Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Friday night's NBA playoff action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and Joe Kaiser, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Kyle Soppe -- Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
With Tony Parker on the shelf, the Spurs are likely to up Leonard's usage rate (he ranked 12th in usage this season), and that's enough for me with the Spurs understanding that they need to win at least one of these games in Houston. That puts him on triple-double watch in this one, as he opened this series with 14 assists (the first time all season he had at least six dimes in consecutive games) and the Rockets haven't shown much of the ability to slow him down. That said, San Antonio can't really slow down Houston either, so the points are going to be needed. Forget the top value, I like Leonard to be the leading DFS scorer outright this evening.
Joe Kaiser -- Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs
Seeing the expressionless face of Parker while lying on the court clutching his knee is a memory I won't forget. He knew right then and there that his season was over. The absence of Parker will give Mills a chance to play extended minutes, and Mills has the scoring ability to take advantage of extra time on the court. He is shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point land during the postseason and is a steal at the price he's at on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Renee Miller -- Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Win or lose, Leonard has been a constant positive for the Spurs on both sides of the ball. You know the stats: the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate who averaged almost 30 points per game!? On these two-game slates, LeBron James and James Harden have dominated the building blocks, but Leonard has been tough to ignore. There's a significant discount on FanDuel, and while the game shifts to Houston tonight, I think the Spurs will do everything in their power to maintain momentum. The injury to Parker is a big deal, and Leonard is the best bet to pick up a couple of extra points and assists in his absence.
Players to fade
Kyle Soppe -- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
He has only one double-double this postseason and, to be honest, I haven't been all that impressed with him against the Raptors in the first two games of this series. Patrick Patterson and Serge Ibaka are a tough matchup, and with the Raptors ranking as the eighth-best rebounding team in the league, Love's ceiling simply isn't that high. His floor, however, is reasonably low when you consider that he is not on the team playing with desperation and that his shooting percentage dropped nearly six points on the road this season. Give me Ibaka or a Rockets shooter instead of Love tonight when it comes to value.
Joe Kaiser -- Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors
Jonas exploded for 23 points and five rebounds in the Game 2 loss to Cleveland, but here's the thing: He is averaging just 20.9 minutes a game in the postseason and is coming off the bench now as the Raptors play the matchup game against Cleveland and go small. Recency bias and the low salary are two factors that could draw you in, especially with the series heading to Toronto in Game 3, but don't fall for the trap.
Renee Miller -- DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
I've tried to limit my DeRozan fading, but he appears in this space quite often lately. It's just impossible to trust him right now. His home/road splits are nearly equal, so I don't put too much weight on the series moving to Toronto tonight. Cleveland is firmly in charge of this series so far, and DeRozan's poor shooting in the last game --18 percent from the field, 1-of-3 free throws -- could continue to haunt him (hopefully not). The thing is, he doesn't provide enough in the way of peripheral stats to compensate for a poor shooting night. The Cavs aren't letting DeRozan take 25 shots, which is what he's needed to exceed value in the 2017 playoffs. If you don't spend up on Harden, there are a couple of viable cheaper SG options below DeRozan I'd prefer tonight.
