Best Players to Consider Picking for Round 1

 Hey everyone!

The first round gets underway today, so let's take a look at some of the players you will want to consider picking in the first round. All numbers are shown as traditional PRA (Points + Rebounds + Assists) for simplicity, but a league on Fantasy Postseason might have a few extra categories like blocks and steals. The Google Drive league started with the play-in games, which means people playing that might already be down a few players. We will only focus on players from the teams expected to be eliminated, except for a few choice matchups that feel more like a 50-50.

The Early Picks: Washington, Boston, Miami, Memphis

The top 3 teams in the East all look really good this year, and Utah has been a dominant force in the West. I would suggest picking from these series early. Although anything can happen, these are your best bets. Here are your top choices:

- Russell Westbook, WSH, 45 PRA

- Bradley Beal, WSH, 40 PRA

- Jayson Tatum, BOS, 38 PRA

- Kemba Walker, BOS, 28 PRA

- Jimmy Butler, MIA, 35 PRA

- Bam Adebayo, MIA, 33 PRA

- Jonas Valanciunas, MEM, 31 PRA

- Ja Morant, MEM, 30 PRA

Exception: If you are nervous about Kristaps Porzingis' ability to stay healthy, he would make a good first pick even though there are potentially more question marks in the Dallas vs LA Clippers series.

The Toss Ups: Dallas/LA Clippers, LA Lakers/Phoenix, Portland/Denver, Atlanta/NY Knicks

These four series have more question marks in my opinion, and it would be wise to wait them out at least one game before deciding if you want to start picking. Here are the top players on these teams, which you can dip into once you feel a bit more confident:

- Dallas: Luka Doncic, 44 PRA and Kristaps Porzingis, 31 PRA

- LA Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, 36 PRA and Paul George, 35 PRA

- LA Lakers: LeBron James, 36 PRA and Anthony Davis, 33 PRA

- Phoenix: Chris Paul, 30 PRA and Devin Booker, 34 PRA

- Portland: Damian Lillard, 41 PRA and CJ McCollum, 32 PRA

- Denver: Nikola Jokic, 46 PRA and Michael Porter Jr, 27 PRA

- Atlanta: Trae Young, 39 PRA, Clint Capella, 30 PRA, and John Collins 26 PRA

- NY Knicks: Julius Randle, 40 PRA and RJ Barrett, 26 PRA

There are certainly picks to be made outside of these big names, but these are a good starting point for anybody unsure of where to go first. Best of luck with your picks!

*Join the "DTTF Blog" group for your NBA Playoff predictions here: 

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