Milwaukee Bucks & Brooklyn Nets

Over/Under: 239.5

Spread: BKN -4

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks take on Kevin Durant and the Nets to kick off the second round!

Injuries:

*Jeff Green – Out

*Donte DiVincenzo - Out

Player Breakdown:

CPT/MVP:

Giannis Antetokounmpo –

The way I look at it, and this could very well be flawed, is that there is one Antetokounmpo and three Brooklyn studs, so let’s play the scarcity game. Antetokounmpo should be rested after Milwaukee dispatched the Heat with ease in a four-game sweep, and in three of those four games the forward put up between 59 and 66 FD points. He hit double digits in rebounds in each game against Miami and had a high mark of 31 points. I would expect to see that change against the Nets in what should be a much higher scoring series.

Kevin Durant –

I know you come here for number crunching and deep dive analysis, but maybe we should just flip a coin? While it might be great for fans of the game that Brooklyn has three prolific studs, it’s a little more difficult for DFS players to try and figure out which one to play. With his 40 FD point effort in Game Five aside (24 points, four rebounds, three assists), Durant was the most consistent Nets’ player against Boston. In back-to-back games, Durant scored 39 and 42 points and he appears to be the go-to option for Brooklyn offensively. The concern though is the fact that he is somewhat dependent upon the offense; although he wasn’t having issues with his shot falling.

James Harden –

Harden could do whatever he wants out there on the court, but he is also the most expensive option on both sites and that is quite significant in a slate like this. By the same token, that could lead him to be a contrarian play though. Harden scored at least 20 points in all five games against Boston with a high of 41. Perhaps more importantly, Harden had a high of 18 assists with three games of double-digits, so while there is certainly DFS value there, the issue is if he decides to be more of a facilitator than an offensive threat. I want to note though, that it’s going to be quite difficult, if not impossible, to fit all three of these options. For me, it’s Antetokounmpo and pick your poison between Durant and Harden depending on how the rest of your lineup comes together.

Bruce Brown –

For better worse, if you chose to shift from the top options on the slate, Brown might be a worthy and cost-effective option. That being said, Brown scored a combined 10 points in the first three games of the playoffs but then he rebounded to score 24 points in the next two games. Brown added 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals and he figures to play around 20 to 25 minutes in what will be a high scoring affair.

MID-TIER:

Jrue Holiday –

We know that Holliday will have the ball in his hand often tonight, and he was consistent against Miami coming with between 39 and 46 FD points. The minutes will be plentiful as Milwaukee works around the absence of DiVincenzo and Holliday posted high marks of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists against Miami. Imagine if he combined all of that into the same game?

Kyrie Irving –

Irving had the one game against Boston when he exploded for 39 points, but his other four games didn’t exactly stand out. Well at least not to the level we would expect at the top of the salary chart and the investment it requires. The floor is lower with Irving than Harden and Durant and it’s best to spread that cost around.

Bobby Portis –

There are better players out there, but cost is important. Portis plays a key role for Milwaukee off the bench, but it would be nice if he played more than about 20 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in three games against Miami and Portis also contributes on the boards so 20 fantasy points is a reasonable, and relatively secure expectation.

Khris Middleton –

Middleton is going to score, but aside from the 11 rebounds he had in Game Four, he generally isn’t much for production in the other categories. That being said, he is a key player for the Bucks who is going to be out there for 35 to 40 minutes tonight and that can’t be understated.

DART THROWS:

Pat Connaughton –

With DiVincenzo sidelined, Connaughton moves into the starting lineup for Milwaukee and gives him about 20 minutes of playing time. Despite that, he is still more of a role player for the Bucks although it was nice to see him put 15 points in Game Two against Miami.

Blake Griffin –

Griffin used to be an All-Star so that skill is in there, but it would be nice if he showed it a little more often. After scoring 11 points in Game Two, things went downhill after that for the forward but he will grab a few rebounds as well to keep the value and least moderately up.

Landry Shamet –

Shamet can shoot, but the problem is that Brooklyn was very dependent on their stars against Boston so that means it’s possible there won’t be much in the way of opportunity for the guard against Milwaukee. If Shamet doesn’t score, there isn’t much here otherwise.

P.J. Tucker –

The best thing Tucker has going for him is the fact that he played between 17 and 24 minutes per game against Miami. He scored a few points, grabs some rebounds, and other than that isn’t overly exciting, but we have to chase the playing time.

Tyler Johnson –

It doesn’t get cheaper than Johnson, but it is not without reason. Against Boston, Johnson played 43 combined minutes and had a high of 6.8 FD points. You can’t overstate the obvious here as that is not nearly enough for the production we are looking for, but the cost could work.