This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers: Although the Pacers have struggled offensively at times, their defense hasn't suffered too much and remains quite potent. They held the Hawks to an average of 92 points per game in their first round playoff series, while the Wizards put up an average of just under 95 points per game in their series against the Chicago Bulls. While the Wizards may be able to put up decent numbers against the Pacers, just as they did against the Bulls' defense, both the Clippers and the Thunder are two of the most potent offenses in the league and their game will likely be high scoring.
Offenses to Use
Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, who shot just 41 percent in the first six games of the Memphis' series, and the Thunder struggled a bit against the Grizzlies' tough defense. Durant should be able to get back to his normal efficiency levels against the Clippers and improve the Thunder's offense as a whole as well. Although the Clippers had one of the top offenses in the league during the regular season, the Thunder also had a borderline top-10 defense and should be able to limit the Clippers' offensive prowess a bit. With just two games on Monday's slate, it's likely that this matchup will be more offensive minded than the Pacers vs. Wizards game.
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
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Point Guard
George Hill, IND (vs. WAS), PG/SG, ($5,300): Hill isn't the most explosive option and he struggled with his shot throughout the first round of the playoffs, but he was still able to produce solid fantasy numbers through his passing, rebounding, and steals. He was very consistent in the series against the Hawks, putting up between 14 and 16 points in every contest other than Game 2. He also produced between three and five rebounds and assists in each of those games. Hill might struggle more against John Wall than he did against Jeff Teague, but with other point guard options listed at a far higher price, Hill seems to be a logical cheap pick at a bit of a risk.
Other options: Jamal Crawford, LAC (at OKC), PG/SG, ($6,000); John Wall, WAS (at IND), PG, ($7,600)
Shooting Guard
Lance Stephenson, IND (vs. WAS), SG/SF, ($6,900): With shooting guard being a fairly weak position for both the Clippers and the Thunder, Stephenson looks to be the most productive of the four starting shooting guards on Monday. Bradley Beal could potentially have trouble against the Pacers' defense, although he played well in the first round and is available for about the same price as Stephenson on Monday, but Stephenson seems more of a sure option with the Wizards' defense not as potent as the Pacers'. In the first round of the playoffs Stephenson averaged 15.4 points on 48 percent shooting, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He was also able to avoid some of the Pacers' scoring problems and shot close to 50 percent for the series.
Other options: Bradley Beal, WAS (at IND), SG, ($6,600)
Small Forward
Trevor Ariza, WAS (at IND), SG/SF, ($6,300): Although Ariza failed to score in double digits during five of the Wizards' six games against the Bulls, he was still able to produce well with his rebounding and steals. For the first round of the playoffs Ariza averaged 15.6 points on 49 percent shooting along with 2.6 threes on 46.4 percent shooting, 8.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. A lot of Ariza's value comes from his elite three-point shooting and his rebounding, so even though he's at risk of being limited by the Pacers' defense, the Hawks were able to shoot decently from long range against them while taking a whopping 230 attempts from three throughout the series. After being a great three-point shooter all season, Ariza should be able to find ways to continue getting his shots even against the Pacers' defense.
Other options: Matt Barnes, LAC (at OKC), SF, ($4,700)
Power Forward
Serge Ibaka, OKC (vs. LAC), PF/C, ($7,000): Ibaka didn't get too many scoring opportunities in the first round of the playoffs, but that could change now that he's not going up against the Grizzlies' defense. He's never been a big scorer, although, he could see his scoring bump back up to around 15 points per game like he was averaging for the season. Ibaka was able to remain efficient and shot 60 percent in the first round and also averaged 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the series against Memphis. He should continue to get his fantasy production from his efficient shooting, his rebounding, and his shot blocking. Going up against Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Ibaka should get plenty of chances for blocks but could potentially struggle grabbing big rebound numbers against that duo.
Other options: Trevor Booker, WAS (at IND), PF, ($4,000); David West, IND (vs. WAS), PF, ($7,000)
Center
Nene Hilario, WAS (at IND), PF/C, ($6,700): Picking Hilario against an elite defense might normally be a hesitant move, but he played very well against the Bulls and Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah. He averaged 17.8 points in 55 percent shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in the Wizards' series against the Bulls. Hilario isn't a big rebounder, but he can score and produce a fair number of rebounds along with some assists and steals with the occasional block. One question will be whether Hibbert plays more minutes than he did against the Hawks now that he won't have to guard a center who draws him away from the rim like Pero Antic did. If Hibbert does play more minutes, that may make it harder for Hilario to score, but he was able to do well against Noah so fantasy owners shouldn't shy away from Hilario.
Other options: Marcin Gortat, WAS (at IND), C, ($6,800)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Andrew Bynum (knee) did not play in the Pacers' first round playoff series and does not have a set return date.
Hedo Turkoglu (back) will not play in Game 1 or 2.
