This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The Western Conference Finals begin Friday and we have Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, both which make up the next slate of Yahoo DFS. Here are some players to consider for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
LeBron James, LAL vs. DEN ($54): With the Clippers having been eliminated, the path to the NBA Finals might be a little easier for James. He torched the Nuggets in three previous meetings this season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists. While James will do a significant number on your budget, he carries arguably the highest floor of any player available on this slate.
Goran Dragic, MIA vs. BOS ($26): Dragic came through with another huge performance in Game 2 by scoring 25 points on his way to 34.1 Yahoo points. He's dropped at least 25 points in the first two games of this series and has become Jimmy Butler's main offensive running mate. Add in an ability to chip in with assists and Dragic could be a bargain at this salary.
Guard to Avoid
Jaylen Brown, BOS vs. MIA ($29): Brown only scored 30.2 Yahoo points in Game 2 despite scoring 21 points. He's been productive on the offense end in both games so far, but has only produced four total assists and one steal that limits his upside. Given Brown doesn't come at much of a discount, he's a somewhat risky option.
FORWARDS
Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. MIA ($42): Tatum didn't exactly shine Thursday with 34 Yahoo points. He only attempted 12 shots from the field, although he did get to the charity stripe 11 times. The big difference in Tatum's stat line was his five rebounds, which broke his streak of five straight games with at least 10 boards. Despite that underwhelming performance, he's going to be needed to put up big numbers if the Celtics are going to avoid a 0-3 series deficit. Look for Tatum to be extremely aggressive in this contest.
Jae Crowder, MIA vs. BOS ($19): It was a rough night from the field for Crowder in Game 2 considering he shot 4-for-12, which included going 3-for-10 from behind the arc. The good news for the Heat is that he chipped in four rebounds, two assists and three steals on his way to 27.8 Yahoo points. Crowder has now scored at least that many Yahoo points in six straight games, which makes him a very appealing option at this salary.
Forward to Avoid
Michael Porter Jr., DEN vs. LAL ($18): Porter has the ability to go off on the offensive end whenever he takes the court. However, his playing time isn't always consistent and that's contributed to him scoring seven points or fewer in two of the last three games. It also won't help Porter's cause here that the Lakers come in as one of the league's best defensive teams. Crowder is only a dollar more and looks to be a much safer option, so it might be wise to steer clear of Porter.
CENTERS
Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. BOS ($32): This series is a matchup made in heaven for Adebayo, and he came through with another dominant showing Thursday with 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. The Celtics don't really have anyone who can slow down Adebayo on the offensive end, so look for him to continue to be productive throughout the remainder of this series.
Enes Kanter, BOS vs. MIA ($10): Kanter played a total of seven minutes in the second round against the Raptors and didn't appear in Game 1 versus the Heat. The Celtics then turned to him to try and provide a spark Thursday and he made an immediate impact with nine points and six rebounds across 11 minutes. Don't expect Kanter to play a lot here, but he's at least worth considering in tournament play at the minimum salary.
Center to Avoid
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAL ($45): It feels strange to put Jokic here based on his Game 7 performance against the Clippers where he notched a triple-double through three quarters and finished with 71.9 Yahoo points. However, the Lakers are a tough matchup for him with Anthony Davis being one of the top defensive big men in the league. Across four meetings with the Lakers during the regular season, Jokic only averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. I wouldn't be surprised if Adebayo finishes with a better stat line, which would be big considering their $13 difference in salaries.
