Sunday features a small two-game slate starting at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Vivid Picks has to offer with promo code LABS for a $200 deposit match.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
With no players priced over $9,700 on DraftKings, filling out lineups will be relatively easy. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is one of the most consistent pay-up options on the slate, as he has averaged 31 points per game on 22.3 field-goal attempts and 10 or more 3-point attempts in each game of this series. Curry’s peripherals have also been consistent while accumulating 46.5 DraftKings points per game. It’s impossible to ignore that type of consistency.
Losing Game 6 at home to clinch the first-round series was shocking as 7.5-point favorites, and now the Warriors go on the road where they have struggled most with a 12-32 record. The Warriors are one-point road underdogs, as this total has risen to 229 points. This is easily the game to target on this small two-game slate, as these teams have played at an average pace of 105 through six games, which leads all playoff teams.
Curry is a staple in cash games and has the upside needed in tournaments — a great play.
Value
Adding Jalen Brunson in the offseason was one of the best moves this season. In his first year with the Knicks, Brunson averaged a career-high 24 points and 6.2 assists per game. He carried that production into the postseason, where Brunson has the Knicks one series away from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Brunson is too cheap and is currently pulling the highest projected ownership for all point guards on DraftKings.
Knicks forward and leading scorer Julius Randle is questionable with an ankle injury he suffered in Game 4 last series. If Randle can’t go, that is an added boost to Brunson, who has a +3.9% usage rate and a +4.9 DraftKings Plus/Minus with Randle off the floor this season. Brunson is also projected to play 38.1 minutes, which is tied for the third-highest on the slate. He may not be a cheap value option, but he is worthy of this spot.
Fast Break
De’Aaron Fox has played better than Curry in this series despite dealing with a broken finger on his shooting hand. The Warriors simply can’t keep up with the speed that Fox has been playing with, as he has averaged five transition field-goal attempts per game in this series. Fox has stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 29.3 points, eight assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. He has recorded over 50 DraftKings points in each game and is priced cheaper than Curry on DraftKings and FanDuel. Playing at home in Game 7 is a great spot to target Mr. Clutch.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson didn’t quite live up to his Game 6 Klay nickname, but he still remains second on the team in scoring during the playoffs with 21.3 points per game. Thompson has been a scoring-dependent fantasy producer in this series, as he is averaging just 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. With 62.5% of his field-goal attempts coming from behind the arc, Thompson has the upside to catch fire, especially if he sees one go through the hoop early.
Thompson has averaged 20+ points per game in each of the last seven seasons he’s played, so he is about as consistent as they come. However, his salary is quite rich on DraftKings and FanDuel, making him a difficult player to roster. But the Kings and Warriors’ pace allows for several Thompson field-goal attempts, as he has 19 and 20 in the last two games and is averaging double-digit attempts from downtown. He will need to get hot to pay off this price tag.
Value
Kevin Huerter has had a really tough time shooting the ball in this series at 36.5% from the field and 21.2% from behind the arc. He is averaging just under 10 points per game, which is a surprise given how well he played during the regular season. In his first year with the Kings, Huerter started all 75 games that he played and averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game. The playoff lights may be too bright, but Huerter is only $4,800 on both sites.
Huerter hit some timely 3-pointers in Game 6, which helped the Kings pull away late in the fourth quarter. His three made 3-pointers were the most he has made all series. Maybe he can carry that momentum back home for Game 7. Huerter has attempted double-digit field goals in all but one game in this series, so expect him to at least give himself a chance to be fantasy-relevant. He is another shooting guard who can get hot from downtown.
Fast Break
Malik Monk is an exceptional value on DraftKings at $5,900 compared to his $7,000 on FanDuel. Monk has a 95% Bargain Rating on DraftKings, as he has the second-highest usage rate and points per game behind Fox during the playoffs. He has averaged 33.7 DraftKings points per game, making him a great value option. Not only is Monk scoring the ball at an elite level, but he has at least five rebounds in each of his last three games while also contributing assists and even capturing steals. Prioritize Monk on DraftKings at his very cheap salary.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
No player in the playoffs has been as dominant as Jimmy Butler through the first round. In the Heat’s 4-1 upset victory over the Bucks, Butler averaged 37.6 points per game while shooting an impressive 59.7% from the field and 44.4% from behind the arc. In the last two games to close out the Bucks, Butler scored 56 points in Game 4 and 42 in Game 5. After three days of rest, Butler will be ready for an epic performance at Madison Square Garden for Game 1.
The Knicks lead all playoff teams in Defensive Rating (101.9), so this may be a more difficult matchup. With a total of 207.5 points and the Knicks favored by four, the Heat have the lowest implied total on the slate with 101.5 points. With Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo out, Butler had a 35.1% usage rate in the first round. He is the most expensive player on DraftKings and FanDuel, but Butler is deserving of that price tag given how well he has played thus far.
