Welcome to the Tuesday edition of FanDuel NBA lineup advice from the bubble. As the calendar turns to September, the NBA playoffs keep rolling along. We once again have just two games on today’s slate; the Celtics face off against the Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Nuggets take on the Jazz in Game 7 of their series. Let’s dive in.

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Value Plays: Point Guard

 
Conley has been a model of consistency since entering the series against Denver in Game 3 and is easily the cheapest starting point guard on the slate today. He doesn’t come with the high ceiling of the three more expensive point guard options, but he arguably has the safest floor.

It’s been a few weeks since Morris has had a big game, but the potential is there for him on a nightly basis. Though his teammate Jamal Murray is the top point guard on the slate, Morris remains starting alongside him and will see enough minutes in Game 7 to rack up a solid stat line.

Shooting Guard

 
Smart opened the series against Toronto with an efficient 32.2 FD points in just 30 minutes of play, and you can roster him for a reasonable price relative to other options at the position today. If the game stays close, he could see even more time on the court and fill up multiple categories in the box score.

Clarkson has put up at least 22.8 FD points and averaged 26.9 FD points through six games in the series against Denver. He probably won’t win you a tournament, but his combination of value and safety makes him a great target on a small slate like this.

Small Forward

 
Since entering the starting lineup in Game 4, Grant has averaged over 36 minutes of play. It hasn’t translated to overwhelming DFS lines yet, but he has a better chance than most to hit 5X value on today’s slate.

Joe Ingles ends up on my list of value players more often than anybody else. He’s had an up and down series so far but can quickly get hot from deep and blow his salary out of the water. He’s also the cheapest viable player at the position today. 

Power Forward

 
Theis is coming off his best performance so far in the bubble in Game 1 Sunday. He’s played at least 25 minutes in three straight games and will continue to see the bulk of the work down low for Boston.

Royce O’Neal doesn’t have high usage for the Jazz, but he’s on the court enough that he can always find his way to DFS value. He’s hit at least 5X value in two games of the series so far, and while he won’t single-handily put your lineup over the top, he also won’t tank it.

Center

 
There isn’t much value to be had at the center tonight, but if you choose to pay down at the position, Gasol has the potential to pay off that risk. His ability to contribute to every statistical category gives him the chance to outplay his salary every night.

If you want to live on the edge, you can take a shot all the way down on Robert Williams at center. He is coming off 27 FD points in 18 minutes in Game 1 and has flashed other big games in the bubble, but he also combined for just 2.2 FD points in the final three games of the 76ers series.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

Nikola Jokic (DEN) $9,800: Rarely, the most expensive player on a slate comes in under $10,000, but that’s the case with Jokic tonight. He’s averaged nearly 45 FD points against the Jazz in the series and has only disappointed once in the six games so far.

Jamal Murray (DEN) $9,400: Murray has topped 60 FD points in each of his last three games, which should be reason enough to slot him into your lineup at point guard. It’s expensive, but you can stack him with Jokic as the two have a tendency to assist each other frequently.

Jayson Tatum (BOS) $9,000: Tatum is another player that’s been up and down in the bubble, but he’s worth the high price today, given the other options available on the slate. No additional power forward has either the safe floor or the high ceiling that Tatum carries.

Pascal Siakam (TOR) $8,200: Much like Tatum, Siakam is head and shoulders above the other options at his position today. He had a sub-par Game 1, which may keep his ownership lower than it should be, but he should bounce back in Game 2 and easily be the highest-scoring small forward on the slate.

Fred VanVleet (TOR) $7,600: VanVleet shot the ball uncharacteristically poorly in Game 1 and was still able to produce 44.8 FD points. He isn’t likely to repeat the six steal performance, but he’s all but guaranteed to shoot better than 19% from the field. 

5 Notable Players to Fade

Kemba Walker (BOS) $7,800: Walker isn’t the worst play on the slate, but there are enough other options at the position today that I can’t justify paying the price for the Celtics inconsistent point guard. 

Kyle Lowry (TOR) $7,500: Much like Walker, Lowry isn’t a must avoid. He does carry some additional risk as he may still be feeling some ill effects from the ankle he injured in the closeout game against Brooklyn.

Serge Ibaka (TOR) $6,500: Ibaka had a down game against Boston in the opener of the series and hasn’t been a fair fantasy play against them this season. He’s averaged just under 23 minutes per game against the Celtics, compared to the 27 he’s averaged on the season.

Jaylen Brown (BOS) $6,300: Brown’s price seems a bit high considering his recent fantasy performances. He’s only averaged 27.8 FD points over his last four games.

Michael Porter (DEN) $5,400: Despite his big games early in the reboot, Porter has become completely unplayable. Head coach Michael Malone doesn’t trust the young forward in the meaningful playoff games, which will only be amplified in Game 7.

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Aaron Larson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @aalarson.