This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
These playoffs have been amazing so far and we're finally getting into the Conference Finals. This slate covers the final two Western Conference teams remaining with the Lakers playing the Nuggets. Denver has come back down 3-1 in each of their first two series, but it would be tough to imagine them accomplishing that feat here. Without further ado, let's go ahead and get into it!
Slate Overview
We have just one game ahead of us, with LA taking on Denver. This actually marks Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, after the Nuggets made a miraculous comeback against the Clippers in the semis. That means the Lakers are well rested for this game, but who knows how they'll look after being off for nearly a week.
These teams played four times in the regular season, with the Lakers prevailing in three of four. With that said, the two most recent matchups came down to the final seconds.
The Lakers enter this game as a 6.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 212.
Positional Breakdown
PG: Jamal Murray has had a breakout in the bubble, being priced at $13,000. Rajon Rondo follows him up at $11,000. Alex Caruso is the only other viable PG out there at $8,500.
SG: This position is very weak, with Gary Harris up top at $10,500. Danny Green is extremely volatile and sits at $8,500. If you're feeling frisky, you can punt with Torrey Craig at $7,500.
SF: LeBron James is hard to fade at $15,500. Markieff Morris follows him up at $9,500. Jerami Grant is next at $8,500. You could use Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at $7,000, but he carries a lot of risk.
PF: Anthony Davis is the best per-dollar option on the slate, sitting at a reasonable $15,000. Kyle Kuzma is definitely an option at $10,000 while Michael Porter Jr comes in at $9,500. Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant are both interesting for Denver, with Millsap at $9,000 and Grant at $8,500.
C: Nikola Jokic is one of the best players right now and enters on top at $16,000. LA's centers aren't quite as formidable, with JaVale McGee at $7,000 and Dwight Howard at $7,500. You could go with Mason Plumlee at the minimum price if you want to punt.
Injuries to Monitor
Will Barton (DEN)
Barton remains out with a knee issue and it's unclear if he'll be able to return for any part of this series.
Rajon Rondo (LAL)
Rondo is questionable with a back injury, but it seems unlikely he'll sit after a week off.
Dion Waiters (LAL)
Waiters was inactive in the last game with a groin issue and one has to wonder if he'll even figure into this rotation.
Avery Bradley (LAL)
Bradley opted out of the restart and obviously won't play here. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has taken over his role.
LeBron James (LAL)
James is probable with a groin issue, but there's no way he's not playing here.
Elite Players
Well, everyone will be wanting to use Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. The major problem is you can't use all three in the same lineup with the salary restrictions. My first inclination is to go with Davis and James because the Lakers are heavy favorites. What makes that tough is the fact Jokic is averaging 57 FanDuel points per game across his last six outings. You really can't go wrong picking any of them, but it's imperative to pick the right two. You can use all three and punt at the other two spots with about $6,750 remaining per player.
Expected Chalk
Nikola Jokic, DEN ($16,000)
Everyone saw how amazing the Joker looked in that Game 7 victory over the Clippers and it's going to force a lot of people to use him. What's even crazier is the fact he has accumulated at least 44 FanDuel points in 12 of his last 14 games and runs this offense at ease. The problem here is Jokic has to face the Lakers and he's simply going to be a liability on the defensive end against Anthony Davis. That means I'm going to ride Davis and James, hoping Jokic will experience a down game in a lot of people's lineups.
Rajon Rondo, LAL ($11,000)
With everyone trying to get two of these superstars into their lineup, you need to find value somewhere. Rondo could be just that, returning to his All-Star form at the end of the Rockets series. He actually averaged 32 FD points per game across only 27 minutes of action in his five fixtures against Houston, despite sitting for months. That might even earn Rondo a starting job for this series and it's likely going to put him in most people's lineups with his reasonable salary.
Key Values
Jerami Grant, DEN ($8,500)
This one is risky with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic swallowing up all the usage, but Grant could be looking at huge minutes here. The reason I say that is because he'll have to cover either Anthony Davis or LeBron James. Grant represents Denver's most versatile defender and he's likely looking at 40 minutes to help slow those two down. If you take out the season finale where Denver's starters sat most of the game, he's averaging 34 minutes a game over his last 20 fixtures. Grant is also providing more than 21 FD points per game and is going to have to add rebounding and defensive statistics if Denver wants to compete. In the most recent matchup against the Lakers, he dropped 26 fantasy points across 38 minutes of action - which would be huge at this salary.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LAL ($7,000)
We need to find some value to fit in guys like James, Davis and Jokic. KCP is just that and could be one of the best per-dollar plays on the board. Much like Grant, he just plays a lot. Not only has he scored at least 14 FD points in seven of his last nine games, but is also averaging nearly 30 minutes per outing during that span. That may not sound like anything special, but it's really all you can hope for from a salary-saver when you know you're getting elite production from two or even three of the aforementioned studs. Not to mention, KCP dropped 25 FD points over 34 minutes of play in his most recent meeting with the Nuggets.
