The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers must win Thursday to keep their seasons alive. The biggest news heading into the two-game slate is whether Anthony Davis will suit up for the Lakers after they were torched without him in a Game 5 blowout defeat. The two-game slate locks at 8 p.m. ET.
Point Guard
Stud
Playoff time is Damian Lillard Time. How will the heart of the Trail Blazers’ offense perform after single-handedly carrying his teammates to a two-overtime loss Tuesday? Lillard is tied for the most Pro Trends among point guards and is a top three rated point guard on FanDuel and DraftKings according to the FantasyLabs NBA Model. He is rightfully the most expensive player on FanDuel and only trails Nikola Jokić on DraftKings, but in terms of both players, you get what you pay for. Another potential (expected) Lillard explosion in an elimination game is difficult to fade. Portland-Denver predictably has the highest projected game total at 227.5 points, as well as the two highest team totals.
Value
Cameron Payne will continue to be relied on after Chris Paul was pulled from their Game 5 win because of his lingering right shoulder injury. Payne has played at least 25 minutes in three games this series. The other two he did not because Paul was healthy in Game 1 and leading the route in Game 5 prior to getting pulled. Regardless, he has at least 25 fantasy points in four of five games this series. Payne is the top rated point guard on FanDuel.
Fastbreak
Monte Morris is fully back and played out the end of the game for Denver without getting pulled. He had 28 points on 18 field goal attempts and 11 free-throw attempts, series best for Morris. He took playing time away from Facundo Campazzo, so beware playing both if you think Campazzo can bounce back.
Dennis Schroder’s salary dropped $300 on FanDuel after his goose egg Game 5. Expect a decent return after he failed to reach double-digit fantasy points.
Shooting Guard
Stud
CJ McCollum fouling out was one of the many issues Portland had in overtime, but he still logged 50 minutes before exiting the game. McCollum must score 20-plus points at the least to help Portland stay alive. He only had 18 Tuesday. He rates as the top shooting guard on both platforms, with a higher PER than Devin Booker entering these games.
Value
Norman Powell had his worst game of the series Tuesday. He gets the SG/SF treatment on DraftKings and rates second behind McCollum. He also sports a 99% Bargain Rating on DraftKings and is $5,800. None of this matters if he has another rough defensive performance like Tuesday.
Fastbreak
Austin Rivers has been serviceable considering how he was forced into the Nuggets’ starting lineup. He has two games with 30-plus fantasy points against Portland this series, and was not effected by Monte Morris dominating in the Nuggets’ backcourt.
Devin Booker has posted at least seven rebounds and five assists in Phoenix’s three wins against L.A. I have said it throughout the season: if Phoenix is going to succeed, Booker must do more than score. He has done so when they when and has done his part defensively. Booker has a chance to bury the Lakers with another complete game.
Small Forward
Stud
Welcome back, Michael Porter Jr. He topped 30 fantasy points for the second time this series and used his size to win on offense. His 10-for-13 shooting was his best since the beginning of May, and he shot 60 percent from three for the fourth time over the same time. He is only $6,900 on DraftKings and is a top-two small forward on both sites.
Value
Jae Crowder took all his shots from three in Phoenix’s Game 5 win. It works for one game, but I would expect more physicality from Crowder closer to the basket in Game 6. If Anthony Davis does play, Crowder’s versatility could put Davis on skates, especially since he would be playing well below 100 percent. Crowder rates ahead of Davis on both platforms as well.
Fastbreak
LeBron James is not driving to the basket and it is severely limiting his upside. His ankle is not 100 percent and he has little help from the rest of the Lakers. James needs Davis on the court, but the current iterations of LeBron and Davis aren’t where they need to be to potentially take the next two games from Phoenix. James dominates small forward projections and has an 88% Bargain Rating on DraftKings at $10,100 but continues to have a difficult matchup (worst Opponent Plus/Minus among small forwards).
Power Forward
Stud
Aaron Gordon saw Porter Jr. pop off and decided to join the fun. Unlike Porter Jr., Gordon can facilitate in a pinch. He has not been asked to in Denver but any time Gordon wants to dish four-plus assists in a game I will take it. I doubt he logs another double-double but I know he will be in majority of my lineups because of his price and versatility. The position is weak/uncertain beyond Gordon and Porter Jr. depending on site.
Value
Robert Covington was asked to do more once Jusuf Nurkić got into foul trouble. Nurkić will continue to line up minutes-wise with Jokic, meaning RoCo is in play if Nurkić gets roughed up on the defensive end again. He has been one rebound and five total points short of three consecutive double-doubles.
Fastbreak
Anthony Davis is being projected like everything is fine. Everything is not fine and I have major concerns rostering him. I hate fading him because he is a treat to watch when healthy. It may be time for the Lakers to look towards 2021-22 and let their stars heal.
Center
Stud
It begins and ends with Jokić. He is the safest center and can single-handedly eliminate Nurkić from DFS. Jokić has scored at least 50 fantasy points in four of five games this series despite the extra attention given to him when he has the ball. He is an elite facilitator and the second-most difficult player to fade. He is comfortably the top center on both platforms.
Value
There is no value center on FanDuel, because players are locked into one position. Covington has PF/C eligibility on DraftKings. If you want to punt center, Marc Gasol could have a better game with Davis playing and drawing attention away from the basket with his jump shot.
Fastbreak
Deandre Ayton had a down game because of the blowout but is my second favorite center. The Lakers lack someone who can play with Ayton, and Davis’ injury prevents him from slowing down Ayton if he plays center minutes.
