5 Stats to Know: NBA DFS July 3

Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals was played without both Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo as a battle of the superstar-less teams, with the Bucks pulling off a dominant win at home. Now with a 3-2 series lead, they head back to Atlanta for Game 6 without Antetokounmpo once again, looking to punch their ticket to the finals.

The format of this article is simple. I present five facts that jumped off the page while diving into the day’s NBA DFS slate, as these should help you condense your player pool and build your lineups.

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1. All five of the Bucks starters in Game 5 had at least 13 rebounding chances.

They were led by Khris Middleton (18) and P.J. Tucker (18), followed by Bobby Portis (15), Brook Lopez (13) and Jrue Holiday (13). All five of these numbers are well above each player’s respective season averages and we should see the same starting five in Game 6 with Antetokounmpo listed as doubtful, giving them all a heightened peripheral floor for a second consecutive game.

2. In addition to his 13 rebounding chances, Brook Lopez shot 90.9% (10-11) inside the restricted area.

The 11 field goal attempts inside the restricted area were a pleasant surprise, as he averaged only 2.7 field goal attempts per game in the restricted area during the regular season. With Antetokounmpo off of the court, it’s easy for Lopez to clog the lane as not only the biggest player on the team but the worst three-point shooter on the court (and still an admirable one), a luxury the Bucks don’t have when Giannis is on the court. Expect a similar game plan in Game 6.

3. Bobby Portis led the Bucks in usage rate (25.3%) in Game 5.

Game 5 was surely the Bobby show, as he heard chants from the Milwaukee crowd of “Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!” the entire game, and it was certainly deserved. Portis played 35 minutes en route to 22 points, eight rebounds, and a trio of assists on 9-20 from the field. He’s still only $6,200 on the showdown slate, making him a near lock and one of the best captain plays on the slate.

4. In two games without Trae Young this series, Bogdan Bogdanovic has led the team with 69.5 touches per game.

Those 69.5 touches are a 22.5-touch increase over his regular season average, as Bogdanovic has emerged as the best offensive option in Young’s absence. Most of his production has continued to come from deep, as he’s gone 13-30 from three over the last two games, but that also offers a bit of a bonus on a site like DraftKings that rewards three-point production.

5. Speaking of benefiting without Young, Cam Reddish has averaged 23 minutes per game over his last two games, while posting 23.62 DK points per game.

His per-minute production is as great as you can ask for given the fact that he’s only a few games removed from a three-month layoff, and he’s contributed in literally every statistical category in both games. While the potential return of Young may be a nail in the coffin of his playing time, he’s certainly proven he belongs in this rotation regardless.