Value
Sticking with the Heat, Max Strus was borderline awful in the Heat’s first round sweep over the Bucks. He started every game, but he only scored 6.4 points per game. Strus had his best performance in Game 5 with eight points and eight rebounds, but that was still nowhere near his regular season. With Herro out, Strus should be one of the Heat’s best scorers on the perimeter, so maybe he can find that shooting stroke in this series.
Butler and Adebayo will be drawing a ton of attention on offense, which should allow for more open looks for Strus. During the regular season, the Knicks tied for the sixth-most 3-point attempts allowed with 36.5 per game. That will be music to his ears, as Strus shot over 70% of his field-goal attempts from behind the arc. Not afraid to let it fly, Strus could bounce back with a big series against the Knicks, and the Heat will need his scoring.
Fast Break
RJ Barrett turned it on over the last three games after an awful start to the Cavs series, averaging 22 points per game while shooting 55.8% from the field. A big increase from his career 42.4% shooting. Barrett is priced in the mid-range and is second in projected ownership for small forwards on DraftKings, but he’s towards the bottom on FanDuel at only 15%. He is another Knicks player who would benefit greatly if Randle isn’t able to play. In three games without Randle in the regular season, Barrett had 3.3 more field-goal attempts per game with a 27.7% usage rate.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
If Julius Randle is able to play, he is easily the best pay-up power forward on DraftKings at his $6,900 salary. Randle struggled against the Cavaliers frontcourt, which isn’t a shocker given how talented Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are defensively. The Heat aren’t the best matchup either, as they allowed only 46.3 points per game in the paint, but Randle is simply too cheap if he is healthy and going to play his normal allotment of minutes.
In four games against the Heat this season, Randle averaged 21 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2% from the field and 41.4% from behind the arc. Averaging a career- and team-high 25.1 points per game this season, Randle can fill it up when healthy. He was $9,700 on DraftKings in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. How the mighty have fallen. Randle has the highest ownership projection on DraftKings on Sunday.
Value
Rookie Keegan Murray is another player who had a slow start to his first-ever playoff series, but he has seemed to get comfortable now and has been a major asset for the Kings on the perimeter. Murray has finished with 35+ DraftKings points in two of his last three games while averaging a near double-double with 16 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He has found his stroke from deep, shooting 50% from behind the arc.
Murray has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the forward position on both sites. Murray may be power forward-only eligible on DraftKings, but given such a small slate, he is easy to fit into all lineup builds. In Game 6, Murray attempted 13 3-pointers while playing a team-high 45 minutes and recording a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. A repeat performance at home is certainly in reach, as the rookie has found his groove.
Fast Break
Draymond Green threw up a dud after back-to-back games with over 40 DraftKings points, as he only attempted two field goals and was in foul trouble most of the night. After Jordan Poole‘s atrocious Game 6, Green may go back into the starting lineup Sunday, which will increase his ceiling. Regardless, he is a great player to roster in a win-or-go-home scenario for the Warriors. With the crowd booing him every time he touches the ball Sunday, Green will relish the opportunity and could have one of those vintage Green triple-doubles to end the Kings’ season.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Domantas Sabonis fouled out in Game 6 in only 23 minutes, resulting in his worst game of the series. He led the league in games fouling out this season, and he has at least five fouls in half of the games in this series. Sabonis has been reluctant to shoot the ball, as the Warriors are leaving him wide open at the free-throw line nearly the entire game. Credit to him for still finding a way to be productive, as he has been a dominant rebounder with 11.5 boards per game.
Sabonis can stuff the stat sheet in a variety of ways and has massive double-double upside in this matchup against the Warriors. Our Pro Trends tool has loved Sabonis all series, as he leads the slate with 11 Pro Trends on DraftKings and 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel. Sabonis also has the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. A great play all around as the Kings look to advance to the second round.
Our projections also like Sabonis to bounce back on PrizePicks, where his line of 43.5 fantasy points stands out. Be sure to check out all the pick’ems PrizePicks has to offer with PrizePicks promo code LABS for a $100 deposit match,
Value
Kevon Looney has been arguably the Warriors’ best player throughout the first round. His rebounding numbers have been incredible oer the last four games, as he is averaging 17.3 boards per game. He hasn’t been scoring all that much, but Looney also has recorded six or more assists in three of his last four games. Cleaning up the glass and forcing the Kings into only one shot on offense has helped the Warriors finish possessions.
Looney has seen his salary rise across the industry, but is still averaging a +10.4 DraftKings Plus/Minus in his last four games. His offensive rebounding has helped the sharpshooting Warriors backcourt get extra field-goal attempts as well. Looney has given Sabonis trouble defensively, as this has been a very physical series. Pulling down that many rebounds, Looney makes for a great value on DraftKings and FanDuel on Sunday.
Fast Break
Bam Adebayo is coming off of a 20-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the Heat’s closeout Game 5 while adding two steals and a block. It was by far Adebayo’s best game of the series, as he struggled with the Bucks interior presence. He will have his hands full with Mitchell Robinson, but Adebayo is a versatile player who will need to perform if the Heat want to get past the Knicks. Adebayo is reasonably priced on DraftKings and FanDuel which is why he is currently coming in around 35% projected ownership.
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