DFS Alerts
Probable MVP of the NBA Finals
If you expect the Warriors to win another championship, it makes more sense to bet on Stephen Curry as the MVP than it does to bet the Warriors. You get much better odds and I have a hard time seeing anyone but Curry getting the MVP if they do end up winning. DeMarcus Cousins might be able to log a few minutes tonight, but he’ll be limited and Kevin Durant has already been ruled out. Curry has been a monster with those two players off the floor this season. He’s going to push for 38-40 minutes and he’ll look to make a statement in Game 1.
Bounce Back Series for Mr. Green
The only place Danny Green could be found in the series against Milwaukee was on the side of a milk carton. He forgot to show up, which is why Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell played so many minutes. The Raptors will need Green’s Finals experience and his defense against the Warriors. In his two meetings against Golden State earlier this season, Green logged 31 and 39 minutes. If he plays well tonight, I expect his price to skyrocket before Game 2. I’ll hop on early before the masses and the price hike.
Malcolm Brogdon will start tonight, Mirotic to the bench
We had to think this was coming at some point, and the Bucks make the move here. Brogdon will add another element in terms of creating some offense and providing an additional plus defender for the Bucks to try to contain Kawhi Leonard, and bumping Mirotic to the second unit will help balance the Bucks rotation, although the minutes for Mirotic are obviously somewhat less secure now. Brogdon is a very solid play on this slate and should get a bump in minutes along with his increase in role with the starting lineup.
As reported by: Matt Velasquez
Jordan Bell is expected to play
Jordan Bell getting the start makes him a more attractive option due to minutes certainty, and that he doesn’t need to score a whole lot or have the ball in his hands in order to be effective. An energized Bell could make for a very good value play on this slate, and also leaves Kevon Looney in his comfortable and predictable bench role, where he too remains an interesting option for this depleted Warriors squad.
As reported by: Anthony Slater Alfonzo McKinnie is expected to play
As expected once Iguodala was ruled out, McKinnie will start in his place. While he is certainly a salary saver, he will be at best the 4th option for the Warriors on offense and will need to pick up steady peripherals in order to be a viable option. Kevon Looney and even Jordan Bell can also be considered with McKinnie entering the starting lineup, opening up bench minutes, although it is also possible Jonas Jerebko may get the additional run instead of Bell, depending on game flow and how the Blazers structure their lineup.
As reported by: Chris Haynes Andre Iguodala has been ruled out
Iguodala being out opens things up a bit for both teams, as we’ll see more playing time at the wing, likely filled by Alfonzo McKinnie, who will be a lower usage player but see a heavy bump in minutes. Jordan Bell may also see the floor a bit more just due to a lack of bodies, but this is a more speculative play. The lack of Iguodala on defense should help open things up for one of Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum on the offensive end.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau Back Against the Wall Performance
The Raptors head back home down 2-0 in this series. Most analysts will agree that this series is just getting started if Toronto can take care of business at home and I definitely agree. I’m expecting Toronto to win these next two, and it will be because of big performances from Kawhi Leonard. He will be focused and ready to go from tip-off, and I’m expecting no fewer than 35-40 real points out of him today.
High Floor, High Ceiling, Big Production
Giannis has been on a tear since game two in Boston, and he hasn’t looked back. He has been putting up monster fantasy performances, and I don’t expect them to stop today. He is going to get Toronto’s very best shot, and while I don’t expect the Bucks to win this game, I do expect the “Greek Freak” to show up and put up the numbers we’ve seen all playoffs.
The Must Play of the Day
Golden State’s production has really condensed with the injury to Kevin Durant. We are relying on Curry as the primary scoring option and he has not disappointed. In Curry’s full games without Durant the point totals are as followed: 37, 36, and 33. He is really scoring in bunches and it should continue tonight in Portland. I think we may get a ceiling game here as well because I don’t expect Portland to go quietly in the night. Curry is dialed in right now and you should fire him up with complete confidence.
Back To The Future
Draymond Green has been on a tear since the injury to Kevin Durant. The production has returned to what we were used to seeing from him on a per game basis. He is contributing massively in every category and I don’t see any reason while that would not continue tonight in Portland. Rebounds are up, assists are up, blocks and steals are happening on the regular and we are also getting the occasional double digit scoring nights. He is one of best plays for the Single Game/Showdown slates and gets a nice little discount from our two studs. If there is a such thing as single game/showdown slate cash, he’s as good as it gets.
Chase The Usage Of This Superstar
Kawhi Leonard pretty much played the entire first three quarters before starting the 4th quarter on the bench, with the second unit getting some run. One adjustment might be to get Leonard rest earlier so that the bench unit isn’t being as relied upon in the final stretch. Multiple defenders took a turn on Leonard so the Bucks are prioritizing trying to slow him down, but I’m still viewing him as an elite option here as he’ll be the focal point of their offense. It might feel like a cop out to list both Kawhi and Giannis as core plays, but on a Showdown slate with limited options, I have no problem jamming them both in and working around them. The Raptors used a tight 8-man rotation in Game 1, and the Bucks used a tight 9-man rotation. That means I will be willing to punt at a spot or two with guys like Brook Lopez, Malcolm Brogdon or Danny Green with the hope they can produce in their minutes without tanking my lineups. The tight rotations means minutes get condensed, and while guys like Danny Green and Brook Lopez aren’t reliable enough to be listed as core plays for me, they are the routes I would take in order to fit in someone like Kawhi.
Get Your Freak On
The Raptors did a good job slowing down Giannis the best they could in Game 1, holding him to just 7-for-16 shooting, including a 3rd quarter where he didn’t make any field goals. Even with the off-game, he finished with a 24/14/6 line. I have no problem going with Giannis in the Captain spot if you can afford it. He still had a 30.3% usage rate and led the team in minutes. I’d personally just be overweight on Giannis and Kawhi Leonard, and work around that pair knowing the usage will flow through them, barring foul trouble or injury.
Andrew Bogut is expected to play
Bogut will be the starter and likely do something close to matching Kanter’s minutes, but the bulk of the frontcourt minutes will go to Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. If there is anyone who has seen their stock rise due to Durant’s injury, it is Looney, who has shown tremendous energy on the offensive glass and been a strong interior presence on the defensive side of the ball. One of the better low priced options on the slate, Looney is a much better DFS play than Bogut.
As reported by: Mark Medina Rodney Hood is expected to play
This might be as definitive as it gets with regard to Hood, who will be used to provide bursts of offense off the bench but is clearly not at 100%. This will limit the usage of others on the 2nd unit such as Zach Collins, Jake Layman and Seth Curry, while Hood himself may be a viable play if you believe he will be effective in limited minutes against either a gassed Warriors starting unit or lower quality reserves. Hood and the rest of the Blazers second unit will be of secondary concern though, as Damion Lillard and CJ McCollum will likely spend plenty of time on the floor as the Blazers attempt to steal home court in game 1.
As reported by: James Ham Close It Out in Style
I think Nikola Jokic will be a man on a mission today. This team is looking to do something that most probably thought would not be done when the NBA season started, and that is make it to the Western Conference Finals. He will be focused, and dare I say electric in this pivotal game seven. He has performed admirably in all six games so far and I don’t expect anything less today. Fire up Jokic with confidence in all formats.