We've got a two-game playoff slate for Friday. The Hawks and 76ers start at 7:30 pm ET while the Clippers and Jazz tip-off at 10:00 pm ET. ATL and LAC are up 3-2. PHI is favored by 3 points on the road and the O/U in that game is 221. UTA is favored by 1 point on the road and the O/U is 219.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 6/18/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Trae Young, PG - vs. PHI ($10,400)
Young has put up 57.7 and 57.8 FD points in the last two games. In this series, he's scored at least 40 FD points in every game. The usage rate has been 37 and 33% and he's played 40 minutes in the last two games. He is the alpha and the omega of the Hawks team so the floor is high. I've been impressed with how Trae has adapted to all the divergent defensive schemes and been able to produce even when he hasn't shot well.
Reggie Jackson, PG - vs. UTA ($5,500)
He's not cheap as a value piece but he was the one I was most comfortable with. There's been volatility to his game as he's gone for over 30 FD points twice this series but has a 9.7 FD point game as well. That said, he's playing a ton of minutes and has garnered a usage rate over 20% in two games. The shooting efficiency has been the most eye-opening thing about Jackson's series as he's shot over 50% in every game. During the regular season, he was a 45% shooter. It's all in the name.
Paul George, SG - vs. UTA ($10,600)
Remember Pandemic Paul? Yeah, me neither. It's been nothing but Prolific Paul in these playoffs. With the Kawhibot infected with malware, PG went for 67.7 FD points in Game 5. The usage rate was 36% and he's played 40 minutes and scored over 30 points in each of the last two games. He is THE man for the Clippers now and the Jazz have had no answers for him this series.
Terance Mann, SG - vs. UTA ($4,400)
Mann entered the starting lineup with Kawhi unable to go. He responded with 24.4 FD points in 25 minutes. The usage rate was a decent 18 percent and he contributes a little something in every category. He's aggressive on the offensive end and is able to switch on defense so the minutes look to be secure. The price looks to be a good one for the minutes and usage he should get.
Also consider: Ben Simmons ($7,800), Jordan Clarkson ($5,200), Joe Ingles ($6,100), Seth Curry ($6,200)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Nicolas Batum, SF - at UTA ($6,200)
With no Kawhi, the small forward pool is gross. Batum has flourished in the small-ball center role. He's gotten plenty of open looks from downtown because he's matched up with Rudy Gobert. It's not about the offense, though. Batum grabs rebounds and contributes the defensive stats. He's scored at least 30 FD points in each of the last three games.
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF - at LAC ($5,900)
With Donovan Mitchell hampered by an ankle injury and the Clippers doubling him and forcing the ball out of his hands, Bogdanovic has been and will be needed for offensive production. He went for 32 points last game and garnered a 29% usage rate. He can shoot from downtown and bully smaller defenders down in the post. His offensive game will be needed if the Jazz hope to stave off elimination.
John Collins, PF - vs. PHI ($7,500)
The trend has been a friend when it comes to Collins as he's increased the FD output in each of the last four games. In this series with Philadelphia, he's scored at least 25 FD points in every game with a high of 38.7 FD points. He's been a beast on the boards, shot well from downtown, and been a maven on defense. His energy has been infectious as well with highlight putback dunks. Tobias Harris has been the guy at the top of the power forward pool for most of the playoffs, but he's fallen off. Collins has had the higher floor recently.
Marcus Morris, PF - vs. UTA ($6,400)
After shooting poorly in the first two games of this series, Morris has converted 60, 54, and 60% of his attempts in the last three games. He's played 40 and 35 minutes and scored over 20 points in the two most recent contests. With Kawhi out, his offense is going to be needed. The shot attempts shouldn't be an issue as he's attempted at least 10 shots in seven of the last eight games.
Also consider: Danilo Gallinari ($5,000), Royce O'Neale ($5,300)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Joel Embiid, C - at ATL ($11,200)
After looking like crap in Game 4, Embiid came out with a fury in Game 5 and dominated with 73.1 FD points. The Hawks just have no answers for him when he's engaged. He's gone for at least 60 FD points in four of the five games this series.
Onyeka Okongwu, C - vs. PHI ($3,600)
Okongwu has only played over 10 minutes once this series. Despite that, he's scored 18 and 13.6 FD points in the two most recent games despite playing eight and six minutes. Can we count on that efficiency? Probably not but the price is cheap and there's upside. He's shown that he can play on this stage and his athleticism really stands out. He's been making plays on the defensive end of the floor and been grabbing rebounds and even chipping in a few buckets. Now, what if Clint Capela gets into foul trouble? He averages 1 FD point per minute so any extra minutes could be a boon.
Also consider: Clint Capela ($7,100)