This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defense To Avoid
Boston Celtics, vs. Chicago Bulls: The Celtics made some adjustments after alarmingly falling in a 2-0 hole in the series, limiting the Bulls to 87 and 95 points on the road, respectively, in Games 3 and 4. Chicago also averaged just 90.0 points at TD Garden in two regular-season contests, and will be without Rajon Rondo (thumb) again Wednesday.
Offense To Use
Boston Celtics, vs. Chicago Bulls: The Celtics are also an appealing option on the other side of the ball after bouncing back nicely from a rough start to the series with 104 points in each of the last two games. Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford have been effective throughout the series, while coach Brad Stevens' decision to insert Gerald Green into the starting lineup in Game 4 and shift Jae Crowder to power forward paid handsome dividends.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: None
Second game of a back-to-back: None
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Isaiah Thomas, BOS vs. CHI ($8,900):- There's certainly no shortage of appealing options in the top end at guard, and conceivably, all are a good bet to turn in solid performances. I'll settle on Thomas, who's already generated 50.0 and 48.0 fantasy points in two games during the series. With a return home for a pivotal Game 5, Thomas will be back in the arena that he averaged 44.2 fantasy points in during the regular season on the strength of 47.9 percent shooting, and will face a Bulls defense that surrendered 51.9 fantasy points per game to point guards this season.
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. CHI ($5,100): Smart has been returning above-average value on his modest price throughout the first four games of the series, scoring between 23.0 and 34.0 fantasy points over that span. He's seen no less than 27 minutes as a key member of the second unit, and that trend should certainly continue Wednesday against a Bulls squad that he's averaged 25.1 fantasy points against over seven total games this season.
Gerald Green, BOS vs. CHI ($3,600):-There's a good chance that Green once again runs with the starters in Game 5, making him too good to pass up at his price. The veteran scored 28.25 fantasy points over 23 minutes in his Game 4 start, taking a robust 13 shot attempts over that span. That included four three-pointers, one of the stronger points of Green's game. He can be counted on to be aggressive if he's out there, so there's plenty of upside there at a modest price.
Jimmy ButlerCHI at BOS ($10,000):- Even when it seemed like Rajon Rondo might play Wednesday, Butler remains the focal point of the Bulls offense under any circumstance, and even if Rondo does manage to take the court in Game 6, he could well be limited in some fashion. Furthermore, Butler scored 48.75 and 55.0 fantasy points in Games 1 and 2 when Rondo was active, which is actually better cumulative production than the 26.25 and 54.25 totals he managed in Games 3 and 4 without him.
Paul Millsap, ATL at WAS ($8,700):- Millsap has been excellent over the last three games of the series, which is simply an extension of the success he enjoyed throughout the regular season against the Wizards. Factoring in his postseason production, Millsap has averaged 39.0 fantasy points over seven games versus Washington, and scored between 43.75 and 60.5 fantasy points in Games 2-4 after a modest 21.0 fantasy points in Game 1. The Wizards were also vulnerable to power forwards all season, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points (49.0) to fours, along with the second-highest field-goal percentage (49.2).
For those looking to save at this level, Nikola Mirotic ($5,400) and rookie Taurean Prince ($4,200) are also highly viable options.
Bojan Bogdanovic, WAS vs. ATL ($3,200):-Bogdanovic is a classic tournament play that sports a nice combination of a low-risk price and an impressive ceiling. He's come on over the last two games, scoring 19.0 and 21.5 fantasy points, respectively, and has already seen over 20 minutes in two of the first four games of the series. The caveat with scoring-dependent players like Bogdanovic is the potential for his shot to go cold, which was largely the case in the first three games of the series. However, a 56 percent effort in Game 4 could be what he needed to get back on track.
Al Horford, BOS vs. CHI ($7,000):-Horford has scored between 31.75 and 47.0 fantasy points in the first four games of the series and is now averaging 34.3 fantasy points over seven total games against the Bulls this season. He's seen no fewer than 33 minutes in any of the four playoff contests thus far and already boasts two double-doubles against a Chicago squad that started to show some vulnerability to fives as the season would down, allowing 53.0 fantasy points to centers over the final five games of the campaign.
Robin Lopez, WAS vs. ATL ($5,000):-Lopez had a somewhat underwhelming effort in Game 4 with just 17.75 fantasy points, but he scored between 21.5 and 35.5 fantasy points in Games 1-3. He's averaged a solid 24.6 fantasy points over eight total games against Boston this season and the Celtics gave up 53.2 fantasy points to centers over the last 10 contests of the season, along with 51.5 overall on the campaign. Lopez has also averaged nearly a fantasy point per minute (0.96) with Rajon Rondo off the floor in the series, and there appears to be at least a 50-50 chance the latter misses Game 5.
Jason Smith, WAS vs. ATL ($2,900):- Kelly Olynyk ($4,500) could be a fifth Celtics option Wednesday, but he's underwhelmed with under 20 fantasy points in the last two games. Smith checks in $1,600 cheaper, so the risk is considerably lessened. He also scored 25.0 fantasy points in Game 2, seeing 28 minutes in that game and 24 in Game 4 as well. There's certainly no guarantee on the minutes, but he has the potential to bring back a nice return if he gets the hot hand from the field.
INJURY REPORT
For the latest news on injured players heading into the games, check out our Injury Updates page.
