This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The Celtics dropped yet another home playoff game to start the ECF against the Heat on Wednesday, lending an even greater sense of urgency than usual for Friday. It appears both teams will be at full health in terms of short-term injuries, giving us a full player pool to work with.
With just one game on the ledger, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters, which are comprised as follows:
- MVP- (Garners points at 2x the normal rate)
- STAR- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
- PRO- (Garners points at 1.2x the normal rate)
- Two Utility spots- (Garner points at normal rate)
With salaries also being different than in conventional FanDuel contests on multi-game slates and top players inevitably headed for heavy rostering, there are definitely strategic elements particular to single-game lineups. Finding key value plays for the two utility spots are undoubtedly key as it enables you to fill out the multiplier spots with some of the top projected producers.
Slate Overview
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The Celtics are listed as nine-point home favorites Friday despite their Game 1 stumble, while the projected total of 215.5 implies oddsmakers expect much tighter defense than during a Game 1 that finished with 239 total points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Malcolm Brogdon, BOS (forearm): PROBABLE
Brogdon, who recorded 19 points across 37 minutes off the bench in Game 1, is expected to suit up and log another robust bench role Friday.
Other notable injuries:
Tyler Herro, MIA (hand): OUT
Elite Players
The two highest-salaried players on the slate are Jayson Tatum ($17,500) and Jimmy Butler ($17,000). Both represent excellent candidates for the MVP spot, and whichever doesn't make the cut there is naturally extremely viable for the STAR spot.
Tatum accumulated 30 points on 9-for-17 shooting in the opener, but he only totaled 38.9 FD points across 41 minutes by only recording one assist without any steals or blocks. The star forward has typically produced over 50 FD points during the postseason and remains a top candidate for this multiplier, especially considering he's exceeded 60 FD points four times thus far this postseason.
Butler racked up 66.5 FD points over 43 minutes in Game 1 and sealed the victory with an improbable three-pointer. He's exceeded 50 FD points on six occasions this postseason, including four tallies over 60 FD points, and he's put up at least 20 shots in three of the last five games.
Expected Chalk
With only one game on the slate, the likes of Jaylen Brown ($15,500), Bam Adebayo ($13,500) and Marcus Smart, BOS ($10,500) should also be very popular. All three make for great options for the STAR or PRO roster spots.
Brown continued his hot streak of solid production on Wednesday with 34.3 FD points while logging 39 minutes. He's averaging 37.1 FD points overall this postseason while shooting 53.6 percent.
Adebayo posted 37.1 FD points in Game 1 -- his sixth straight tally of greater than 30 FD points -- and proved capable of consistently beating the matchup down low against Robert Williams and company.
Smart generated an impressive 37.7 FD points in 34 minutes in Game 1, dishing out a playoff-high 11 assists in the process.
Key Values
The following players make for strong value candidates for the Utility slots:
Kyle Lowry, MIA ($10,000)
Lowry continued his recent strong postseason play on Wednesday with 28.1 FD points across 28 minutes on 50.0 percent shooting, including 60.0 percent from three-point range. The veteran point guard has been on fire since the start of the semifinal series against the Knicks, averaging 31.5 FD points per contest on the strength of 12.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range in the last seven games. Given Lowry's locked-in role off the bench and vast playoff experience, he's a great play at his salary.
Gabe Vincent, MIA ($8,000)
Vincent is actually the Heat's starting point guard, but he requires an investment of $2K less than Lowry. While he hasn't been as consistent as his backup, Vincent has enjoyed some nice spike performances this postseason, recording at least 30 FD points in three straight games at one point and 26.6 FD points in Game 1 of the current series while shooting 4-for-6 from the floor. He's also done a nice job supplementing his production with steals, adding to his appeal as a value option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Caleb Martin, MIA ($8,500)
