a 36-point average in that span. That’s absurd from such an affordable player, particularly since Harris had a 33-point average in the regular season.
Dorian Finney-Smith (SF – DAL): $17
Finney-Smith is playing too much to fade. DFS has played at least 38 minutes in nine of his last 10 games, regularly playing 40-45 minutes a night. We can’t ask for any more from such a cheap player, especially one who’s averaging nearly 30 Yahoo points per game in that span. He’s out there almost every minute to cover Devin Booker, and that’s going to be the case again in this critical Game 5.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
