This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are a couple of different FanDuel tournament options to consider playing. There are some "Single Game" slates featuring just Thursday's MIL/BOS matchup, though there's definitely some unusual scoring settings for those contests. On the other hand, there are also a handful of tournaments featuring games on both Thursday and Friday, so DFS owners will have to make a decision on which they feel most comfortable with. I'll give my picks below for the two-day slate, while I'll also put together a bonus section at the end featuring my "Single Game" lineup.
Guards:
Russell Westbrook, OKC at UTA ($10,600): Despite going off for 45 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists across 44 minutes in Game 5 (68.5 FanDuel points), Westbrook's price remains identical to what he was previously. For that reason, he's still vastly discounted and easily slots in as my favorite five-digit priced player for the combined Thursday-Friday slate. The Thunder continue to sit on the brink of elimination and like was the case in Game 5, Westbrook is going to be on the hook for the bulk of the offensive playmaking. If you can afford him, go ahead and fire up Westbrook with the utmost confidence.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. OKC ($8,600): Mitchell is another guy that just keeps on consistently producing. He's now logged 42 or more FanDuel points in three straight games, and four of five total playoff contests, which has pushed his average for this first-round series up to 45.2. While his price continues to tick upwards, it's still at a reasonable enough standing where he should have every opportunity to hit value. The Rookie of the Year candidate has shown no hesitation whatsoever in his first postseason run and could help the Jazz close out the Thunder on Friday.
Marcus Smart, BOS at MIL ($5,100): After sitting out over a month with a thumb injury, Smart made his highly anticipated return to the lineup Wednesday, posting nine points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and three blocks across 25 minutes. That was good enough for 28.0 FanDuel points and was a strong reminder that the young guard can put up some impressive all-around numbers. While Terry Rozier has played well, Smart should still have a hefty workload with Kyrie Irving out and coach Brad Stevens indicated following Thursday's morning shootaround that Smart could play upward of 30-to-35 minutes in his second game back. As a result, he makes for a very intriguing mid-tier guard option.
Forwards:
LeBron James, CLE at IND ($11,800): James did everything we expected and more in Game 5 on Wednesday to pull the Cavaliers to a one-game lead in the series. He finished that contest with a swat, followed by a buzzer-beating three-pointer, which capped off his night with 44 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block across 42 minutes. The Cavaliers officially have the opportunity to close things out Friday, so another monster performance from James is likely on the docket. That said, I still like Westbrook's price in terms of overall upside, so I'm leaning towards him if you can only fit one top-tier option in.
Thaddeus Young, IND vs. CLE ($6,600): Young definitely burned me in Wednesday's slate of games, notching a total of just 22.7 FanDuel points. That said, I'm going back to the well here, as he has 35-to-40 FanDuel point potential on any given night and was very consistent throughout the regular season. At $6,600 that's a reasonable mid-tier offering and makes him an easy fit in the bulk of lineups.
Semi Ojeleye, BOS at MIL ($3,500): Ojeleye is definitely only a consideration in tournament settings, as the risk here is pretty considerable. He's been announced a starter for the second consecutive game, though he tallied just five points and seven rebounds in Game 5 with the top unit. That said, he did log 31 minutes in that contest and that's why I'm all over him if I'm looking to hit on a minimum priced guy in tournaments. The playing time is there and there's always a chance he's able to hit, or surpass value, with such a small salary.
Centers:
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR at WAS ($5,800): Valanciunas turned out to be a strong pick in Wednesday's DFS slate, so I'm turning to him again as a cheaper option to help get in some hefty salaries elsewhere. In Game 5, Valanciunas went off for 41.6 FanDuel points, which was the result of 14 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. I'd rather pay up elsewhere for guys like Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, which means paying down at center is a must. Valanciunas leads the way here for one of the more intriguing mid-tier guys.
Marcin Gortat, WAS vs. TOR ($4,100): I'm sticking with a cheaper theme here. Gortat has actually been fairly solid for his price and has notched 22 or more FanDuel points in three straight games. Adding on to that, he's coming off his most extensive playing time (34 minutes) of the series in Game 5, which he translated to a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double (29.4 FanDuel points). While the Wizards weren't able to pull out the win in that contest, Gortat's success could prompt coach Scott Brooks to give him extended run once again, giving him plenty of viability as a cheap DFS option for the combined Thursday-Friday slate.
SINGLE GAME BONUS LINEUP
MVP (1.5X points): Giannis Antetokounmpo ($18,000)
G: Marcus Smart ($9,000)
F/C: Semi Ojeleye ($6,000)
UTIL: Khris Middleton ($14,500)
UTIL: Jaylen Brown ($12,500)
Admittedly, I considered fading Antetokounmpo altogether, but I just couldn't pull the trigger as a Bucks fan that expects him to go off to avoid elimination. The Celtics continue to clog the lane and force mid-range shots, which is where my second highest priced player, Middleton, fits in. Smart appears to no longer be on a minutes restriction, while Ojeleye is somewhat of a toss up, though both players seem likely to see a lot of playing time which is enough to make me comfortable taking a risk on them. And of course, Brown has played extremely well and is deserving of a look in any contest.
