DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Wednesday 9/2/20

With two games 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.

Point Guard

Goran Dragic ($6,900) -- Dragic has been on fire since the postseason began, and even the 1 seed, the Milwaukee Bucks, couldn't slow him down. He scored 27 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists in 34 minutes. The Bucks were without Eric Bledsoe ($5,600), and while his status remains uncertain, Dragic's future production is evident. The Dragon has scored 20 or more in five straight games, and in the first round, he averaged 22.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. numberFire's model suggests Dragic's momentum will continue with 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 34 minutes.

Chris Paul ($8,200) -- CP3 took over late in Game 6 for the Thunder, willing them to a Game 7. The savvy vet dropped 28 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished 3 assists in 40 minutes on 50% shooting. Paul has averaged 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in this series, and with Russell Westbrook ($8,900) not looking like himself, Paul took advantage. He played 40 minutes in two-of-six games, and both outings were his best performances all-around -- he's made 50% or more of field-goal attempts in four-of-six.

Shooting Guard

Dennis Schroder ($6,400) -- Schroder was caught telling Chris Paul that he was a legend after his huge three late in the game, and Paul replied in his post-game interview saying Schroder was a dog, and he'd go to war any day with him. I'd have to agree. While Schroder didn't wow you shooting 5-of-16 (31.3%) last game, he did grab a series-high 8 rebounds and play 37 minutes. He's averaged 18.2 points in the series and had three games of 19 or more, including a 29 and 30-point performance. Game 6 was the first outing since Game 1 that he didn't make a three-point attempt, and in a win or go home Game 7, I'd bet he knocks down a couple to avoid going back to Oklahoma.

James Harden ($11,200) -- The Rockets squandered their opportunity away, and it was because Harden didn't have the ball late. He led the game in scoring with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in 39 minutes. Harden was an efficient 50% from the field (11 for 22) and visited the free-throw line 8 times, for the fourth time in the series. With Westbrook returning to the lineup, Harden's numbers didn't take much of a hit, and he's only turning the ball over three times per game. Harden is playing quality basketball, and with Game 7 on the line, he could go off for his best game yet.

Small Forward

Khris Middleton ($8,100) -- Middleton has put together three straight of 21 or more points and has been on a scoring streak after quiet Games 1 and 2 versus Orlando. Middleton dropped a team-high 28 points on the Miami Heat and added 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He attempted a postseason-high 24 shot attempts, making 12 (50%), and the same with three-pointers, trying 8 and making 4 (50%). Middleton found success in the regular season versus Miami, averaging 23.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Expect Jimmy Butler ($8,300) to come back down to Earth after 40 points in Game 1, so I'm backing Middleton over him in DFS for Game 2.

Danilo Gallinari ($6,100) -- I wrote about Gallinari leading up to Game 6 and how he would have a much better game, and indeed, he did just that. Gallinari scored 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting (52.9%) and 4-of-9 from deep (44.4%). He also grabbed 5 rebounds and 2 steals to his totals, all in 28 minutes. He's averaged 30.7 minutes in the series, and when surpasses that total, he's been efficient in this series, averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. I'd back Gallinari for Game 7 as both teams could up the scoring in a win or go home.

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400) -- In Game 1, Giannis finished a single assist short of a triple-double on 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists in 37 minutes. His 37 minutes were the most he played in the bubble thus far, and his poor shooting shouldn't continue into Game 2. Giannis went 6-of-12 (50%) from the field, 2-of-5 (40%) from three, and 4-of-12 (30%) from the free-throw line. He didn't take a large enough volume from the field, and when he visited the line, he couldn't connect. There should be a motivation factor for Giannis, especially after watching Butler score a playoff career-high 40 points on him and his Bucks.

Robert Covington ($5,900) -- Covington has picked up his play over the last three games for the Rockets, not only on the defensive but also scoring and rebounding. He's averaging 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in his previous three compared to 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in the first three games. He's worth a stab at this rate, and arguably a better play than Westbrook and perhaps Eric Gordon ($5,800). numberFire's model projects RoCo to record 14.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in Game 7.

Center

Brook Lopez ($5,500) -- Lopez outscored Giannis this past game, dropping 24 points on the Heat. Lopez was even connecting from deep, 4-of-6 on the night (66.7%), but only managed a single rebound. He kept to the perimeter to stretch the Heat defense out for Giannis and Middleton, and in Game 2, they'll likely continue that, but hope for much more success from Giannis offensively. Lopez is a reliable stream if you're going to pass on my next DFS pick, but his ceiling is usually 30 fantasy points per night, on a good night.

Bam Adebayo ($7,900) -- Adebayo, once again, did a little bit of everything versus the Bucks. He double-doubled with 12 points and 17 rebounds -- plus added 6 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes. Versus the Indiana Pacers, he took advantage of a soft interior and averaged 15.0 points and 11.3 rebounds in the first round. I see a lot more of that in the second round as well. Adebayo has now double-doubled in 3-of-4 meetings with Milwaukee, and if he's playing 34.3 minutes per game as he did in the first round, he's almost sure to walk that fine line each night with a double-double. numberFire's model backs that with 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 33 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.