DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 9/17/20

With one game to choose from on today's NBA slate, let's look at how to utilize the DFS possibilities.

Here are some of the top plays on DraftKings. As always, good luck.

Captain Considerations

Jayson Tatum ($15,600) -- In three games versus Miami this season, Tatum is averaging 46.8 fantasy points per game, up from his 43.1 season average. In Game 1 alone, Tatum recorded 67.0 fantasy points on 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He did everything for Boston, including recording his fifth straight double-double dating back to Game 4 of the semifinals. His 30 points scored were the most since Game 2 versus Toronto, and I'd back Tatum to have another strong effort versus Miami in Game 2.

Goran Dragic ($11,700) -- Just when you thought Dragic cooled down slightly the final three games of the semifinals versus the Bucks, he strikes again. The dragon recorded 46.75 fantasy points in Game 1, totaling a team-high 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He averaged 19.8 points in the semifinals, with 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 35.4 minutes per game. Dragic connected on 11-of-19 shots (57.9%) versus Boston, and in three meetings on the season, Dragic's made 51.1% of his field-goal attempts. numberFire's model projects Dragic to post 18.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in Game 2.

Bam Adebayo ($13,200) -- Adebayo added 18 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds to his resume in 43 minutes over Game 1. Big Bam double-doubled in three-of-five games versus the Bucks in the semifinals and just missed out on one versus the Celtics. He's a nightly threat to, and after 43.5 fantasy points, he's clearly the must-play big in this series. Neither Crowder, Theis, or Williams will match his output across the entire series, and Adebayo's worth his value. numberFire's model pegs Adebayo to record 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 37.4 minutes.

Utility Considerations

Kemba Walker ($12,300) -- Walker struggled to find his shot versus Miami, going 6-of-19 (31.6%) from the field and 1-of-9 (11.1%) from deep. He did play 43 minutes thanks to overtime, his third game of 40-plus minutes played. The Celtics, down 1-0, will need Walker to be more of a catalyst scoring after averaging 17.0 points in five semifinals games compared to 24.0 in four first-round games. Walker added 6 assists and 3 rebounds to his 19-point total, but if it wasn't for going 6-of-7 (85.7%) from the free-throw line, it could have been the third straight game he's scored 14 or less. Proceed with caution when it comes to building your lineups with Walker in it.

Marcus Smart ($11,400) -- Smart had another insane performance from beyond the arc, this time in Game 1 versus Miami. Smart made 6-of-13 three-pointers (46.2%) and 9-of-18 (50%) total. He added three rebounds and one assist, his lowest totals since Game 2 of the semifinals versus Toronto. Smart averaged 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 39.4 minutes per game in five games versus the Raptors. The Celtics are expecting Gordon Hayward back sometime in this series, so It'll be interesting if Smart goes to the bench with how well he's played. If you find yourself choosing between him or Walker, I'd go with Smart until Hayward returns.

Tyler Herro ($10,500) -- Herro extended his postseason streak of double-digit scoring to 10 games and his overall total to 17 straight. He had his best all-around game of the postseason, and arguably his career, with a near triple-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists for 40.75 fantasy points. He played 40 minutes for the Heat, the first time of the playoffs, and his 40.75 fantasy points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists were all postseason career-highs. His 12 points and 11 rebounds also marked his first career playoff double-double.

Jae Crowder ($10,200) -- Crowder went off in Game 1 versus Boston, scoring 22 points on 5 made three-pointers. He went 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the field and 5-of-9 (55.5%) from deep, totaling 19 of his 22 points. He recorded 37.25 fantasy points, the most in his postseason career with Miami, and that total marked his fifth straight 30-plus fantasy point game. Crowder's played 30 or more minutes in six straight games and averaged five rebounds in five semifinals games versus the Bucks. He's scored at least 16 points in five straight games, and numberFire's model predicts Crowder to have 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 28.4 minutes.

Vaughn Dalzell is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Vaughn also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his account, username vdalzell. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.com