This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Guards:
Stephen Curry, GS at HOU ($9,800): Curry is just too good of a player to be south of a five-figure price tag. His 43.4 fantasy points per game in the regular season furthers that point, as well as the fact that he's scored at least 42 FanDuel points in three of his four games since returning from injury during the playoffs. While Curry averaged only 39 fantasy points per game in his three outings against the Rockets in the regular season, there's reason to believe he can improve on that already solid average. The main reason is the fact that he shot just 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range while playing 34 minutes per game. All three of those averages should rise based on what he's done throughout his career.
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. CLE ($5,400): Smart was one of Boston's best players in the conference semifinals, so it's hard to believe he's still only $5,400. Smart was on the court for 33 minutes per game in the Philly series, which he translated to an average of over 28 FanDuel points per game. What's equally as enticing is the favorable matchup, as Smart faces a Cleveland team who ranked 29th in total defense in the regular season. That was especially evident when Smart averaged 32 fantasy points per game in two regular season meetings with the Cavaliers this year.
J.R. Smith, CLE at BOS ($4,500): Smith was quietly a huge piece for the Cavaliers in their sweep of the Raptors, as he was back to playing a significant role in the regular rotation. So far in the playoffs, Smith is averaging over 32 minutes per game. That's a lot of playing time for a $4,500 player, giving him some intrigue as a potential value play once again. Smith has scored at least 21 fantasy points in four of his last five outings while averaging 25 FanDuel points per game in those four contests. The fact that Boston will be focused on LeBron so much should allow Smith to have more open shots too, considering that was their strategy with a comparable Ben Simmons in the previous round.
Forwards:
LeBron James, CLE at BOS ($13,600): It's impossible to fade King James right now, as he's putting up some historical numbers in the playoffs. In fact, James is averaging 34.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game in the postseason. His floor has been ridiculous too, considering he's scored at least 57 fantasy points in all but one game so far. While Boston is a tough matchup on paper, the fact that James averaged 52 fantasy points per game in three regular season outings against them furthers the point that he's a matchup proof player.
Draymond Green, GS at HOU ($9,000): Green has been one of the best players so far this postseason, as he's flirting with a triple-double every time he takes the floor. In fact, Green is averaging 50 fantasy points per game in his last eight outings, while playing over 38 minutes per game during that span. Draymond has had success against the Rockets all year long too, averaging over 45 FanDuel points per game in three regular season meetings against them.
Andre Iguodala, GS at HOU ($4,800): Iguodala has been a different player in this postseason, as his role has risen exponentially. Not only has he played at least 23 minutes in every playoff game thus far, Iguodala is also averaging 24 fantasy points per game. What adds to the intrigue is the fact that he should be asked to play big minutes opposite of James Harden, as Iggy dropped 31.4 FanDuel points in 31 minutes of action the one time he played the Rockets earlier this season.
Center:
Al Horford, BOS vs. CLE ($7,600): These four remaining teams show just how much the league has changed, as there's only two usable centers among the four teams. That means we have to pick between Clint Capela and Al Horford and there's very little separating the two. That's why Horford is the superior option, as he's nearly $2,000 cheaper than Capela. Horford has been a stud in these playoffs thus far, considering he's scored at least 32 fantasy points in 12 of his last 13 games while averaging nearly 40 FanDuel points during that span. The matchups are a huge difference as well, with Capela facing a Warriors defense that allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing centers in the regular season, while Horford faces a Cavaliers defense that finished 29th in defensive efficiency.
