Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Wednesday night's NBA playoff action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe, Joe Kaiser, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Joe Kaiser -- Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Even in the ugly, lopsided Game 1 blowout at home, Leonard managed to put up 21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block against the Rockets. Tonight we can expect Leonard and the Spurs to give it all they have in an attempt to put Game 1's blowout in the rearview mirror and even the series before it heads to Houston. Leonard lit up the Rockets in the regular season and I expect him to be at his best Wednesday -- anything less, and this series likely gets away from the Spurs in a hurry.
Kyle Soppe -- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Overshadowed a bit in the Cavaliers' dominating Game 1 victory was that Lowry found a bit of a rhythm (7 of 13 from the field with 11 assists and 3 turnovers) against Kyrie Irving, the 79th-ranked point guard in defensive real-plus-minus this regular season. Not a mistake. Lowry can produce in this spot and given the way the Raptors' roster is constructed, he is going to get every shot to earn you fantasy points. I will be betting on both point guards in this game as opposed to going to James Harden well after his Rockets embarrassed the Spurs, as he costs 30 to 40 percent more than either Lowry or Irving and plays for a team that isn't playing with urgency after stealing Game 1.
Renee Miller -- DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
He eventually got to 50 fantasy points, but it wasn't a great game for James Harden on Monday (for example, he had only one rebound in the big win), and I think it gets worse tonight for him. On the other hand, DeRozan has proven he has as much upside as the 'big boys' of this round. My philosophy on these two-game slates is to aim for the stars and tonight I'm fading Harden in favor of DeRozan. I feel good about his potential in a plus DvP matchup vs. the Cavs to achieve the same amount of fantasy points as Harden for $3,000 to $4,000 less of the salary cap. That's the difference between centers Jakob Poeltl and Tristan Thompson on FanDuel, if you're curious what the extra salary could do for you.
Players to fade
Joe Kaiser -- Pau Gasol, San Antonio Spurs
As much as the Spurs need a total team effort to undo their wrongs from Monday's blowout loss, don't expect much more to come from Gasol. In seven playoff games this season, Gasol has only reached 20 DFS points three times and hasn't gone for over 22 DFS points in any of those games. That's a low floor and a low ceiling, which doesn't work in cash games or tournaments. Avoid Gasol tonight and for the rest of the postseason, even if the Spurs are in a position like they are tonight, desperate for a win.
Kyle Soppe -- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
Don't get me wrong, I'd guess the Spurs bounce back tonight. But are we sure that Aldridge really fits in this series? Heck, for that matter, are we sure he's a great fit on this Spurs team (from a fantasy point of view) in any matchup? In his final three seasons in Portland, he was producing a double-double once every 1.8 games, but during his first two seasons in San Antonio...once every 3.3 games. In his past four games, Aldridge has attempted just six free throws and has averaged 7.1 rebounds per 36 minutes. Not for me.
David Lee is averaging 8.2 rebounds per 36 minutes in that stretch and may be a better fit against the spread offense that the Rockets run. Even if that's not the case, I'd rather roll the dice on a Houston shooter than Aldridge tonight and both Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson will require less draft capital.
Renee Miller -- Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
This is a somewhat reactionary fade, as Ariza was huge in Monday night's series kickoff game. As the Rockets cruised to an apparently easy win against the daunting Spurs at home, Ariza took 10 3-pointers, making five of them en route to a 23-point, 4-rebound, 2-assist, 2-steal stat line. I don't expect a repeat performance there tonight, and will be using my SF spots on LeBron James and/or Kawhi Leonard, who should be even more of a force in what I expect to be a solid Spurs retaliation game.
