This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Monday marks the beginning of two playoff series. The first game of the evening will be the Heat hosting the 76ers, and both teams will be without a key player. Kyle Lowry (hamstring) will miss his third straight game for the Heat, and Joel Embiid (orbital) will be sidelined for the 76ers. The loss of Embiid is huge, and he will be out for at least Game 2, as well.
The second game will feature two healthy teams when the Mavericks take on the Suns. Both teams won their previous series in six games despite key players missing some time. Let's dig into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups, as well as a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at MIA ($24): Embiid had a career-high 37.2 percent usage rate this season, so there are going to be a lot of shots up for grabs with him out. Some might prefer to roll with James Harden ($44), but his salary is much higher than Maxey's, and the Heat will probably focus on stopping him first with Embiid out. Maxey scored at least 38.6 Yahoo points in three of six games against the Raptors, so he could provide significant value.
Victor Oladipo, MIA vs. PHI ($12): Oladipo didn't play in the first three games of the series against the Hawks, but injuries forced him to start and log 36 minutes in Game 5. He responded by scoring 35.7 Yahoo points. While the likely return of Jimmy Butler will somewhat limit Oladipo's upside, he could still play enough minutes with Lowry out to provide value at such a cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL at PHO ($22): Luka Doncic did not play in any of the first three games against the Jazz, which left Dinwiddie to score at least 33.8 Yahoo points each time. Across the three games that Doncic did play, Dinwiddie didn't top 25.2 Yahoo points, and he scored fewer than 20 Yahoo points twice. With Doncic healthy, Dinwiddie could continue to provide limited returns.
FORWARDS
Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. PHI ($39): Butler (knee) did not play in Game 5 against the Hawks, but the Heat still pulled out the victory. He's officially listed as questionable for Game 1 against the 76ers, although the expectation is that he will play. After averaging 30.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals in the first round, Butler could torch his former team while assuming a large role because of Lowry's injury.
Reggie Bullock, DAL at PHO ($14): After averaging 28 minutes per game during the regular season, Bullock averaged 42 minutes in the first round against the Jazz. He's a key floor-spacer for the Mavericks, and he averaged 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.8 three-pointers in his expanded role. Given the success that the Mavericks had with him playing more, expect him to remain busy in this series.
Forward to Avoid
Mikal Bridges, PHO vs. DAL ($24): Speaking of players who have been playing a ton, Bridges averaged 42 minutes per game against the Pelicans. He shot a robust 55.1 percent from the field during the season, but he scored fewer than 28 Yahoo points four times. With his modest contributions in terms of rebounds and assists, his upside should remain limited.
CENTERS
Deandre Ayton, PHO vs. DAL ($30): The Mavericks don't have a ton of size up front, which makes Ayton a matchup problem for them. Across two games against Dallas during the regular season, he averaged 13.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. Ayton should be able to control the glass in this game, as well.
Paul Reed, PHI at MIA ($10): DeAndre Jordan could get the start for the 76ers with Embiid out, even after not playing at all against the Raptors. However, he's a shell of the player that he was during the Lob City era with the Clippers. Reed will likely see added minutes, and he could even play more than Jordan. Reed played at least 20 minutes in a game three times during the regular season, and came away with averages of 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks.
Center to Avoid
Dwight Powell, DAL at PHO ($10): Despite being the Mavericks' starting center, Powell only averaged 22 minutes per game during the regular season. He played fewer than 20 minutes in three of six games against the Jazz, despite a matchup against Rudy Gobert. The Mavericks like to use Max Kleber to stretch the floor, and even played Dorian Finney-Smith at the five at times against the Jazz, so Powell should remain in a limited role.
