FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: 76ers at Celtics (Game 2)

In a traditional FanDuel NBA lineup, you have a $60,000 salary cap to roster nine players. The salary cap is the same in the single-game setup, but the lineup requirements are different.

You select five players of any position. One of your players will be your MVP, whose FanDuel points are multiplied by two. You also choose a STAR player (whose production is multiplied by 1.5) and a PRO (multiplied by 1.2). Two UTIL players round out the roster, and they don't receive a multiplier for their production.

This makes the five players you select essential in more than one way; you need to focus on slotting in the best plays in the multiplier slots rather than just nailing the best overall plays of the game.

Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.

76ers-Celtics Overview

It'd be cooler if it happened unexpectedly through the tunnel -- with the 2023 MVP trophy -- like a pro wrestling entrance, but per FanDuel TV's Shams Charania, Joel Embiid is back.

Charania reports he's likely to play despite a doubtful listing for the game in Boston, returning from a sprained knee that cost him each of the 76ers' past two games.

Boston's Marcus Smart is the only other rotation listing on today's report. He's officially questionable with a chest injury.

Player Breakdowns

At The Top

Monday's game felt like a pickup game at L.A. Fitness, which greatly favored Jayson Tatum ($17,000).

Tatum shot 56.0% from the field and 80.0% from deep, so I really do want to build around regression for him. He's shot below 44% from the field in four of his seven playoff games thus far.

Though the injury is a bit scary, Joel Embiid ($16,500) was comfortably the leader in FanDuel points per 36 minutes this season (58.5) among these teams. He won MVP for a reason but has failed to eclipse 44 FanDuel points in two of the three games so far. He'll be less popular at MVP due to the injury and Philly's underdog status.

The least-rostered MVP of the top-four guys should be James Harden ($16,000), who exploded for 45 real-life points in Embiid's stead on Monday. I wouldn't write him off after posting 46.5 FanDuel points beside Embiid in Game 1 of their last series, but he's likely overvalued in general.

My favorite MVP option is Jaylen Brown ($14,500). Most won't dip to his salary, but in addition to a bit of a squeaky-wheel narrative, Brown absolutely has Tatum's single-game scoring upside. In terms of usage rate, J.B. (26.9%) is not far enough behind J.T. (28.6%) in these playoffs to think he can't drop 40.

In The Middle

Though they're still on the court enough to produce a monster game in their lesser roles, properly valuing Tyrese Maxey ($13,500) and Tobias Harris ($12,000) will be the key here.

Maxey's FanDuel-point-per-36-minute average drops by 3.5 points with Embiid on the floor, and Harris' rate drops by 2.9. Their usage rates also drop at least two percentage points. The reality, though, is that everyone knows they'll take a step back, so they'll be less popular in this tier than Boston guys.

Thankfully, there's a free space here. Paul Reed averaged just 10.7 minutes per game with Embiid starting, so he's a total cross-off if JoJo indeed plays. He'll be a great pivot if he doesn't, and there's also a potential reinjury angle that yours truly would never take, but single-game DFS requires examining all factors.

Al Horford ($10,500) is the last five-digit name, and I think his series is just starting with Embiid back. He's been utilized often and effectively guarding the MVP previously and provided a well-rounded effort with three blocks in Game 1. I'd take the over on his 29 minutes played from that one.

With the declining 76ers in the mid-range, this is as clear of a "stars-and-scrubs" build night as it gets.

At The Bottom

The value tier is exclusively sorting out the gaggle of Celtics guards. That starts with Marcus Smart ($9,500), who we'd presume is okay to go after logging 35 minutes in Game 1. Smart has eclipsed 22 points in two of Boston's seven contests thus far, so there is a single-game upside.

Malcolm Brogdon ($9,000) eclipsed 30 minutes for the first time all postseason on Monday. He's the best FanDuel-point producer on a 36-minute basis (37.3) in this backcourt, but we just haven't seen him emerge with that type of role often.

It could stick if Derrick White ($8,500) remains ineffective. White was benched for a 1-for-5 shooting effort with poor defense, but this is also the same guy who comfortably led this trio in minutes per game (32.7) during the Atlanta series. I prefer to buy low on a bad night at the office with him and assume Brogdon heads back to a smaller role.

Robert Williams ($8,000) only played 14 minutes for Boston in Game 1, but he might have a larger role with Embiid back. He earned 28 minutes to drop 13 points, 15 boards, and 2 blocks in Game 3 last series, and if that guy returns, he'll be in the perfect lineup.

Figuring out the rest of Philly's rotation is the last puzzle to this tier. P.J. Tucker ($7,000) logged 36 minutes in Game 1, but he likely had a longer leash with Embiid's size out of the frontcourt. He was held below 30 minutes in all four games against Brooklyn in favor of De'Anthony Melton ($8,500) at times. Melton should be the lowest-drafted player in this tier with a realistic path to playing time.