This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After a rare off day Monday, we're back at it with the Los Angeles-Denver series.
Slate Overview
All of you surely know what happened in Game 2. There were three lead changes in the final 30 seconds of that epic contest, with Anthony Davis hitting a game-winning three at the buzzer. All of the metrics indicated that Denver should have won that game, but AD dashed those hopes with that brilliant shot. Our own Nick Whalen dropped this gem on Twitter:
last night was the first time since 2016 that a team won a playoff game with negative turnover, FG% and FTA differentials
over the last 20 years, those teams are 10-329 overall in the postseason
— Nick Whalen (@wha1en) September 21, 2020
That makes the heartbreaking loss even more devastating for the Nuggets, and one has to wonder how they'll refocus after such a disappointing defeat.
Los Angeles enters this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite. The total remains at 213.5
These teams have now played six times this season, with the Lakers winning five of six. Los Angeles leads this series 2-0.
Positional Breakdown
Every single player's price remains the same for this slate.
PG: Jamal Murray bounced back in Game 2 with over 50 FD points but remains at $13,000. Rajon Rondo follows him up at $11,000 and continues to hand out dimes. Alex Caruso is the only other viable PG at $8,000.
SG: Gary Harris remains the top SG option at $10,500. Danny Green owns a $9,000 price tag but carries a ton of risk. These guys likely won't be rostered much.
SF: LeBron James remains the top option on the board at $16,000. Markieff Morris follows him up at $9,500 but is impossible to use. Jerami Grant is $8,500 after just 24 minutes in Game 2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remains too cheap at $7,500 and continues to provide solid fantasy value.
PF: Anthony Davis is the second-highest priced player at $15,500. Kyle Kuzma is $10,000, which is too pricey for me. Michael Porter comes in at $9,500 after providing two solid games in this series. Paul Millsap owns a $9,000 price tag.
C: Nikola Jokic had an amazing Game 2 with 30 points, six rebounds, nine assists and four steals, sitting at $15,000. Dwight Howard is next at $8,000 and has been a great spark off LA's bench. JaVale McGee continues to start for the Lakers and rests at $7,000.
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
Dion Waiters (LAL)
Waiters has been inactive recently and it would be hard to imagine him getting involved in the rotation even if he is healthy.
Avery Bradley (LAL)
Bradley opted out of the restart and obviously won't play here. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has taken over his role.
Elite Players
Well, the studs just continue to show out in this series. Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic all had monster outings in that fantastic Game 2 and they remain the best options on the board. Jamal Murray wasn't too shabby as the fourth-highest priced guy, dropping a 50-burger of his own. Picking the right combination of these four guys is critical and it's clear that you can't fade more than two of them. Using the three main studs is going to be the lowest floor outcome given what you'll have to work with for the rest of the roster, but swapping Murray in for one of them helps to build a more well-rounded lineup.
Expected Chalk
Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Those three are going to be rostered in over half of the lineups out there and where they're placed is going to be critical. My guess is that Anthony Davis will be used the most at the MVP slot (2X), simply because of his floor and that game-winner that everyone just saw. I'd guess that James is the second-most popular because that's how it's been the first two slates. In terms of cheaper players, I anticipate Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and PJ Dozier to be rostered the most. These three salary-savers help to get those studs into your build.
Key Values
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LAL ($7,500)
Here we are again. This is my third article and my third time recommending KCP. The simple fact is, this guy is too cheap. He's actually scored at least 21 FD points in each of the first two games of this series, playing over 30 minutes a game. That's all you can hope for from a $7,500 player, especially when you need to fit in all of those expensive aforementioned studs.
Alex Caruso, LAL ($8,000)
There's just something special about this kid. All of the Lakers speak glowingly about him whenever they get a chance, and he's shown why with his recent form. Not only did he close out Game 2, Caruso is also averaging 22 FanDuel points per game in 26.3 minutes across his last four fixtures. If he can duplicate that average at just $8K, Caruso is easily one of the best values on the board.
Jerami Grant, DEN ($8,500)
I recommended Grant in the last article and he disappointed us with 14.5 FD points. What we can't predict is when a player gets into foul trouble, and that was definitely the problem in Game 2. All of the indicators are there for him to play monster minutes though, averaging over 34 minutes a game in the two outings prior. The fact that he had zero rebounds in Game 2 is fluky as well, as he should fall into at least four or five rebounds with a more normal workload. The Nuggets simply need him out there to guard LeBron and AD, and as long as that's the case, Grant is going to play huge minutes. We just can't fade a guy at $8,500 who's going to play 35-40 minutes, which is what I anticipate happening.
