After a day off Thursday, the play-in tournament resumes Friday. There’s the matchup between the Hawks and Cavs in Cleveland. As good as Atlanta looked while dispatching Charlotte, that was at home and they’ve been excellent there all season. But on the road, they struggled to a 16-25 record. The nightcap will feature the Clippers hosting the Pelicans. LA lists similar splits to Atlanta with a 25-16 mark at home and 17-24 on the road. As far as DFS goes, we don’t have a lot of viable options with only two games. With that being said, here are some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Paul George, LAC vs. NO ($41): The Clippers couldn’t get past the Timberwolves on Tuesday, but it wasn’t George’s fault as he finished with 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Beyond those numbers, he logged 41 minutes, took 24 shots from the field and attempted 11 free throws. With the Clippers looking to stay alive, expect George to once again play all of the minutes he can handle while jacking up plenty of shots.
Kevin Huerter, ATL at CLE ($16): John Collins (finger) isn’t ready to return yet, which puts even more pressure on the Hawks’ secondary players to support Trae Young. Although Huerter didn’t bost gaudy scoring numbers against the Hornets, he contributed enough across the board to produce 27.0 Yahoo points over 30 minutes. He’s now scored at least that many Y! in seven of his last 10 games.
Guard to Avoid
Reggie Jackson, LAC vs. NO ($23): Jackson’s 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Timberwolves wasn’t bad, but he also managed five turnovers and shot just 7-for-18 from the field. He was also 39.2 percent shooting during the regular season, so his lack of efficiency in that game wasn’t anything new. Since Jackson’s salary doesn’t come as much of a discount, he’s a risky option.
FORWARDS
Evan Mobley, CLE vs. ATL ($27): The Cavs have relied heavily on their star rookie all season and they’ll needed him even more down the stretch with Jarrett Allen (finger) sidelined. He’s posted at least 33.4 Yahoo points in all three games since returning from an injury and should continue to offer a high floor, even though Allen will reportedly attempt to return tonight.
Kevin Love, CLE vs. ATL ($19): Love is one of the few Cleveland players with significant playoff experience. Added playing time has also opened up with Allen out, which contributed to him logging 29 minutes Tuesday against the Nets. And Love didn’t disappoint with 14 points, 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal. The possible return of Allen would take away opportunities, but Love’s salary is still low enough to at least have him on your radar.
Forward to Avoid
Terance Mann, LAC vs. NO ($20): The Clippers are the healthiest they’ve been in awhile with George and Norman Powell back in action. Despite averaging 29 minutes per game during the regular season, Mann only saw 15 minutes against the Timberwolves with 14.9 Yahoo points in the process. With George and Powell healthy, he could be once again receive limited playing time.
CENTERS
Jonas Valanciunas, NO at LAC ($28): Valanciunas is a walking double-double. That makes him a tough matchup for the Clippers, who allowed the eighth-most rebounds per game during the regular season. Across four meetings with them, Valanciunas provided averaged 22.8 points and 13.3 rebounds.
Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. NO ($17): Trying to slow down Valanciunas will be Zubac, who ended the regular season with four straight double-doubles. He also set career-highs in points (10.3) and rebounds (8.5) per game, though he still only averaged 24 minutes per game. There is some risk Zubac gets into foul trouble, but his salary is reasonable and he’s considering if you want to fade Valanciunas.
Center to Avoid
Isaiah Hartenstein, LAC vs. NO ($15): Despite becoming a key member of their second unit, Hartenstein only logged seven minutes against the Timberwolves. That was surprising given he’s gone at least 20 minutes in 11 of his last 12 games. Teams tend to tighten up their rotations for the playoffs, so it’s possible Hartenstein could also see reduced playing time in this matchup.
