This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Defense To Avoid
Houston Rockets, vs. San Antonio Spurs: The Rockets have held the Spurs to an average of 103.5 points during the two previous games of the series at Toyota Center, and a respectable 107.4 overall in the series. Kawhi Leonard is also likely to be playing at less than 100 percent after sustaining knee and ankle injuries in Game 5, and Houston will be playing in front of what should be a raucous home crowd while attempting to stave off elimination.
Offense To Use
Boston Celtics, vs. Washington Wizards: The Celtics looked mostly abysmal in Games 3 and 4 in Washington, but a little home cooking and the urgency of blowing a 2-0 series lead should wake them up Wednesday. The Celtics are averaging 111.8 points at TD Garden in the postseason on 47.0 percent shooting and averaged 126.0 points against the Wizards at home in Games 1 and 2.
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Isaiah Thomas, BOS vs. WAS ($9,000): If you can't quite swing James Harden's $10,900 price tag, Thomas is your man as he looks to bounce back from two subpar efforts at what is a critical juncture in the series. He turned in modest totals of 21.75 and 33.25 fantasy points in Games 3 and 4 on the road, but a return home for a crucial game should bring out the best in him. Thomas averaged over 60 fantasy points in the first two games at TD Garden while boasting 37.0 percent usage, while that number notably dropped to 26.4 percent in the two games in Washington.
Patrick Beverley, HOU vs. SA ($5,100): You could have your pick of several options at guard in the mid-tier but Beverley checks in with the most affordable price, and he's scored between 26.5 and 28.0 fantasy points in four of the five games of the current series. He's also averaging 11.3 shot attempts per game over the last four, a nice bump up from the 8.1 he averaged during the regular season. Given the increased usage and the 26.0 fantasy points he's now averaging against the Spurs over seven games in the regular season and playoffs, he makes for a highly viable value play.
Jonathon Simmons, SA at HOU ($3,800): Simmons has seemingly earned the trust of head coach Gregg Popovich to become an important part of the second unit in this postseason, and his efforts Tuesday after Kawhi Leonard went down surely served to solidify that. Simmons scored 23.5 fantasy points over 32 minutes after contributing 27.0 fantasy points during Game 4 in Houston. He's averaged 13 shot attempts over the last two games, and his ability to fill in at both shooting guard and small forward coupled with his solid play seem to have him locked in to a secure role in the rotation. With a sub-$4K price tag, he makes for an appealing and affordable tournament option if you're trying to save at forward.
Kawhi Leonard, SA at HOU ($10,700): Leonard has already vowed to play in Game 6 despite knee and ankle injuries, so as long as that holds true, he's the choice if you're spending at forward. Before exiting late in Tuesday's Game 5, Leonard compiled 55.75 fantasy points over 38 minutes, making it the third game in the series in which he's eclipsed the 50-mark. He's also averaged 48.2 fantasy points against the Rockets in eight total games this season, shooting an excellent 49.4 percent from the floor.
In the unlikely scenario that Leonard is held out of Game 6, LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,900), who sports a 30.0 percent usage rate and averages 1.11 DraftKings points per minute without Leonard on the floor, would get the call here.
Otto Porter, WAS at BOS ($6,400): With teammate John Wall excelling in the series, Porter has mostly flown under the radar while providing consistent returns throughout the postseason. He's scored between 33.75 and and 38.0 fantasy points in the first four games of the current series and is now averaging 35.8 fantasy points in eight overall meetings against the Celtics, which allowed 54.1 fantasy points per game to small forwards over the final 10 contests of the regular season.
Kelly Olynyk, BOS vs. WAS ($3,900):Bojan Bogdanovic ($4,200) is another option at this level, but his production is a bit too volatile for my tastes. Olynyk, on the other hand, provides slightly more consistency and comes at $300 cheaper. He's scored between 17.0 and 29.0 fantasy points in seven of 10 postseason games and averaged 17.25 in the first two games of the series at TD Garden. His playing time has fluctuated somewhat, but he has seen between 18 and 23 minutes in three of the first four games of the series, and he's averaged a solid 19.7 fantasy points at home during the regular season and postseason.
Al Horford, BOS vs. WAS ($7,100): Horford has scored between 28.0 and 49.75 fantasy points in the first four games of the series and has been particularly effective at TD Garden, where he averaged 45.4 fantasy points over the series' first two games. He's been highly effective spacing the floor against Washington as well, as he's shot 65.0 percent from the field overall, including 53.8 percent from three-point range. With an average of 37.4 fantasy points in seven games against the Wizards this season and no other top-tier center on the slate, he's a clear-cut choice in a must-win game.
Clint Capela, HOU vs. SA ($6,100): Capela continued an excellent series against the Spurs on Tuesday night, scoring 32.25 fantasy points over 34 minutes. He's scored no less than 26.25 and as much as 46.25 fantasy points in the five games versus San Antonio, is averaging 30.9 fantasy points at Toyota Center in the regular season and postseason, and 30.9 fantasy points in eight overall games against the Spurs. Additionally, with Nene Hilario out for the remainder of the series with a groin injury, Capela notably saw a boost in playing time in Game 5, totaling 34 minutes of action.
Ryan Anderson, HOU vs. SA ($5,200): Speaking of Hilario's injury, that development actually moved Anderson to the bench on Tuesday as a reserve at center. He still saw 36 minutes in the overtime affair while also playing some power forwar,d and he posted 30.25 fantasy points on the strength of 64.0 percent shooting. While Anderson's production can certainly be volatile, he brings plenty of upside if he gets hot, and there is no other affordable option below his price slated to see significant playing time.
INJURY REPORT
For the latest news on injured players heading into the games, check out our Injury Updates page.
