Tuesday features a one-game showdown slate featuring the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
If you’re new to single-game formats, be sure to check out the following pieces by Matt LaMarca:
- 5 Tips to Dominate the DraftKings NBA Showdown Format
- How Does the Single-Game NBA Format on FanDuel Differ From DraftKings?
Stud
Stephen Curry leads all players on the slate in Projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and FanDuel. Since Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, Steph is averaging 33.3 points, 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per 36 minutes with KD off the floor, per our NBA On/Off tool. Curry averaged a 28.7/5.7/5.7 line in 36.8 minutes in three games against Portland during the regular season.
CJ McCollum is still $1,200 cheaper than Damian Lillard, giving the former the slight edge in Projected Plus/Minus. McCollum is still somewhat of a risky play, though: He averaged 18.0 points per game in four games against Golden State this season but shot just 26-of-71 (36.6%). Lillard, meanwhile, scored 28.3 points per game on 39-of-82 (47.6%) shooting.
Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Portland Trailblazers guard CJ McCollum (3)
Mid-Range
Draymond Green is averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists over his past seven playoff games and is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the floor. He’s the third-ranked player in Projected Plus/Minus.
Klay Thompson is averaging 26.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per 36 with KD off the floor since Durant joined the squad. Thompson posted a 21.8/5.8/3.0 line in four games against the Blazers during the regular season, which translated to a +8.28 average DraftKings Plus/Minus and 75% Consistency Rating.
Value
Enes Kanter held his own down the stretch in Game 7 against Nikola Jokic and should be able to carry that over in Game 1 with Steve Kerr forced to use more traditional lineups in the absence of KD. Kanter piled up 20 points and 29 rebounds in 45:22 in two regular-season games against the Dubs. Our NBA Player Models rank only Steph ahead of Kanter in Projected Plus/Minus.
Expecting another 14-point eruption like Kevon Looney had in Game 6 against Houston would be unrealistic, but Looney is the top value under $4,000.
Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Kevon Looney
Evan Turner played 19 minutes for Portland in each of the past two games of the Denver series. His ability to create his own shot proved crucial, particularly down the stretch in Game 7. With Rodney Hood (knee) questionable, Turner has more than one avenue to continue seeing increased playing time.
Like Turner, Zach Collins has also earned his way into a larger role in the rotation. While Turner has done it with offense, Collins has been getting it done on the other end with solid rim protection and all-around gritty play. He’s averaging a +9.81 DraftKings Plus/Minus over his last six games and logged an average of 26.0 minutes over his last two.
News Updates
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our NBA News Feed.
Pictured above: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30)
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
