Usually, when the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers meet up to play, they’re fighting for the top of the division or the conference. At the moment, though, Philadelphia is struggling to stay relevant in the East. The good news for Philly fans is that star player Joel Embiid will be taking the court tonight. This will definitely have a big effect on the game, as certain players will be expected to do better in terms of DFS with Embiid on the court.
Celtics at 76ers Start Em’
Kelly Oubre Jr. (Draft Kings Price 6.3K, FanDuel Price 6.7K)
Oubre Jr. finally got a decent chunk of playing time in the 76ers’ game against the Brooklyn Nets, and he didn’t fail to impress. He scored 30 points while shooting 66% from three. Oubre Jr. has some nice moves to the basket that are very tough to defend. He will be the only player that Boston will have real difficulty trying to control in the game outside of Embiid.
Jaylen Brown (Draft Kings Price 8K, FanDuel Price 8.1K)
Brown’s production has been a little more fluid compared to the other superstar in Boston, Jayson Tatum. Brown can have an off game here and there, but this upcoming game should be a good one for Brown. No defender on Philadelphia can really match up well with him, so his only concern would be getting enough shots in when Tatum demands such a high volume.
Joel Embiid (Draft Kings Price 9.9K, FanDuel Price 10.7K)
Embiid is a tad bit expensive even after the injury. Given the way the 76ers have played in his absence, though, Embiid will be looking to take quite a lot of shots tonight. Yes, Boston does have a good frontcourt defense, but Embiid has shown time and time again that he can still produce a strong defensive matchup.
Celtics at 76ers Sit Em
Tyrese Maxey (Draft Kings Price 9.6K, FanDuel Price 9.8K)
It is uncertain at the moment whether or not Maxey is playing. If he does, though, he will be coming back from a knee injury being defended by Jru Holiday. This isn’t a formula for success to be exact. That being said, keep Maxey’s name in mind, because once he is 100% healthy, he should be a start in just about every game he plays.
Jru Holiday (Draft Kings Price 4.4K, FanDuel Price 5.1K)
While his defense can always be counted on, Holiday has had a rough stretch of games where his offensive production has faltered. Holiday’s game-high score in the last five games has been 9 points. It isn’t completely his fault, seeing as though he is on a team with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, but it does mean Holiday should be a sit for DFS purposes.
Paul George (Draft Kings Price 7.3K, FanDuel Price 7.4K)
Speaking of really good players who have had a rough patch in recent games, we have Paul George. It really is just the month of February that hasn’t been kind to George; he hasn’t scored more than 14 points throughout the month. This is likely an anomaly, and he should be back to his winning ways soon, but he likely needs some of his teammates to come back from injury to take the pressure off him.
Celtics at 76ers Lock
Jayson Tatum (Draft Kings Price 10K, FanDuel Price 10.4K)
Tatum is coming back from All-Star Weekend, where he was lauded as one of the best players in the East. It’s hard to see this crippled 76ers lineup doing anything to stop him at this point. He can always create his own shot if he can’t work through the normal half-court offense. Teams also can’t double-team him because it just leaves Jalen Brown or Derrick White open.
Celtics at 76ers Fade
Andre Drummond (Draft Kings Price 4.5K, FanDuel Price 5.2K)
It’s a shame that Drummond can’t match the production of his Detroit Piston days. The fact of the matter is Drummond doesn’t see enough minutes to score like he used to. He also won’t likely be able to work on the low block with Al Horford waiting to guard him. With the abundance of big men that can shoot in today’s NBA, there is almost no reason to start Andre Drummond for DFS.
