Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks DFS Start Em’ Sit Em’| April 8th, 2025

The Celtics and Knicks game serves as a nice late-season treat since both teams are up there with Cleveland on top of the East. The Knicks are eight games behind Boston, so it’s not like they have a great chance of catching them at the two seed, but toppling the Celtics would still be a huge confidence booster going into the playoffs. More importantly for DFS, both teams are going to have at least a few players on the court worth starting.

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks Start Em’

OG Anunoby (Draft Kings Price 6.9K, FanDuel Price 7.6K)

It may not appear as top news, but OG Anunoby is having an amazing stretch of games. The last time he scored below 23 points was in the middle of March. He is also fresh from dropping 32 against Phoenix. In terms of strategy, it’s more likely that the Celtics are going to throw Al Horford on Karl Anthony-Towns to try and lock him down, which means Anunoby might draw less attention from the defense.

Jaylen Brown (Draft Kings Price 8.7K, FanDuel Price 7.9K)

Brown has been a little streaky over this stretch of the season. He scored 31 against Phoenix, only to score 14 against Washington the next game. Things might be looking up for Brown in the Knicks game, though. Jayson Tatum is a game-time decision, and assuming he plays, he will have to test out a recently injured ankle. That won’t stop Tatum from shooting, but it means Brown might take more shots than usual. The Knicks also don’t have anybody who can stop Brown driving to the basket if he gets momentum.

Derrick White (Draft Kings Price 7.9K, FanDuel Price 7.1K)

Boston has gotten a lot of attention for their ability to hit threes, considering they’ve hit the most threes in a season recently. A big part of that has been Derrick White, who has hit over 50% from three-point range in the past two games. White will be positioned as the number one kickout option if Tatum or Brown decides to kick the ball out. Tatum, in particular, is coming back from an ankle injury, so he might feel more comfortable kicking the ball out to White for a three-pointer instead of forcing his way through the pain.

Celtics vs. Knicks Sit Em’

Karl-Anthony Towns (Draft Kings Price 9.8K, FanDuel Price 9.5K)

Towns is playing great, but this isn’t a good situation for him, in particular. The Celtics will have Al Horford shadow Towns, and Horford can still make it very difficult to score. The play of OG Anunoby has been so good has also made it to where Towns isn’t the only option in the paint. If the Knicks go down in score early, it’s more likely that Jalen Brunson will take over the offense rather than KAT.

With all of these things considered, Karl-Anthony Towns might be looking at a 15-point or something like that.

Josh Hart (Draft Kings Price 7.3K, FanDuel Price 7.9K)

Hart has been one of the most consistent player for the Knicks, but not necessarily dominant. He hasn’t scored more than twenty in a very long time, and he got shut down in two of his last five games (seven points against Phoenix and nine points against Philadelphia). He is playing a more supportive role, which is good for the team because Brunson has another shooter on his side. That doesn’t mean Hart will be a good start for DFS, however.

Jru Holiday (Draft Kings Price 6.9K, FanDuel Price 5.6K)

The fact that Tatum might play will have a big effect on Holiday’s prospects during this game. When Tatum is on the court, Holiday becomes the fourth offensive option in a lot of respects. The one exception to this is if Holiday has a really good matchup at point guard. Considering Jalen Brunson plays for the Knicks, though, that won’t be the case. Holiday will still play great defense and run the half-court offense well, he just won’t score enough for DFS.

Celtics vs. Knicks Lock

Jayson Tatum (Draft Kings Price 10.2K, FanDuel Price 10K)

The Knicks may consider moving Karl Anthony Towns to guard Tatum instead of Anunoby, just based on experience. Even if that happens, though, there is no stopping Jayson Tatum. Before the Miami game, Tatum scored over 20 points in ten straight games. While he may not be as aggressive since his ankle is healing, he will still get his numbers in, guaranteed.

Celtics vs. Knicks Fade

Xavier Tillman (Draft Kings Price 3K, FanDuel Price 3.7K)

Tillman was brought in last year to come off the bench for Horford and Porzingis. As time has gone by, though, Tillman has gotten fewer minutes. Luke Kornet is getting on the court more often so that limits Tillman’s opportunities. As a result, Tillman had seven points in the last five games. These aren’t numbers worthy of a DFS start.