Fantasy Basketball 2021: Daily Fantasy Advice for Bucks vs. Hawks
Khris Middleton's breakout performance in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals opened up another possible daily fantasy strategy for Tuesday's Game 4.
Prior to Game 3, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young were the only two true candidates to fill the MVP role (2x points) in FanDuel's single-game contest because of their output.
Middleton's 38-point outing in Atlanta should make you think about rostering him in the top position because he has been shooting at a high volume.
No matter which way you utilize Middleton, you should pair him with one of the other two stars of the series because you will have $30,000 left in salary to fill the other three roster spots.
With some consistent trends evident from the first three games, a value play, like Danilo Gallinari, could be the perfect complement to Middleton, Antetokounmpo and Young since he has the lowest salary of any reliable contributor in the series.
Consider Khris Middleton for MVP Role
Middleton starred in Game 3 against Atlanta with his best single-game playoff point total.
The Bucks small forward used a similar performance in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets to become a larger contributor in the series.
Middleton posted 35 points in the Game 3 victory over the Nets, and he went on to record three more performances with 23 or more points.
Sunday's showing could be a springboard for Middleton to play a larger role in the series alongside Antetokounmpo and Young.
Middleton is one of three true options for the MVP role in Tuesday's FanDuel contest, and he may have the lowest usage percentage in that role because the two superstars in the series are so popular.
Middleton is third in the series in field-goal attempts and made field goals. He is fourth in total rebounds and he is tied with Antetokounpo with 19 assists.
Even if he scores around 25-30 points in Game 4, Middleton should be a useful MVP option because of the rebounds and assists he has added in each contest.
Put Trust in Danilo Gallinari as Value Play
Gallinari is Atlanta's third-highest scorer in the series.
At $9,500, Gallinari has the most potential to be a top value play because of the scoring role he filled with Bogdan Bogdanovic still working his way back from a knee injury.
Gallinari averaged 13 points per game to start the series, which is a higher total than both Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter, who were Atlanta's top three-point shooters in the first two rounds.
Gallinari shot over 50 percent from the field and reached double figures in Games 2 and 3, which is much more than the other options below $10,000 can brag about.
Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and P.J. Tucker have made some important plays, but none of them are close to Gallinari's scoring average.
Gallinari will not get you an abundance of points, but he could earn you the 15-20 points necessary to boost you into the prize-winning positions alongside the high-salary players.
Bogdanovic is the only other player worth taking below $10,000, but he has 20 points in three games and may not be trusted until he proves his knee is not affecting his shooting form.
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Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
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