This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The Celtics will look to take a 2-0 series lead against the Cavaliers with a win Tuesday after blowing them out in Game 1. DraftKings has their Showdown contest available once again, so let's take a look at some players across the price scale who can hopefully help you finish with a winning entry.
Expensive
LeBron James, CLE ($18,000): James scored 37.8 DraftKings points in a Game 1, which is a horrible performance by his standards. He still chipped in seven rebounds and nine assists, but was just 5-for-16 from the field and committed seven turnovers. While the Celtics are a very good defensive team, it's not often you see James struggle that much. Expect him to rebound with a better performance Tuesday and have the highest upside of anyone taking the floor.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($10,800): Brown was only needed to play 28 minutes Sunday, but he still finished with 39 DraftKings points. He's been one of the main focal points of the Celtics' offense with Kyrie Irving (knee) out and continued that trend by scoring 23 points on 16 shot attempts in Game 1. He won't provide many assists, but when you combine his scoring with his rebounds and defensive stats, he could very well have another valuable performance.
Middle-priced
Marcus Smart, BOS ($8,500): Smart struggled offensively Sunday, shooting 4-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-5 from behind the arc. He still provided six assists and a steal though despite playing only 25 minutes due to the blowout nature of the game. His scoring upside is never going to be off the charts, but he's an extremely important part of their defense and has a high minute's floor even in a bench role, making him a viable option to consider.
Marcus Morris, BOS ($7,100): Everything came up roses for Morris in the first game of this series. After talking up his ability to defend James before the series, he at least helped keep him quiet Sunday. On top of that, Morris posted a double-double on his way to 36 DraftKings points. While it may be hard for Morris to hold James in check and score 21 points again Tuesday, he will likely get enough playing time and be involved enough offensively to warrant this price tag.
Discount
Tristan Thompson, CLE ($4,800): Thompson came off the bench in Game 1, but finished with eight points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. Since the Cavaliers struggled so mightily, it is expected they will make a lineup change and start Thompson on Tuesday. Thompson has played well when given extended playing time during the playoffs, scoring at least 22.8 DraftKings points in all three games that he logged at least 20 minutes. The price is right to take a chance on him in tournament play if he does indeed start.
Jeff Green, CLE ($3,600): The Cavaliers bad performance led to a lot of ugly stat lines, including Green's, finishing with only 8.8 DraftKings points. He scored at least 15.5 DraftKings points in all four games against the Raptors, playing at least 20 minutes in three of those contests. His upside isn't very high, but he could provide value at this cheap price if he can at least match the production he was providing against the Raptors.
