Jayson Tatum and the Celtics look to bounce back in Miami for Game 2 of the East Finals.
After a Game 1 masterpiece from Miami — in which they trailed by double digits but used a third-quarter run to dominate — it was never really close after that. The Heat got a gem of a game from Jimmy Butler in that victory, and he’ll obviously be featured in this article! With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the injury report.
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Injury Report
- Robert Williams (knee) Questionable
- Kyle Lowry (hamstring) Questionable
- Marcus Smart (ankle) Probable
- Al Horford (COVID) OUT
- Max Strus (hamstring) Questionable
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Core Plays
Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $42
Tatum and Butler will be in these sections every day, and it’s easy to understand why. Both of these guys are running the show for their respective teams, with Tatum scoring at least 51 Yahoo points in five of his last six games. It’s no surprise with all the usage he’s getting, especially since he’s being asked to do more in the absence of Smart and Horford. He’s a guarantee for 40 minutes and 20 shots, making Tatum the safest option aside from our next recommendation.
Cash Game Considerations
Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $43
Butler is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now. The All-Star has scored at least 44 Yahoo points in 10 of his last 11 games, generating a 55-point average in that span. His Game 1 performance was the best of the bunch, collecting 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks. We don’t expect that to happen every night, but it’s impossible to fade the highest-scoring player on a one-game slate, particularly when they’re playing like this.
GPP Targets
Strus has been starting in Miami for a month now, and he’s essentially stolen the Duncan Robinson role. That’s led to Max averaging 23 Y! points per game across 31 minutes a night over his last 19 games played. Good luck finding that from a player in this price range, especially since Strus is averaging over 32 fantasy points per game across his last three outings. If he keeps doing that, Strus needs to be $20.
Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $13
This is risky because of the way White played in Game 1, but if Smart is sitting, White needs to be considered. The trade acquisition got the start for Smart in Game 1, playing 28 minutes. He was horrible from a fantasy perspective, but if this guy gets 30 minutes, he should be a $20 player. We say that because White averaged 33 Y! points per game in the 49 fixtures he played at least 29 minutes. If he reaches that at this price, White will be the best per-dollar play on the board.
Value Plays
Gabe Vincent (PG/SG – MIA): $11
Vincent has started nearly 35 games for Miami this season. He always fills in at point guard when Lowry is out, which looks to be the case for the foreseeable future. Vincent was vivacious in Game 1, amassing 32 Yahoo points across 33 minutes of play. He’s flirting with a 25-point average in this expanded role, and that alone would be enough from such a cheap player. If Lowry is out, use Vincent and save some salary!
Robert Williams (PF/C – BOS): $22
Williams is just too cheap right now. This guy played at a $30 level at times this season and should be asked to do more in the absence of Horford. That led to Rob-Will providing 36 Y! points across 28 minutes of action. As long as Williams is playing 30 minutes, he will produce with his elite per-minute production. He’s averaging about 1.3 Y! points per game for his career, which means all you need is 20 minutes at this rate — which seems like his floor for this shorthanded frontcourt.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
