Nine games on today's NBA DFS main slate and it is quite broken. The Sixers are sitting BOTH James Harden and Joel Embiid tonight. The Celtics will be without Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. Brandon Ingram is out, Josh Hart is out, Kyle Kuzma is out, Gary Trent is out and many more. All these players being out mean all the more value plays that are in.
Let's take a look!
Philadelphia 76ers
With James Harden and Joel Embiid ruled out tonight we take a good look at the value that will be coming off the bench either into a starting role or just bigger overall minutes in the rotation. Shake Milton sticks out to me the most here as he is essentially min price and figures to see a nice uptick in usage with Harden off the floor as the first guard off the bench. The likes of Georges Niang, Furkan Korkmaz and Danny Green may also see upticks in production. Defensive stud Matisse Thybulle has shown a bit of a scoring touch in his last game and would be a great option over on FanDuel and Yahoo where you get bonus points for blocks and steals.
Boston Celtics
No Robert Williams and no Marcus Smart should open the doors not just for the potential of Derrick White who will enter the starting lineup but also Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams and Daniel Theis will all likely see increased playing time in the Celtics rotation against the Thunder.
Washington Wizards
Kyle Kuzma is out of the lineup tonight against the Rockets in what is a great matchup for the Wizards. With Kuzma off the floor we likely see Rui Hachimura enter the starting lineup here but I am also a fan of Daniel Gafford, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert who are all very affordable and will likely see usage and potentially even playing time increases.
Portland Trailblazers
Kris Dunn has been a great fantasy play over the past few games for Portland and with Josh Hart ruled out tonight and the rotation shortened I think Dunn should be a nice contrarian play off of the obvious 76ers value. Dunn has gone for 26, 24 and 31 fantasy points over the last three games.
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De’Aaron Fox (finger) has been cleared for on-court work and will be good to go for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Fox underwent season-ending surgery on his left pinkie finger in mid-March, about six weeks after being traded to the Spurs by Sacramento. He recently told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle that he’s been cleared to resume on-court activities, which have included some 5-on-5 play. Also, Fox hopes to ink a contract extension with the Spurs this offseason. With one year remaining on his current deal, the point guard will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $229 million on August 3.
NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Mannix said recently that Sam Hauser could be a trade candidate this offseason if the Celtics decide to shed salary.
The cost of contending for championships has gotten steeper, especially with the salary cap rules instituted in recent years. For the Celtics, the Achilles tendon rupture suffered by Jayson Tatum may impact how the front office approaches this offseason. If the team decides that a group that won’t have Tatum for most of the season can’t be a factor in the East, the decision could be made to shed salary. And Hauser, whose four-year, $45 million extension goes into effect next season, may be a prime candidate to be moved. “Hauser, to me, is the most likely candidate to go, just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday, just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? I don’t think they want to take on contracts that go on longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.” Hauser being traded would make Scheierman worth a look in deep fantasy leagues next season.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Knicks are interested in talking to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Multiple names have been mentioned in the aftermath of the Knicks’ decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after he led the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. One who has been mentioned prominently is Kidd, who is under contract with the Mavericks. His connection with Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson may be a factor, as the captain has repeatedly credited the coach with his development as a professional. However, Dallas would need to grant the Knicks permission to speak with Kidd. And if a deal were to be made, New York does not have much draft capital to give up as compensation. Also mentioned in connection with the opening are Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Rockets coach Ime Udoka. Stein also reported that Houston would quickly deny permission to speak with Udoka if the Knicks were to make that request.
Obi Toppin provided a boost off the bench with 17 points (6-of-9 FGs), five rebounds, two assists and five three-pointers in Game 1 against the Thunder on Thursday.
Toppin has been solid throughout this postseason, but he hasn’t had many big scoring nights. However, after he had 18 points in the Game 6 clincher over the Knicks, he added 17 more to kick off the Finals, with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. If Toppin is able to continue to make an impact off the bench like he did in this game, there should be more wins coming for the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith recorded a double-double on Thursday with 10 points (3-of-9 FGs), 12 rebounds, one assist, one block, three three-pointers and five turnovers in Game 1 against the Thunder.
Indiana dominated on the glass in this game, but it wasn’t just because of the bigs. Nesmith was the leading rebounder in this game and was one of three Pacers to grab at least 10 rebounds. However, they lost the turnover battle 24-6, and Nesmith contributed five of those. The only player with more was Myles Turner, who coughed it up six times. Indiana won this game and still has things to clean up, which is an encouraging sign for them moving forward in this series.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points (7-of-15 FGs), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one three-pointer in Game 1 against the Thunder on Thursday.
It was a balanced attack for Indiana as they stole Game 1 on the road, but Siakam was the one that ended up as the leading scorer. He was one of six players to score in double figures, with nobody reaching 20 points. The MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals will continue to play an important role for Indiana for the remainder of the series as they now sit three wins away from a championship.