The Eastern Conference playoff picture will continue to unfold on Tuesday night with only two games on the slate. The Indiana Pacers answered back with a big win in Game 4 to send their series back to Toronto tied 2-2 while the Boston Celtics return to Atlanta with their series tied 2-2 after a pair of wins on their home floor. With only four teams to choose from every pick becomes that much more important in DraftKings tournaments so we took the time to break down the matchups and come up with the best possible combination of star players and strong value plays. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Tuesday’s DraftKings NBA Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
Salary: $8,200
Thomas has been an absolute stud for Boston in this series and he is among the biggest reasons why the Celtics head back to Atlanta with their series tied 2-2. Thomas averaged 35.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal and 3.5 three-point shots in Boston’s two wins at home and if he can even match that production on the road in Game 5 then he should be the best possible option at the point guard position for Tuesday’s DraftKings tournaments.
SG: Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $4,000
The Hawks allowed Boston to climb back in their best-of-seven series by dropping back-to-back games on the road but Korver has shown signs of feeling more comfortable and his price tag makes him the perfect fit at the shooting guard position. Korver has averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in the series with an average of 4.3 three-point shots per game over the last three and we expect his best performance of the series could come in Game 5 at home.
SF: Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Salary: $9,100
George had his best two performances in the series so far on the road in Toronto for the first two games and with the series down to a best-of-three we feel confident locking him in as our most expensive player for Tuesday. George averaged 30.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 three-point shots in the first two games of the series and we hope the trend of him playing better on the road than at home continues in Game 5.
PF: Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $8,600
After scoring a combined nine points in Game 2 and 3, Millsap bounced back in a big way with a monster performance in a losing cause in Game 4. The veteran big man scored a ridiculous 45 points with 13 rebounds, four blocks, three assists, three three-point shots and two steals and yet somehow Atlanta still lost the game by nine. His teammates will need to step up in Game 5 but if Millsap even comes close to matching his performance from Game 4 then there is no doubt he will be the top option at his position.
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors
Salary: $6,400
It’s been pretty surreal to see Valanciunas thrive as the best player on a team that features a pair of All-Star guards in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan but that has certainly been the case to this point and he is the smart pick to have at the center position on Tuesday night. Valanciunas has averaged 15.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the series and he is available at a very reasonable $6.4K in Daily Fantasy Leagues.
G: Evan Turner, Boston Celtics
Salary: $6,200
Like his teammate Thomas, Turner delivered two quality performances on his home floor in Games 3 and 4 after struggling in Atlanta in the opening two games of the series. Now he gets another opportunity to prove that he can perform at a high level on the road and we are banking on a strong outing. Turner has averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the series and we are hoping he can at least match his averages in Game 5.
F: Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors
Salary: $3,700
The Raptors will need their bench to provide a spark if they are going to swing their series back in their favor and Patterson is an excellent option in DraftKings tournaments at a very reasonable price. Patterson has averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 block and 1.3 three-point shots in these playoffs including 14 points in Game 2 so lock him in as a strong value option.
FLEX: Cory Joseph, Toronto Raptors
Salary: $3,500
Patterson isn’t the only strong value option to bank on from Toronto as the veteran point guard Joseph has been excellent in the series. Joseph didn’t score a point in Game 4 but he averaged 17.0 points, 3.0 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal in the two games that took place at the Air Canada Centre and he will need to step up again on his home floor as the Raptors look to go up 3-2 in the series at home on Tuesday night.
