The Spurs once again bounced back from adversity in grand fashion in Game 6 with a 27-point thrashing of the defending champions, leading to tonight's Game 7 showdown at Paycom Center. The Thunder will notably be short-handed yet again, as both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell have been ruled out.
With only one matchup, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
- MVP- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
- Five 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 some of utility spots is undoubtedly key, as it enables you to roster a superstar in the MVP slot, where salaries for each player are 1.5x higher than if you were rostering them in a Utility spot.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, May 30 @12:00 a.m. ET:
- San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5) (O/U: 212.5)
Despite having taken two blowout losses in the last three games, the Thunder are Game 7 home favorites, albeit by an understandably narrow margin. Oklahoma City's two home wins have notably come by margins of nine and 13 points, and given the Spurs' unquestioned ability to take over games in this series, the small number seems justified.
The relatively modest projected total banks on a defense-centric battle, but it's worth noting the only two games in the series that have finished below 231 points are San Antonio's two lopsided home victories in Games 4 and 6.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Jalen Williams, OKC (hamstring): OUT
With Williams ruled out, Jared McCain should draw another start.
Ajay Mitchell, OKC (calf): OUT
In Mitchell's ongoing absence, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso could be set for additional run.
Elite Players
The player with the highest MVP salary on Saturday's slate is Victor Wembanyama ($27,600). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($22,500) sports the second-highest salary in that spot.
Wembanyama has scored at least 55 non-multiplier FD points in four of the first six games, including more than 61 in three of those contests. Given his virtually limitless ceiling, he's the clear top candidate for the 1.5x multiplier MVP spot.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored only 20.2 non-multiplier FD points in Game 6, but that came in a 28-minute stint because of the blowout nature of the contest. Notably, he's produced over 50 non-multiplier FD points in the three home games in the series.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Stephon Castle ($10,200), De'Aaron Fox ($8,000) and Chet Holmgren ($7,400) should also be very popular as non-MVP candidates.
Castle's 38.5 FD-point tally in Game 6 was his fourth of at least 37 in the last five games, production that should guarantee a high roster rate Saturday.
Fox averaged 34.2 FD points over his first three games back from an ankle injury, so he should remain very popular despite his 1-for-9 shooting from the floor in Game 6.
Holmgren posted his second straight double-double and tally of 33.7 FD points in Game 6, so he should remain very popular Saturday.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Devin Vassell, SAN ($6,000)
Vassell eclipsed 24 FD points for the second straight contest in Game 6, and he was back on track with his shot as evidenced by his 4-for-7 effort from the floor after he'd gone just 2-for-11 in Game 5. Vassell was highly productive in the first four games of the series as well, averaging 33.1 FD points on the strength of 17.0 points (on 45.2 percent from three-point range), 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks across 39.5 minutes per contest. Vassell is averaging 26.9 FD points across 10 games against the Thunder since the start of the regular season, and given he's seen a reduction in salary, the talented wing is a very viable value option.
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC ($5,400)
Hartenstein played just 16 minutes in Game 6, but he still quickly collected 20.5 FD points via 10 points, five rebounds and three assists while taking 10 shots. He'd delivered in more rewarding fashion as a value suggestion in Game 5, racking up 36 FD points via a 12-point, 15-rebound double-double across 31 minutes. Hartenstein boasts a 61.7 percent conversion rate on his 13.5 rebounding opportunities per game during the series, and with his salary remaining steady, he's back in play once again after recording over 20 FD points in 11 of his first 14 playoff games.
Jared McCain, OKC ($4,200)
McCain appears set for another start with Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams both ruled out, and the second-year guard's salary remains exceedingly modest despite averaging 16.5 points (on 41.7 percent three-point shooting), 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 30 minutes per contest in his first two turns with the first unit this series. Additionally, McCain recorded 29.7 and 29.3 FD points in Games 2 and 3, respectively, off the bench, so he certainly has the ability to deliver a handsome return on investment in what should be a 25-minute stint on the floor, at minimum.
ALSO CONSIDER: Julian Champagnie, SAN ($4,800)
