This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
All of the available Sunday contests on DraftKings are two-day contests that include the games on Monday. With the playoffs field whittled down to four teams, the two-day contests should assure that daily gamers have plenty of options for each lineup slot. Keep in mind that substitutions can be made up until the tip-off of each individual NBA game on DraftKings, meaning you won't be locked into any Monday players that you choose Sunday.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers: The Heat overcame the Bobcats and the Nets with relative ease, and it's hard to imagine them not being able to do the same when they take on the struggling Pacers. Of course, these two teams already met four times during the regular season, and Miami held Indianapolis to an average of just 88.5 points per game. Miami has often struggled defending legitimate big men in the post, but luckily for them, Roy Hibbert has limped his way through the playoffs and may not be the same threat that he was in the Eastern Conference finals last season.
Offenses to Use
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs: The Thunder are in a dire situation with Serge Ibaka (calf) expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs, but that doesn't change the fact that they were able to sweep the Spurs during the regular season while averaging 106 points per game. The loss of Ibaka certainly poses problems from a defensive perspective, but he only reached the 20-point benchmark once in the playoffs and averaged just 7.3 points during the Thunder's final three contests against the Clippers. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson still posses the ability to come out firing in Game 1 and reach that same 106 points per game average that they posted during the regular season.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: None
Second game of a back-to-back: None
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
If you've never played on DraftKings.com before, we recommend reading our Daily Fantasy Basketball 101: How to Win on DraftKings strategy article.
Point Guard
Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, MIA ($7,400): Consider all the games that Wade sat out during the regular season for rest and recurring injuries to his knees; they were all in preparation for Sunday's Eastern Conference finals. He's been monitored and held back throughout the year but should be set loose against the Pacers. Most importantly, he faced them three times already this season and averaged 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.3 blocks. Wade hasn't been the spectacular player of old, but his price tag reflects that, and he should be an easy fit into anyone's lineup.
Other suggestions: Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC ($10,100)
Shooting Guard
Reggie Jackson, PG/SG, OKC ($4,400): Despite the obvious position difference, Jackson will play a major role in compensating for the loss of Serge Ibaka. He's shown flashes of his scoring ability throughout the playoffs and averaged 21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in four regular season games against the Spurs. Although these numbers are partially influenced by the time that he spent as a starter when Russell Westbrook was sidelined with a knee injury, Jackson's listing price is a dream considering his proven success against the Spurs.
Other suggestions: Kawhi Leonard, SG/SF, SAN ($7,200)
Small Forward
Paul George, SG/SF, IND ($8,800): The most important thing to know about George is that his price tag is incredibly reasonable seeing that averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals against the Heat during the regular season. On top of that, he made 11 three-pointers over those four contests. At times it can be hard to predict what players will show up before a series begins, but George is a great candidate to come out combating the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on Sunday.
Other suggestions: Lance Stephenson, SG/SF, IND ($6,700)
Power Forward
David West, PF, IND ($6,500): West has remained consistent through the Pacers' ups and downs. He's been proven to be a reliable option, not only for his team, but for daily games purposes throughout the playoffs. This also held true during his four games against the Heat this season. In those contests, he averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks per contest. The 33-year-old scored 29 points to clinch the Washington series.
Other suggestions: Tim Duncan, PF/C, SAN ($7,600)
Center
Nick Collison, PF/C, OKC ($3,100): The loss of Serge Ibaka will certainly create more playing time for Collison and the rookie Steven Adams. Both of these players come into Monday at a very low price, but it's hard to surmise which one stands the better chance to play big minutes. While it's true that Adams was able to record a double-double in 40 minutes of action against the Clippers in Game 6, he almost never spends time on the court with Kendrick Perkins who will start Game 1 against the Spurs. This will likely benefit Collison because he plays the power forward position with ease. It's important to note, however, that Collison won't likely have a world-beater type of game, but he certainly offers an intriguing points-per-dollar ratio.
Other suggestions: Steven Adams, C, OKC ($4,300)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Serge Ibaka (calf) suffered a Grade 2 calf strain and will not return to any part of the 2014 playoffs.
Andrew Bynum (knee) will miss the rest of the Pacers' playoff run and will not be with the team.
Game-Time Decision
Tony Parker (hamstring) practiced Sunday and will play in Game 1 on Monday.
