We're set for a one-game NBA Cup Finals slate Tuesday, pitting the Spurs against the Knicks, and we should be in store for an entertaining wire-to-wire affair with both teams essentially at full strength in terms of key players.
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 the 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 Tuesday, Dec. 16, @11:00 a.m. ET:
San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks (-2.5) (O/U: 234.5)
The betting lines set up ideally for DFS purposes Tuesday, as the spread and projected total portend a high-scoring and very close game. Therefore, the likes of front-line players such as Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson can be deployed with confidence, and although neither team ranks in the top half of the league in pace, we should still be in store for plenty of standout individual performances.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Miles McBride, Knicks (ankle): OUT
In McBride's ongoing absence, Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson should continue to see additional opportunities.
Elite Players
The players with the highest MVP salaries on Tuesday's slate are Victor Wembanyama ($24,000), Karl-Anthony Towns ($19,800) and Jalen Brunson ($19,200).
Wembanyama came back from a 12-game absence due to a calf strain in the NBA Cup Semifinals win over the Thunder and provided 39.8 FD points across just 20 minutes. With three full days of rest since that contest and the importance of Tuesday's game, he should be ready for an appreciable increase in minutes.
Towns has eclipsed 42 FD points in each of his last two games, but he'll have a tough matchup down low whenever he and Wembanyama share the floor.
Brunson has scored at least 41.4 FD points in five straight games and is averaging 42.3 FD points per contest for the season, but he may have a challenging time driving to the basket Tuesday anytime Wembanyama is in the paint.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup to pick from, the likes of De'Aaron Fox ($11,000), Josh Hart ($9,600) and Stephon Castle ($8,800) should also be very popular.
Fox has continued to churn out solid production even with Stephon Castle back in the fold, providing 33.4 FD points or more in 13 of his last 14 games.
Hart has been a steady source of production irrespective of where he's slotted in the rotation this season and checks in averaging 41.2 FD points over his last 10 games while handling a starting role.
Castle has averaged 33.9 FD points in his first three games since returning from a hip injury and shot 53.3 percent in that sample, giving him some very appealing upside at his salary.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Mikal Bridges, NYK ($7,400)
Bridges makes for an intriguing value option within the context of Tuesday's one-game scenario, having averaged 37.5 FD points over his last 14 games on the strength of a very well-rounded 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. The veteran wing has shot 53.0 percent in that sample as well while eclipsing 41 FD points on five occasions. The Spurs have been fairly generous to Bridges' small forward position as well, surrendering 46 FD points per game to threes over the last 15 contests. It's also worth noting Bridges has been at his most productive by far outside of his MSG home floor, as he's contributing 20.4 points (on 59.3 percent shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks on the road in an 11-game sample.
OG Anunoby, NYK ($6,800)
Anunoby is another productive member of the Knicks who is carrying a very reasonable salary, as he checks into Tuesday's championship clash running hot over his last three games. Anunoby is averaging 38.1 FD points per contest in the sample while shooting 52.6 percent, including 52.9 percent from three-point range. The veteran forward has exceeded 30 FD points in 10 of 16 games overall this season, and he should be in for a significant workload Tuesday given the stakes at play and his demonstrated ability to handle heavy minutes.
Devin Vassell, SAN ($6,200)
Vassell has the occasional unpredictable dip in offensive production, but he bounced back nicely from back-to-back quiet games by scoring 23 points and 40 FD points in the NBA Cup Semifinal win over the Thunder. Vassell is delivering 31.6 FD points per game over his last 13 contests overall, a sample during which he's draining 44.0 percent of his 6.5 three-point attempts per game. The Knicks have allowed 47.1 percent shooting on the road overall (45.0 percent at home), and they've also been more generous to small forwards of late by surrendering 43.9 FD points to the position in the last seven contests. Vassell seemed to benefit from Victor Wembanyama's return to action Saturday, and with the big man likely due for a noteworthy increase in minutes Tuesday, that effect could be even more pronounced.
ALSO CONSIDER: Keldon Johnson, SAN ($3,800)
