Round 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs has the Sixers meeting up with the Raptors and the Celtics taking on the Bucks. In this Round 2 preview we'll take a look at three tiers of players to look at if you do decide on playing these games.

How Each Team Got Here

All four of the teams still alive in the Eastern Conference looked great in their 1st round series. The Sixers and Raptors both lost their 1st game in Round 1, but rebounded to win four straight to advance.

The Celtics and Bucks both took a bit easier path to Round 2, gaining 1st round sweeps. Here's how Round 2 looks to play out from a DFS perspective:

Top Tier Players

There are a definite "Big 4" stars that headline the Eastern Conference postseason. They'll cost you, but with so much on the line in Round 2 of the playoffs, these superstars are more likely than not to deliver.

Joel Embiid (DK: $10000 FD: $11300 Y! $53)

One thing about the Eastern Conference 2nd round is that it's not very "Center Centric," meaning Joel Embiid is far and away the highest scoring big man left in that side of the bracket. Embiid got a much deserved 3 days of rest after Philadelphia's Game 5 win which will help the bum knee that caused him to miss Game 3 and be held to 24 minutes or less in 3 of 4 that he did play. Of course, the Sixers big man was still great even in limited time, raking in a 20+ point double-double in each game including a 77 point fantasy night in Game 4.

Kawhi Leonard (DK: $8300 FD: $9800 Y! $40)

It's kind of hard to evaluate the production of Kawhi Leonard in the 1st round, as Toronto won games over Orlando by margins that included 29, 22, and 19 points. Leonard still had 25+ points in 4 of 5 games and also posted 6+ rebounds in 4 of 5. Leonard had 30+ points in 2 of 3 games vs. the Sixers during the regular season and also grabbed 7+ rebounds in each.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (DK: $10200 FD: $11000 Y! $55) Ownership

Giannis Antetokounmpo might be a better value play than Embiid at $10,000+ considering at least the Bucks guard is relatively healthy. The closest effort Detroit put up in Round 1 was a 16 point loss in Game 3, so Antetokounmpo's fantasy output for that series may be on the lower side considering he played more than 30 minutes in just one game. Sure, Boston has a solid, slow-it-down defense, but Antetokounmpo went for 30+ in all three matchups during the regular season.

Kyrie Irving (DK $9000 FD$9700 Y! $43)

Kyrie Irving's performance in Game 4 vs. Indiana leaves you wondering a bit (4-13, 28 fp). And, overall, his production was a bit down in Round 1. Irving scored 20, 37, 19, and 14 points but had enough secondary output to 40, 63, and 46 fantasy points prior to Sunday's game. The Pacers do have a solid defense, so maybe things change for Irving vs. Milwaukee in Round 2. Then again, Irving averaged just 18.5 ppg over the last two games with the Bucks in the regular season.

Mid Tier Options

Khris Middleton (DK: $6500 FD: $8000 Y!: $33)

One thing you like about Khris Middleton is his consistency. His ceiling is probably 40 fantasy points, but at the same time he's also produced at least 33 fp in 6 of the last 8 games overall. Middleton had 18+ points in the last 3 of the series vs.Detroit and also had an 8 rebound and 8 assist game over that span, so he can score in a variety of ways.

Tobias Harris (DK: $6800 FD: $8300 Y!: $31)

Tobias Harris' best game of Round 1 came in Game 3, when he had 29 points and 16 rebounds. Of course, that was the game that Embiid missed. Harris also had 20 fga in Game 4 though, posting an average of 53 fantasy points in the two road games compared to 30.3 for home games. That's a good thing, as the Raptors have home court advantage in Round 2.

Pascal Siakam (DK: $7500 FD: $8600 Y! $33)

The price on Pascal Siakam is rising to upper tier status but he's still a good building block for your lineups. The Raptors PF had 3 games of 40+ fantasy points in the five game series vs. Orlando. He's been a huge part of the Toronto offense with at least 14 field goal attempts in every game of Round 1, including shooting 20+ times in two of the games. Siakam also averaged 10 rpg over the first three games of the series, which provides some good DFS scoring variance.

Jayson Tatum (DK: $6000, FD: $6700, Y! $25)

The production of Jayson Tatum in the 1st round was even more impressive considering the slow and methodical pace that all 4 of the Boston/Indiana games played out to be. Tatum averaged 20.6 ppg the last 3 of the series as well as 6.3 rpg. It's going to be a much higher paced series vs. Milwaukee, so Tatum's numbers should improve even more.

Value Plays

Boban Marjanovic (DK: $4400, FD; $5000 Y!:$10 )

It will be interesting to see how Brett Brown uses Boban Marjanovic in Round 2 vs. Toronto. The big man had some good games in Round 1 vs. the Nets, averaging 14.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg the 1st three games of the series while never once playing more than 18 minutes. Marjanovic may see extended playing time as Brown wants to reduce some wear and tear on Embiid considering the Raptors bring in the very capable Serge Ibaka to back up Marc Gasol at C.

George Hill (DK:$3900 FD:$4900 Y!: $10)

The Bucks blew out the Pistons in every game in Round 1, so somebody different off the bench stepped up nearly every night including Ersan Ilyasova, Pat Connaughton, and Nikola Mirotic. One of the better bets for consistent success in Round 2 is veteran ball handler George Hill. The point guard had 25+ fantasy points in 2 of 4 vs. Detroit and logged at least 23 minutes in 3 of 4. Hill has started 90 playoff games in his career, mostly from his time with the Spurs, Pacers, and Cavs last season, so that experience should be invaluable.

Serge Ibaka (DK: $4900 FD: $5100 Y! $19)

It was a very efficient first round for Serge Ibaka who went for double figures in 3 of the last 4 wins vs. Orlando and also grabbed 8 rebounds in 4 of 5 games overall. Ibaka didn't break 24 minutes in any of the games in the series, but Ibaka did help hold Embiid to just 10 points in their December 5th matchup. Ibaka had solid offensive nights vs. the 76ers too, with 16/8, 18/8, and 20/10 in the three games this regular season (without Gasol though).

Gordon Hayward (DK $5000, FD: $5500 Y! 19)

Was Gordon Hayward just saving everything for the postseason? Hayward did average 11.5 ppg during the regular season but had some nice outings in Round 1 vs. the Pacers including a 20 point night in the close out Game 4. His price still might be a bit high, but you can tell Brad Stevens trusts Hayward, as he's logged 28+ minutes in every game of the postseason so far.

It's playoff season and it's a great time for DFS success. For more discussion, feel free to check out Carl Taylor (@dailydogsports) on Twitter for sports betting talk and DFS news.