Six teams are set to take place in Game 3's of their first-round series on Thursday. Two teams are in danger of going down 3-0 and facing sweeps, while the final matchup of the night is even ahead of the weekend. There are plenty of edges to be found in Daily Fantasy and betting, so we've gone over three things to watch alongside a DFS play ahead of lock here.
The Nets' return to the Barclays Center
The Brooklyn Nets are one of several teams down 0-2 in their first-round series this year but can turn things around back in New York on Thursday. While the Eastern Conference squad shipped out Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the regular season, their replacements have thrived in the Barclays Center. Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are off to strong starts, but Dinwiddie is still struggling to get going. His home numbers have been very good since leaving the Dallas Mavericks, and he could be a strong pivot from a Philadelphia 76ers stud in single-game or classic competitions.
Also: Dinwiddie is averaging 17.2 points, 9.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds at home as a Net this season.
The Kings' offensive outlook vs. shorthanded Warriors
The league's first-ever Clutch Player of the Year has looked like the best player in the Warriors-Kings series so far, and his team's dynamic offense could be in for more success on Thursday. Draymond Green has been suspended for one game following an altercation with Domantas Sabonis while Andrew Wiggins is now questionable with a shoulder injury after ending a 25-game layoff with an appearance in Game 1 of the first-round series. The Dubs' could be in serious trouble with their two most versatile and skilled defenders as they'll face the league's top scoring offense in Game 3. Fox should be a premier stud in all competitions on Thursday after averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.5 steals in Games 1 and 2. His supporting case should be prioritized in stacks as well against the Warriors' abysmal defense.
Also: Malik Monk is averaging 20.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists against the Warriors in all competitions this year (five games).
What to expect from the Kawhi-less Clippers
I touched on Leonard's resurgence as a Fantasy basketball elite and he improved upon his first 2023 playoff performance in Game 2 by amassing 31 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 39 minutes. However, the Clippers star has been ruled out for Thursday after carrying his team. Westbrook appears to be the biggest beneficiary after going for 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists his last time out, but we can't ignore the likes of Eric Gordon and Norman Powell as strong value options. It's probably best to save some room for cheap players later on for when the Clippers announce who'll they'll start for Game 3.
Also: Gordon and Powell are both averaging at least 14.0 points as starters without Kawhi Leonard this season.
Monday DFS play
Harris has scored fewer points per game since his 2015-16 season with the Orlando Magic, but he's come back to life after months of inconsistency. The 76ers forward has become Mr. Reliable thanks to the Nets' relentless double teams of Joel Embiid and has averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his previous two outings on 30.7 minutes a night. The New York native has made the most of his looks, knocking down 60.7 percent of his field goals despite shooting 14 shots per game. He's still relatively underpriced ahead of Game 3 and Fantasy managers should take advantage of that.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We'll identified some great trios to stack ahead of the action. You can get those plays by heading over to SportsLine.
