This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a second straight one-game slate on tap Friday, with the Knicks looking to close out the Pacers in enemy territory. Given how unsuccessful that endeavor was for the Nuggets on Thursday in Minnesota, that could well be an uphill battle in what should be a raucous environment at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
With only one matchup, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
MVP- (Garners points at 2x the normal rate)
STAR- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
PRO- (Garners points at 1.2x the normal rate)
Two Utility spots- (Garner points at normal rate)
With salaries also being different than in conventional FanDuel contests on multi-game slates and top players inevitably headed for heavy rostering, there are definitely strategic elements particular to single-game lineups. Finding key value plays for the two utility spots is undoubtedly key as it enables you to fill out the multiplier spots with some of the top projected producers.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, May 17 @ 2:00 a.m. EDT:
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers (-6) (O/U: 215.0)
There appears to be plenty of faith in a Pacers bounce-back effort Friday, given the spread. Indiana was 26-15 straight up at home during the regular season, and they've also won both games there in this series by five and 32 points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
OG Anunoby, NYK (hamstring): OUT
In Anunoby's continued absence, Miles McBride will likely remain in the starting five.
Elite Players
The two highest-salaried players on the slate are Jalen Brunson ($16,500) and Tyrese Haliburton ($15,500).
Brunson bounced back from a pair of sub-35-FD-point tallies in Games 3 and 4 to compile 56.3 FD points in 42 minutes in Game 5. He's scored over 45 FD points in three of the five games of the series overall, and his typically sky-high usage makes him the best candidate for the top multiplier spot.
Haliburton has tallies of 61.7 and 57.3 FD points in this series, and while he's been under 35 FD points in the three other contests, the first two scores are reminders of the vast upside he offers. With everything on the line for Indiana, Haliburton should be heavily involved and therefore have a chance at replicating a top-end score.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Josh Hart ($14,500), Pascal Siakam ($13,500), Donte DiVincenzo ($13,000) and Myles Turner ($12,000) should also be very popular. All three make for great options in the STAR or PRO slots.
Hart has recorded 38.7 FD points or more in four of the first five games of the series, and he's shooting a crisp 53.7 percent overall during the entirety of that span.
Siakam is shooting 52.8 percent, including 40.0 percent from three-point range, thus far in the series on the way to posting 32.6 FD points per contest.
DiVincenzo has been running hot since Game 6 of the first-round series against the 76ers, averaging 38.8 FD points on the strength of 45.3 percent three-point shooting. He doing a particularly impressive job complementing his production with defensive stats, averaging 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest.
Turner is averaging 31.7 FD points per contest in the series while shooting 50.9 percent, including 47.8 percent from distance. The big man is also recording 2.0 blocks per contest, which have helped him score at least 31 FD points and as many as 42.5 in four of the first five games.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK ($11,500)
Hartenstein makes for a solid play at his salary given his upside, as he's posted tallies of 42.4 and 36.9 FD points in two of the first five games of the series. Hartenstein is averaging a solid 26.4 FD points per contest overall since the start of the postseason while shooting an efficient 62.0 percent. Hartenstein also has a pair of double-digit rebound tallies versus the Pacers, and he should be able to win his fair share of battles down low as both a scorer and rebounder again Friday.
Miles McBride, NYK ($9,500)
McBride should be set for another spot start in Game 6 after producing 23.2 FD points with the first unit in Game 5 in the ongoing absence of OG Anunoby (hamstring). The second-year guard shot a solid 7-for-15 from the field, an encouraging level of usage given some of the other players he shared the floor with. McBride has three straight double-digit scoring efforts overall in the series, and he's accomplished that feat in five postseason games overall thus far. With such a reasonable salary and a ceiling north of 30 FD points, McBride makes for an intriguing Utility Spot option.
ALSO CONSIDER: T.J. McConnell, IND ($10,000); Andrew Nembhard, IND ($8,500)
