This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The second round of the NBA playoffs has been a lot of fun. Each series has been competitive with three of them tied at 2-2. Two of those tied series will be playing pivotal Game 5's Tuesday with the Raptors hosting the Sixers and the Blazers taking on the Nuggets. Let's try to add even more excitement to the evening by highlighting some players to target and avoid while you create what will hopefully be a winning Yahoo entry.
GUARDS
Jamal Murray, DEN vs. POR ($28): After attempting 15.6 shots per game during the regular season, Murray has attempted 21.3 shots per contest in this series against the Blazers. He's also continued to provide value contributions with rebounds and assists, helping him score at least 40 Yahoo points three times. At this reasonable price, he's an excellent option to build around.
Gary Harris, DEN vs. POR ($18): Harris struggled from the field during the regular season, which might be part of the reason why he averaged just 29 minutes a game. However, the Nuggets haven't been shy about using him in the playoffs, leaving him to average 37 minutes across 11 games. He's still not overly involved in the offense, but his increased playing time has enabled him to score at least 26 Yahoo points in four of his last five contests.
Guard to Avoid
Ben Simmons, PHI at TOR ($41): The Raptors have done an excellent job of slowing down Simmons, which has prevented him from scoring more than 33.3 Yahoo points in any of the four games. He's been extremely limited offensively, averaging just 9.3 shot attempts per contest. There are other high-priced options with much higher floors, so stay away from Simmons.
FORWARDS
Kawhi Leonard, TOR vs. PHI ($43): Leonard is not only averaging 22.3 shot attempts per game in this series, but he's also shooting an astonishing 61.8 percent from the field. With such lofty scoring totals, he's been able to record at least 54.4 Yahoo points in three of the four games. With the Raptors looking to gain the edge on their home floor, look for Leonard to have another monster performance.
Will Barton, DEN vs. POR ($11): Barton got off to such a bad start in the Nuggets' series against the Spurs that he was moved to the bench. He's remained in that role versus the Blazers, but he's showing signs of being productive again by scoring at least 20.7 Yahoo points in each of the last three games. He's logged at least 30 minutes in back-to-back contests and is a great option to take a chance on at near the minimum price.
Forward to Avoid
Maurice Harkless, POR at DEN ($17): Harkless benefited from the quadruple-overtime Game 3 by scoring 38.5 Yahoo points over 45 minutes. However, he hasn't scored more than 14.3 Yahoo points or logged more than 22 minutes in any of the other three contests. He doesn't come at enough of a discount to warrant taking a chance on him and his inconsistent production.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. POR ($46): There are few DFS options in these playoffs as safe as Jokic. He hasn't scored fewer than 41.1 Yahoo points in any game and has even scored at least 54.9 Yahoo points in five of his last six contests. The Blazers really miss having Jusuf Nurkic (lower leg) on the defensive end, so look for Jokic to take advantage of Enes Kanter and company once again.
Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. PHI ($16): With Pascal Siakam listed as doubtful, it looked like Ibaka might have a chance to start Game 4. Siakam ultimately was able to play and log 29 minutes. However, Ibaka still logged a series-high 32 minutes on his way to 31.8 Yahoo points. He was a big reason why the Raptors were able to even things up, so there's a chance that he sees extended run again Tuesday.
Center to Avoid
Marc Gasol, TOR vs. PHI ($20): The Raptors didn't bring in Gasol to score. They brought him in to defend Joel Embiid in the playoffs. He has largely done a good job of slowing Embiid down, but he himself hasn't scored more than 28.2 Yahoo points in any game of the series. Since he's not that cheap, be sure to keep him and his limited upside out of your lineup.
