The first two games of the 2023 NBA play-in tournament came to a close on Tuesday. The Atlanta Hawks breezed by the Miami Heat before the Los Angeles Lakers squeaked by the the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wednesday will feature the second two-game sate of the postseason, and we've identified standout DFS plays to target for each team that's playing here. Take a look at who seems poised to star in their roles ahead of tip-off.
Chicago Bulls
The Toronto Raptors' length has bothered DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine quite a bit this season. DeRozan has averaged a mere 14.0 points against his old team this campaign despite logging nearly 36 minutes per contest across three meetings. LaVine, on the other hand, is hovering around his season averages against his team's Eastern Conference rivals. The Raptors did turn things around by bringing in Jakob Poeltl to start at center, but Vucevic has tallied at least 21 points in four of his six meetings with the former San Antonio Spur since joining the Bulls from the Orlando Magic. Chicago will likely stay away from playing Andre Drummond too much against Toronto's mobile reserve centers, so a hefty double-double seems likely for Vucevic.
Toronto Raptors
VanVleet boasts 2022-23 averages of 20.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds against the Bulls despite scoring three points on 1-for-11 shooting the last time he faced them. Few teams keep their rotations as short as Nick Nurse, and Toronto's point guard is sure to get a ton of exposure with unproven players like Malaki Flynn and Jeff Dowtin Jr. backing him up. VanVleet's logged at least 41 minutes in seven of his previous 10 playoff games.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The basketball world will be shocked if SGA doesn't dominate the New Orleans Pelicans again. The Thunder standout has faced New Orleans four times this season. He posted 33.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in those contests. SGA tallied at least 31 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in each of the road matchups. He has a good chance to finish as the highest scorer in the slate, but finding the right value elsewhere might let you get away with not rostering him.
New Orleans Pelicans
Brandon Ingram has been on a tear since February and has averaged 27.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.4 rebounds over his previous 18 games. However, his backcourt partner might be a little more enticing because of his price. McCollum is averaging 21.5 points, 9.5 assists, and 6.5 rebounds against the Thunder. The Pelicans will have to lean on him heavily with Jose Alvarado out for at least another two weeks.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We'll identified some great trios to stack ahead of the action. You can get those plays by heading over to SportsLine.
