DFS Alerts
Kevin Love available to play tonight
Kevin Love will play tonight in game one of the NBA finals versus the Warriors. Love missed game seven versus Boston with an concussion, but he passed the NBA’s concussion protocol. Yesterday, Tyronn Lue said if Love was cleared to play he would start, but we will have to wait for conformation of that before tip-off tonight. With Love back in the fold, it hurts the value of Jeff Green in terms of court time. Love has struggled comparatively on the road during the playoffs, so there are several risk factors at play here.
As reported by: Marc Spears via twitter
Someone Other Than LeBron Has To Score
For the Cavaliers to keep these games somewhat competitive, LeBron will need some scoring help, and that can come from the streaky J.R. Smith. Smith was bad in Boston during that series, but he has performed in previous NBA Finals matchups against the Warriors. Smith isn’t consistent, which always keeps his ownership down, but if you pick the good game day for J.R. Smith, you will be handsomely rewarded.
Should Draw the Start For Injured Iggy
Looney did quite well in the Rockets series, and I fully expect the Warriors to continue using him as the starter. While he isn’t a huge point per minute guy, being on the floor gives you GPP upside if your shot is working, or if the Cavs defend the glass poorly because they are playing Tristan Thompson less minutes. Looney isn’t the sexiest DFS player around, but he could be the winning roster.
Sneaky Man to Get Rotation Minutes
The Cavs, in their final two wins against the Celtics, went small with Jeff Green at the four, and even with the return of Kevin Love (if he is cleared), they are likely to play a lot of small ball in this series. With Iggy out for Game 1, there are rotation minutes available for another wing, and I believe that guy will be Nick Young. The Warriors have been happy with his defense this year, and if he makes shots he will stay on the floor and rack up the fantasy points in a hurry.
Underowned Streaky Shooter
Klay Thompson is the epitome of a great tournament play. Normally he’s a guy that does okay but won’t win you any GPPs and then he goes off for 35 real life points and he’s a must have to win. I’m going to play Klay every game of the series to capture the night he goes off and catapults my Showdown lineups as well.
All-Around Producer
Draymond Green is always one of my favorite plays in DFS because he can rack up fantasy production in so many different ways. He’s had many 40+ fantasy point outings this season where he has failed to score ten actual points. His ability to rebound, pass, and rack up blocks and steals is only matched by LeBron James in this series. Green did sprain his ankle in Game 7 against the Celtics and the little “Questionable” tag next to his name could help lower his ownership in some of the large tournaments.
Better Series for this Shooting Guard
Kyle Korver has had a number of strong outings already this season, but didn’t play as big of a role against the Celtics. Boston had been tough on wing players all season and were one of the best in the NBA at defending the three-point line. I expect Korver to play more minutes and to see more shot attempts against the Warriors in a series where both teams will play small and where both teams will be shooting as many threes as they can. The pace of this series alone should help create some opportunities for Korver in transition.
Favorite Superstar of the Slate
When healthy this postseason, Stephen Curry has been the most productive of the Warriors’ superstars. He has averaged 44 fantasy points per game in the playoffs and should be able to avoid the defense of LeBron James. When Curry is on, there are few players in basketball that can put up points as quickly as he can. I don’t like to place too much emphasis on regular season meetings, but Curry did score 45 fantasy points in only 31 minutes in his one game against Cleveland earlier this season.
Hunting for Some GPP Value
One of the best ways to differentiate your lineups tonight might be to hope for a blowout and target some punt plays. If Golden State gets a huge lead in the game, the likes of Jordan Bell and Nick Young become really interesting punts in tournaments, as they will also help you to load up on some higher-end plays that will be a big part of the action in the first three quarters. This is a great method by which to try to get a unique lineup in these large field, high variant GPP games.
Other tagged players: Nick Young
The Top Point Per Dollar Play
LeBron James carries a hefty price tag, and I think he will have a tough time carrying the Cavs in this series. It comes down to the Warriors for top plays, and like the way that Curry matches up with this current Cavs team better than Durant. He’s been relatively quiet for much of the season due to injuries and a few slumps, but this is the perfect time for him to wake up. When you factor in salary, he’s my favorite point per dollar option on the board.
I Like This Guy Even If Kevin Love Plays
If Kevin Love is ruled out, Jeff Green might become the chalk. We saw him play 31 and 41 minutes in those last few games Love missed. Even if Love plays though, I wouldn’t get away from him entirely. Coach Lue obviously loves playing him, and I think he is going to see extended minutes regardless tonight as the primary defender on KD. At cheap price tags across the industry, I will take minutes and hope he produces from a fantasy standpoint. That is all I can really ask for on a one-game slate.
I Love LeBron But...
I want to load up on Durant tonight, as I just don’t think the Cavs have anyone that can match up with him that isn’t named LeBron James. Will the Cavs put LeBron on him much based on the load he already has to carry? I doubt it. I think KD sees a lot of Jeff Green, and KD will absolutely torch him. In the 2017 Finals, KD averaged the most minutes on the team (40) and averaged a quiet 35 points per game in the five games. I get the LeBron love based on all he has to do for that team, but I will take the savings on KD tonight.
Chris Paul ruled out Monday
The Rockets will be without Chris Paul for tonight’s game seven versus Golden State. This will be the second straight game Paul has missed with a hamstring injury. In game six, Eric Gordon started for Paul, and finished with 19 points in 34 minutes. Gerald Green will also see some increased minutes tonight without Paul. He played a playoff high 26 minutes in game six.
As reported by: Tim MacMahon via twitter Andre Iguodala ruled out Monday
Andre Iguodala will miss his fourth straight game Monday with an leg injury. Kevon Looney will likely start for Iguodala again. He has averaged just four points per game in those three starts.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via twitter Jeff Green will start for Kevin Love on Sunday
With Kevin Love out with a concussion, Jeff Green will enter the starting lineup for tonight’s game seven versus Boston. With Love getting hurt early in game six, Green played a playoff high 31 minutes. He finished game six with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He’s $4,000 on both sites and makes for the top value play on this slate.
As reported by: Brian Robb via twitter