Second Round Strategy

 Hey everyone!

The first round has concluded, with all series over by the end of the 6th game at the latest and all higher seeded teams moving on. We now have our four matchups locked-in. Let's examine what the DTTF strategy should be as we head into the second round of action. 

(1) Miami vs (4) Philadelphia

This series was looking like it might be a tough call, but with news that Joel Embiid is out indefinitely with a broken orbital and a mild concussion, that is probably enough to make the Miami Heat a safe bet to advance. The Embiid injury opens the door for Tobias Harris, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey even bigger focal points on offense while he is out. It also might mean Gorges Niang needs to step-in to the starting lineup, but I would suggest waiting at least one day to see how the minutes and roles are distributed to those who will need to step in for Embiid. I would suggest picking a 76er early, particularly because this series is always on the same day as Dallas vs Phoenix and you might have already used one or two Mavericks in the first round. I will probably go with Tobias Harris, but an argument could be made for any of the big remaining three.

(1) Phoenix vs (4) Dallas

Betting on the 64 win Phoenix Suns is probably the smart call here, but with the Embiid injury making Philadelphia more vulnerable you can probably give this series at least one game. Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson are cooking right now and are must-picks, and Dallas also has a variety of other role players like Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell, and Maxi Kleber who can all put up some points on the right night. I'd save Luka and Brunson for the home games and wait on some of the role players to get a gauge on how their minutes might be looking in a matchup with Phoenix. 

(2) Boston vs (3) Milwaukee

This series is a very tough call, as Boston looked dominant in the first round and Milwaukee, as defending champs, demand respect. With Middleton out, I would give the edge to Boston here, but ideally you will want to give this series a game. The challenge is that this series shares the same day in the schedule as Memphis vs Golden State, so no matter what you are going to be making a very tough call. If you want to go with a Buck early, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and Bobby Portis are all more focal points on offense with Middleton out.

(2) Memphis vs (3) Golden State

Memphis is a young team coming off a tough first round series against an equally young Timberwolves squad. The Grizzlies needed a variety of 4th quarter miracles to outlast Minnesota and move on to the second round. Golden State dispatched of Denver in impressive fashion, and their proven veteran core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green is buoyed by Jordan Poole arriving on the scene in a big way. I would say Golden State is the favourite in this series, but only slightly, due to their experience and finally having their core relatively healthy again. For this reason, I plan to pick a Grizzly player early. The Grizz are deep with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Brandon Clark. I will start at the top in Google Drive with Ja Morant, and in fantasy postseason with the round multiplier I will start closer to the end with Brandon Clark. 

May your picks bee as good as possible!