NBA DFS Picks: Joel Embiid Returns to Keep 76ers Rolling (May 3)

Wednesday’s NBA action is back to a single-game slate as the Celtics host the 76ers, who are coming off a surprising Game 1 victory. Contests lock at 8:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, including Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and more.

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NBA DFS Picks Today: Wednesday, May 3

Core Play of the Day — Joel Embiid: Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics

Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 49.89 | FanDuel: 49.33
Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 64.2% | FanDuel: 47.3%
DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,000 | FanDuel: $16,500

On Monday, the 76ers pulled off a surprising victory in Boston without Joel Embiid. Tonight Embiid should be back in action, and there is a chance that Philadelphia could catch lightning in a bottle for a second game and bank another victory.

In four games against the Celtics this season, Embiid averaged 38.5 minutes, 36.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 combined blocks and steals. Al Horford played in three of these matchups, and Robert Williams was available for only one. In the game with both of the C’s big men, Embiid rolled up 41 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. The regular season and the playoffs are quite different, and now it is Embiid who is dinged up instead of Williams, but it is still good to see that the newly minute MVP has performed in a dominant fashion against this opponent multiple times on the season.

Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers

Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 52.81 | FanDuel: 50.37
Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 70.4% | FanDuel: 52.4%
DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,400 | FanDuel: $17,000

It has been 48 hours since the Celtics dropped a very winnable game in front of the Boston faithful. Hopefully the team has stewed about this and is ready to reverse course and make sure they tie the series before it resumes in Philly on Friday.

Tatum did everything but deliver the victory, recording 39 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. Philadelphia converted 17 of 38 (44.7%) 3-point attempts, compared to Boston, who was still above average, converting 10 of 26 (38.5%). However, that discrepancy, plus one mental gaff by the C’s at the end of the game, cost them dearly.

James Harden: Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics

Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 43.01 | FanDuel: 41.22
Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 51.7% | FanDuel: 44.1%
DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,200 | FanDuel: $16,000

James Harden had a career playoff high of 45 points as well as nailing the go-ahead 3-pointer with just under 10 seconds remaining in Game 1. Now that Embiid is back, Harden will not need to take 30 field goal attempts, but he should be brimming with confidence after his sublime performance on Monday.

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Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities

Options are limited tonight, and there are very few player props with positive expected ROIs. Looking to Harden and his points prop of 21.5 on BetMGM is at least at a neutral ROI, with -125 odds.

NBA Bet Pro currently has Harden projected for 38.4 minutes and 18.44 points. The strategy behind this wager would be that Harden returns to his role as the primary facilitator and stays below the 22 points needed to surpass tonight’s milestone. NBA Bet Pro estimates there is a 58% probability that Harden scores 21 or fewer points tonight.

Did you know that you can get two free months of Stokastic+ Platinum for signing up and making your first bet at BetMGM? Claim here today!

Discount Dandies

If Marcus Smart (chest) is out, things will get spicy for the Celtics bench players. His absence would likely lead to a trickledown effect of doubling the four minutes that Sam Hauser and Grant Williams each saw in Game 1. It would also boost the prospects of Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon, who would absorb most of the playing time. In all probability, Smart is going to play, which all but eliminates Hauser and Williams, who would need foul trouble, mop-up duty or an injury to see much action.

For Philadelphia, the return of Embiid likely curtails double-digit minutes for Paul Reed, Georges Niang and Jalen McDaniels. However, they are all better options than their Celtic counterparts, assuming Smart is suited up. This is because we have no idea what sort of wonky rotation coach Glenn Rivers is going to concoct on a game-to-game basis if he gets caught up in a mood.

Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today

Tonight we should see Joel Embiid make his series debut and potentially lead the Sixers to a 2-0 advantage over the Celtics.

Be sure to let us do the heavy lifting for you by tuning into the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock show at 7:00 p.m. ET on YouTube, brought to you by PrizePicks — new customers sign up by going through this link and receive 30 days of Stokastic+ Premium an initial deposit match up to $100.

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Author

Eric MacPherson

Eric "EMac" MacPherson won the 2007 Fantasy Baseball grand prize (trip for two to the MLB All-Star game) in the Roto format on ESPN. He won again in 2008, this time in the H2H format. As one of the early adopters of daily fantasy sports, EMac has been providing content for baseball and basketball as well as both professional and college football since 2012 for a variety of websites including DraftKings Playbook, FanVice, RotoWorld, Daily Fantasy Bootcamp, and RotoGrinders. He is well into his third decade of fantasy sports and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Follow him on Twitter @EMacDFS or contact EMac by emailing [email protected].