DFSGhost 
The NBA Playoffs are well underway, and we have had no shortage of some great games thus far. Being the second time that we are seeing all of the teams on today’s slate, we had a glimpse of what to expect with some teams’ rotations. However, as I pointed out yesterday with Anfernee Simons, some individual performances are simply not replicable on a nightly basis and chasing game logs is an even worse strategy in the playoffs than it is during the regular season. It’s Taco Tuesday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
NBA Core Member #1: Robert Williams ($5,800 FD / $4,600 DK)
As I mentioned above, some individual performances are simply not sustainable on a nightly basis, and Robert Williams does in fact fall under that category. Luckily for us, he remains affordable enough on this NBA slate where we can take advantage of his real upside rather than simply chasing his 50+ fantasy points from last game, whereby a large chunk of that came from his 9 blocks. Playing 23 minutes last game was a good sign that he is well on his way to playing significant minutes down the stretch for Coach Brad Stevens, who needs to fill a defensive need on the inside – badly. With Brooklyn ranking in the bottom five of the NBA in interior defense since the acquisition of James Harden, Time Lord is once again firmly in play.
NBA Core Member #2: Kawhi Leonard ($9,400 FD / $8,300 DK)
The Klaw is built for the playoffs – I kid you not, I was watching this game (as I do every NBA playoff game, duh) and all I kept saying to myself was that “this guy coasted for 72 games and chose violence come playoff time”. Fresh off a 26/10/5 performance with 4 steals, the Klaw was back to doing what he does best: dominating on both ends of the floor. You get a stud for a joke of a price, lock and load.
NBA Core Member #3: Rajon Rondo ($5,000 FD / $4,500 DK)
Playoff Rondo, baby. Leading the trio of guards in minutes last game, this Clippers offense – that blows, by the way – needs Rondo’s playmaking on the court and proved to be a worthy acquisition at the trade deadline. Dropping 11/4/4 in 24 minutes is no joke, especially when the every single one of his minutes were with Kawhi Leonard or Paul George on the floor. Not the flashiest play on this NBA slate, but when we’re talking value plays, I have him higher than most.
NBA Core Member #4: Kevin Durant ($10,400 FD / $9,300 DK)
While the Brooklyn Nets having three superstars on their roster, it will be a tough decision on which one(s) to roster on any given NBA slate. What we need to do is stick to the known rather than the unknown, and we know right now is that this is Durant’s offense; KD took 25 shots for the Nets in Game 1 of the series and led the charge on offense with 32/12 while also taking 8 3PA and 12 FTA. Playing 39 minutes and crucial ones down the stretch, he’s too cheap for his upside.
Value Gems: Check the projection model.
I will continue to stress the importance of having both the projection model and cheat sheet open when building lineups for a further player pool and to ease a decision between two players, in addition to finding additional value plays.
You can find me on Twitter @DFS_Ghost
