NBA Wednesday: Jayson Tatum leads daily fantasy basketball picks for Celtics-Heat, Game 1
The Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Heat gets underway Wednesday. With it being the only game on the schedule, it means we'll have a single-game contest to play on Yahoo.
In addition to selecting two flex players, there are three multiplier positions in this single-game format. A player slotted into the Megastar spot will earn double their fantasy points scored. The Superstar spot will earn 1.5X their fantasy points scored. Finally, the Star will earn 1.2X their fantasy points scored. With that in mind, let's highlight some players to consider.
Multipliers
Jayson Tatum ($47): It took Tatum until the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the 76ers to find his shot. He eventually did, hitting some key late three-pointers to help the Celtics stay alive. He was immediately locked in for Game 7, finishing with 51 points on 17-for-28 shooting from the field. During the playoffs, he has averaged 28.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks. That makes him arguably the top option for the Megastar spot.
Jimmy Butler ($44): From the Play-In Tournament to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat have made it this far on the back of Butler, who has led the team on both ends of the floor. In 12 games since the completion of the regular season, Butler has provided 30.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals. He has done it in efficient fashion, too, shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 80.3 percent from the charity stripe. The Heat are only going to go as far as Butler can carry them, so look for him to be aggressive from the opening tip.
Jaylen Brown ($31): Overall, Brown has had a good playoff run. He is shooting 54.1 percent from the field, which has enabled him to average 24.6 points per game. However, he has only shot 69.8 percent from the free-throw line. That has the potential to haunt the Celtics down the road. He doesn't provide as much upside in terms of rebounds and assists as Tatum and Butler do, but his scoring prowess still makes him worth considering for at least the Star position.
Flex Plays
Kyle Lowry ($15): Despite not longer being a starter for the Heat, Lowry has been one of the keys to their success. In the previous series against the Knicks, he averaged 29 minutes per game off the bench. That helped him score at least 24.7 Yahoo points in each game. With the Heat having depth issues because of the injury to Tyler Herro (hand), Lowry should remain in a prominent role.
Max Strus ($11): Strus averaged a career high 28 minutes per game during the regular season, providing key three-point shooting. He doesn't usually contribute much in the way of rebounds or assists, which is why he has nearly the minimum salary. However, his shooting prowess has helped him score at least 25.7 Yahoo points in three of the last five games. That makes him worth considering.
Player to Avoid
Derrick White ($15): The Celtics decided to move White to the second unit when they were down 3-2 to the 76ers. He only logged 16 minutes in Game 6, followed by 12 minutes in Game 7. The Celtics won both games with Robert Williams III becoming a starter. All indications are that Williams will remain a starter for Game 1 of this series, so White should again play limited minutes off the bench.