This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With four series being played every other day, it was inevitable for some to end early. There are actually two of them over now, with Boston and Toronto advancing to face one another. That leaves just two games and it should make for a relatively easy slate to figure out, although differentiating tournament rosters could be tricky. With that in mind, let's get into these games.
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Slate Overview
DEN vs. UTA: After winning the opener in overtime, Utah have now prevailed in three straight. That's why they enter this matchup as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 220.
DAL vs. LAC: Obviously, you already know what happened in that Game 4. Luka Doncic hit that epic game-winner to even up the series at 2-2. Even so, the Clippers enter this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 236.
Positional Breakdown
PG: Jamal Murray is up top here at $7,800 after a career-best performance Sunday. Mike Conley follows him up at $6,500. That's where most people will pivot but Seth Curry, Trey Burke, Reggie Jackson, Landry Shamet and Monte Morris are all in play in the $4,000s.
SG: This is the deepest position on the slate. Luka Doncic sits up top at $11,000. Donovan Mitchell is at $8,500 while Paul George is $1,000 behind. Lou Williams is at $6,200 after a monster Game 4 and Jordan Clarkson is barely cracking $5K. No one below that is really in play unless there's a huge blowout.
SF: Kawhi Leonard is going to be in pretty much every lineup, sitting at $10,500. The reason for that is there's a huge drop to Tim Hardaway at $5,600. Dorian Finney-Smith follows him up at $5,200, followed up by Joe Ingles at $4,900. Everyone else at the position is at minimum salary and likely unusable, further bolstering Kawhi's case for a roster spot.
PF: Kristaps Porzingis is the top dog here just shy of $10,000. If he plays, he'll be in almost every lineup. It's easy to see why when you see the drop to Michael Porter at $5,500, Paul Millsap, Marcus Morris, Maxi Kleber, Jerami Grant and Royce O'Neale all sit around $5K and all have intrigue.
C. Almost everybody will be rostering either Nikola Jokic or Rudy Gobert. Jokic is currently at $9,200 while Gobert sits at $7,600. Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac are in consideration just below $5,000. If you're feeling risky, Boban Marjanovic is a punt play at $4,200.
Injuries to Monitor
Luka Doncic (DAL)
Doncic surprisingly suited up in Game 4 after spraining his ankle and he should be fully ready to go here.
Kristaps Porzingis (DAL)
Porzingis was a late scratch in Game 4 with a heel issue but it sounds like he might be ready to go. If he does sit again, it looks like Trey Burke will start and Maxi Kleber will pick up the most value.
Gary Harris (DEN)
Harris has been upgraded to questionable for this game but he likely won't play much even if he does suit up.
Will Barton (DEN)
Barton remains out with a knee injury.
Patrick Beverley (LAC)
Beverley has been dealing with a calf issue. It appears he's unlikely to play and that'll put Landry Shamet into the starting lineup.
Elite Players
Luka Doncic, Luka Doncic, Luka Doncic. This kid is an absolute beast and he should be in every single lineup. He's the most expensive player on the slate and rightfully so. Kawhi Leonard, Kristaps Porzingis and Nikola Jokic are right there and all three of those guys are excellent plays as well with so much on the line. Look for people to try to squeeze at least three of these studs into their lineups.
Expected Chalk
Luka Doncic, DAL ($11,000)
This is chalk you're going to have to swallow. Luka is the free space of the day and it's impossible to fade him with just two games available. After his 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists Sunday, Doncic is now averaging 60 FanDuel points per game in this series.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC ($10,400)
Leonard is actually the only small forward above $6,000. That's going to put him in almost every single lineup, especially with him scoring at least 50 FD points in every game of this series. This is yet another free square, chalk pick that you're probably going to have to live with.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($8,500)
Mitchell is on a serious heater right now and it's going to have a lot of people putting him in their lineups. The shooting guard is averaging 54 FanDuel points per game in this series and people are going to want to use him after his 62-point gem Sunday. I have a little hesitancy with Mike Conley back and taking away some usage, plus the rise in Mitchell's price, but most people will probably still select him. I will likely fade him though, and ride some of the other options at shooting guard.
Key Values
Paul Millsap, DEN ($5,000)
Millsap is one of the only true veterans on this roster and he showed that in the tough Game 4 loss. He finished with 35.4 FD points in one of his best games in some time and he'll need to have a similar performance here. What's really encouraging is that he played 35 minutes and attempted 13 shots. That's really all you can hope for from such a talented player with such a reasonable price tag.
Monte Morris, DEN ($4,000)
Denver decided to switch things up by inserting Morris into the starting lineup. While he was fairly quiet, 20 fantasy points across 36 minutes of action is a very encouraging sign. That's massive production from someone so cheap, as he averaged 31 fantasy points per game in the seven games during which he played at least 34 minutes in the regular season. Using him might help you squeeze Doncic, Jokic and Leonard all into your lineup.
Maxi Kleber, DAL ($4,900)
Kleber hasn't been a huge fantasy producer but he's been doing all you can ask. The thing I really like is that he's played at least 33 minutes in all four games of this series. A major part of that is because he's being asked to cover Kawhi and that's going to keep his minutes high. He dropped 27 FD points in the last outing without KP and he'd be the best value play on the board if Porzingis sits yet again.
Other Values Worth Considering:
Trey Burke (DAL), Dorian Finney-Smith (DAL), Seth Curry (DAL), Landry Shamet (LAC), Reggie Jackson (LAC), Ivica Zubac (LAC), Jerami Grant (UTA) and Royce O'Neale (UTA)
