The Celtics are one game away from advancing through the playoffs as they face off against the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero has been on fire despite the losses, but it’s been difficult to get his teammates to contribute, with a couple of exceptions. Boston, on the other hand, is dealing even without Jrue Holiday taking the court. If anyone is looking for a team with several options to start for DFS, the Celtics aren’t a bad place to start.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Start Em’
Payton Pritchard (DraftKings Price 5K, FanDuel Price 4.5K)
Not scoring in Game 4 was certainly a disappointment for Pritchard, but it would be a mistake to count him out. He only shot the ball once in his 26 minutes of playtime in Game 4. Without Holiday on the court, Pritchard will certainly have permission to shoot more in the upcoming game. He also has the handles and the jump shot to come back from that poor game and light up the scoreboard.
Paolo Banchero (DraftKings Price 9.2K, FanDuel Price 9.4K)
Banchero scored 29+ in every game of this series. Even though Boston has been playing with a big lineup (starting Porzingis and Horford at the same time), they can’t stop Banchero from getting his numbers. There are certainly other forwards that have upside for cheaper on DFS, but Banchero is a good guarantee for players who want to pay up.
Derrick White (DraftKings and Fanduel Price 7K)
With Holiday off the court, White will be getting much more playing time. In Game 4, he scored 18 points after going 2-6 from three-point land. White usually is more accurate than that, so if he can shoot the three-ball more, he most likely will end up with more points. White has that unique mixture of more playing time and the opportunity to shoot more that can make for a really productive night.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Sit Em’
Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (Draft Kings and FanDuel Price 4.3K)
Looking at Caldwell-Pope’s production in this series compared to his regular season is a pretty rough experience. In the four games of this series already played, Caldwell Pope scored six, three, zero, and eight, respectively. Talent-wise, Caldwell-Pope is way better than these numbers. Given the way he’s played this series, though, it’s really hard to see him having a big DFS night.
Al Horford (DraftKings and FanDuel Price 5.2K)
While Boston can certainly count on Horford to play defense in the paint, he likely won’t score enough to be relevant for DFS. In Game 4, Horford was the only starter for the Celtics to score in single digits. Given his role on the team, the same will likely happen in Game 5. He will still perform well for the team because of his defense, but he won’t score enough for DFS players.
Wendell Carter Jr. (DraftKings and FanDuel Price 5.3K)
In terms of offense for the Magic, Banchero has clearly been the driving force. The next man up would probably be Franz Wagner for Orlando. The rest of the team has been pretty spotty with their contributions, though, and Wendell Carter Jr. has been no different. He hit double digits in the second and third games, but not in Game 1 or Game 4. Carter Jr. can get his shot off if he finds himself in a good position, but he won’t pop off like Banchero.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Lock
Jayson Tatum (DraftKings Price 9.5K, FanDuel Price 9.7K)
Tatum may have had a slow start due to injury in this series, but scoring 36 and then scoring 37 in the third and fourth games is a really good way of telling the world you’re back. Defensively, the Magic don’t really have an answer to Tatum; he is willing to shoot with about anybody guarding him. Holiday not playing only means fewer people who can take the ball from Tatum.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Fade
Luke Kornet (Draft Kings Price 3.3K, FanDuel Price 3.7K)
With his size, Kornet may one day be one of the premier big men of the league. Unfortunately, he couldn’t score in Game 4 at all, despite playing 16 minutes. With so many shooters on Boston, it’s not like Kornet will ever need to force his shot. He is capable of scoring double digits, but his ceiling for this series really isn’t higher than that.
