Today’s NBA DFS main slate features game three of the tied-up series in the Eastern Conference between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks and the knotted-up series out West between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. For three quarters of game two between the Heat and the Knicks, Miami looked like they were going to leave New York leading by two games potentially winning game two without Jimmy Butler. However, the Knicks offense got hot late in the game and they were able to even the series. It’s looking like Butler will be ready to return for today’s game. The Warriors offense was too much for the Lakers to handle once game two hit the second quarter. Golden State shot 50 percent from the field overall and from beyond the arc to tie up their series up. Here are today’s prioritized NBA DFS top plays for the NBA Playoffs. 

 

 

New York Knicks @ Miami Heat, Game 3 (Series Tied 1-1)

O/U: 209

Spread: MIA (-4)

New York Knicks Injuries

New York Knicks NBA DFS Breakdown

The Knicks escaped with a win in game two after it looked like the Heat were going to take both games at Madison Square Garden. New York got a major boost from the returning Julius Randle who suffered an ankle injury in the first round of the playoffs. He dropped 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Heat didn’t have an answer for him after they successfully shut down the paint in game one limiting the Knicks offense. The Knicks had been struggling to hit long-range shots but were able to hit 40 percent from deep last game and they’ll need to continue to shoot well from long-range because the Heat would rather prioritize the interior on defense. Jalen Brunson had a strong shooting last game from downtown as he hit six three-pointers. He’s scored 25+ points in both games this series and shot over 52 percent from the floor. The Heat will try to make him pass off a lot more as they did in game one. He’s been helpful on the defensive side of the ball as well stealing the ball three times combined this series and he’s pulled down five boards in both contests. 

RJ Barrett continues to thrive after struggling early in the postseason. Barrett has hit the 20-point mark in four straight games and he should take 17-20 shots. Barrett has been excellent at driving the lane and normally his long-range shooting isn’t as on as it was last time out, but he’ll need to continue to remember to drive first because he’s a lethal lane-driver. Josh Hart will need to have another strong game as well and we saw him make key plays late and he nearly produced a triple-double last time out. Scoring normally isn’t Hart’s focus, but if the Heat are going to leave him open, he’ll get high-percentage shots. Hart has scored in double figures in both games in this series and he’ll be on the court in the closing minutes of the game because the Knicks need his help on defense. Hart can play multiple positions. 

Tier 1 Play(s): Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett

Tier 2 Play(s): Josh Hart

 

Miami Heat Injuries

Miami Heat NBA DFS Breakdown

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Jimmy Butler will make his return to the Heat’s lineup after missing last game. Starting Butler in DFS is a bit of a risk, but the banged-up Heat need his production. We saw how Joel Embiid looked when he returned from his knee injury in game two of his series, but every injury is different, and Butler will play through the pain. He can still play effective defense even if he's not as effective on the offensive end and they haven’t gotten the production they’ve needed from Bam Adebayo on offense. Butler shouldn’t be on a minutes limit and someone else from the Heat will have to step up if Adebayo is going to continue to be more of a facilitator. The Heat should look to design plays in the post for him so he can power his way down low and try to draw contact in the paint and get Mitchell Robinson in foul trouble. Adebayo has been limited by Robinson throughout the season and it’s continued in the playoffs. 

Gabe Vincent continues to be a huge help because he’s needed to run the point for the Heat and they’ve needed him to shoot more. Vincent has scored 20+ points and dropped five or more dimes in three straight games. He’s taken 12 three-pointers in all three games during that span and he’ll need to continue to boost Miami offensively, especially if Butler can’t move at 100 percent speed. Caleb Martin had a strong scoring game when Butler was out in the last matchup, but with Butler returning to action and Martin having a bit of a sore back, his production ceiling is lowered. Look to see if Max Strus gets a few more looks after he shot 58 percent from the field last game, but for the most part, he’s scoring dependent. 

Tier 1 Play(s): Jimmy Butler (If Active), Gabe Vincent

Tier 2 Play(s): Bam Adebayo

 

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers, Game 3 (Series Tied 1-1)

O/U:  227.5

Spread: LAL (-3)

Golden State Warriors Injuries

Golden State Warriors NBA DFS Breakdown

The Warriors were a bad road team during the regular season, but if they can replicate their shooting from game two in which they hit 50 percent of their shots, it'll improve their chances as they come into this game as the underdog. They don’t play as good of defense as the Lakers do so they'll need to rely more on their offense to get them over the hump. Klay Thompson hit eight three’s last time out and scored 30 points. When it comes to Thompson’s DFS value, be careful because it all comes down to how he’s shooting. He tends to not produce much in other areas. The Lakers continue to put an extra defender on Stephen Curry, but Curry was able to still score 20 points. We saw him dish out a doen assists and if Los Angeles continues to double-team him as much as they have, he’ll need to continue to pass off a lot more and that will boost Curry's assist potential.

The Warriors also got major contributions from their big men despite Kevon Looney being limited last game because he was sick. He still secured eight rebounds in 12 minutes and he’s been a monster on the glass throughout the playoffs and with a few days of rest, he should be more available for this game. If he’s still limited, the Warriors could utilize JaMychal Green a bit more as he successfully stretched the floor in game two hitting three from deep and scoring 15 points. He’s a good compliment to Looney because Looney plays exclusively in the post. Draymond Green came through as well on both sides of the ball notching a double-double and dropping nine dimes. Remember, while improved on the defensive end, the Lakers are still vulnerable in the post and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Green featured more on offense because of his ability to power his way inside. 

Tier 1 Play(s): Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney 

Tier 2 Play(s): Draymond Green, Klay Thompson

 

Los Angeles Lakers Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers NBA DFS Breakdown

Despite drawing Andrew Wiggins as his matchup for most of the game, James has still scored 22+ points in both games this series and he’ll continue to take a lot of shots and bring up the ball a decent amount as well. James posted a double-double in game one and he couldn’t be stopped in the first part of game two. If the Lakers are going to take back the lead in this series, it all comes down to James and Anthony Davis’ production. Davis needs to be aggressive and attack the paint as much as possible. The Warriors interior defense isn’t strong and we saw him have a dominant first game of this series where he scored 30 points and pulled down 23 rebounds. He posted multiple double-doubles against Golden State during the season and had a 39-point game against them as well. The Lakers should design more plays for him in the paint rather than feeding him at the elbow and letting him drive with the ball. He towers over most of the Warriors frontcourt and by posting up and calling for the ball in the paint, it’ll give him a better chance at drawing contact and if the Lakers can take Looney and/or Green out of this game due to foul trouble, the inside will open up more for the Lakers to do damage. 

We saw Rui Hachimura hit 57 percent of his shots last game and he’ll get open shots from downtown and if the Lakers are struggling on the offensive end, they may need to rely on Hachimura a bit more. Out of all of the guards to trust when it comes to DFS production, Russell is the most trustworthy guard because he has the ball in his hands the most, but his scoring has been up and down throughout the postseason. When Austin Reaves’ shot isn’t on, he won’t be featured as much and he doesn’t bring up the ball as much as Russell does. Russell has scored in double figures in both games this series and he’s produced at least six assists and a swipe in both contests as well. Russell has about a 23 percent usage rate. Dennis Schroder scored 19 points in game one hitting 50 percent of his shots, but he was a complete non-factor in game two. The Lakers need more consistent efforts from their guards. 

Tier 1 Play(s): LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Tier 2 Play(s):  D’Angelo Russell

 

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