This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Following a wild Game 1 in which the Celtics arguably got more than they bargained for from a seemingly indefatigable Pacers squad, we're set for Game 2 on Thursday night. The injury outlook mirrors that of the series-opening clash, with Kristaps Porzingis the one big absence. There were plenty of fantasy-friendly matchups in Boston's Game 1 overtime victory, and Game 2 could offer up more of the same as Indiana looks to steal a game at TD Garden before heading home.
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 Thursday, May 23 @ 12:00 a.m. EDT:
Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics (-9) (O/U: 225.0)
Despite how much closer Game 1 was than was projected by oddsmakers – the Celtics were up to a 10-point favorite at most sportsbooks leading into tip-off – Boston is almost as large a favorite for Game 2. It appears there's faith in fatigue finally catching up a bit with Indiana, as the combination of its breakneck pace of play and the sheer amount of minutes Pacers starters have played since the start of the postseason is bound to manifest itself prominently at some point.
The projected total is higher than Game 1's 222-point figure, and that's unsurprising considering the Pacers managed to keep up their red-hot shooting despite the tough matchup versus the Celtics and the game ultimately became the fourth in six meetings between the teams since the start of the regular season that finished with more than 250 combined points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (calf): OUT
Porzingis' ongoing absence should keep Al Horford in the starting five Thursday night.
Other notable injuries:
Xavier Tillman, BOS (personal): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
The two highest-salaried players on the slate are Jayson Tatum ($16,500) and Tyrese Haliburton ($14,500).
Tatum took a postseason-high 26 shot attempts in Game 1 and finished with 61.4 FD points, his second straight contest over 61 and fourth overall with more than 58 FD points. Tatum also put up 32.5 points (on 57.8 percent shooting, including 48.6 percent from distance), 11.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest over four games versus the Pacers in the regular season, so there's plenty of reason to believe a similar level of elite production is possible in Game 2.
Haliburton's offensive involvement encouragingly remained high in Game 1, as he put up 18 shot attempts and posted 52.6 FD points, the latter qualifying as his highest tally since Game 3 of the semifinal round versus the Knicks. Haliburton also generated a contribution of 60.5 FD points versus the Celtics on the strength of a 26-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the regular season, so the upside remains high for Game 2 despite what is a tough defensive matchup on paper.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Jaylen Brown ($14,000), Pascal Siakam ($13,500) and Myles Turner ($12,500) should also be very popular. All three make for great options in the STAR or PRO slots.
Brown went off for a playoff-high 50.9 FD points in Game 1, shooting 50.0 percent overall and making his one three-pointer count by knotting the game at 117-117 in the waning seconds of regulation. Brown is now shooting 54.8 percent in Boston's 11 postseason contests, while Indiana is surrendering 39.0 percent three-point shooting to small forwards thus far in the postseason.
Siakam's struggles from distance against the Celtics continued in Game 1 – he missed on both attempts after shooting just 17.6 percent from behind the arc versus Boston in five regular-season games – but he finished with his highest FD-point tally (49.9) since Game 2 of the first-round series versus the Bucks.
Turner's impressive postseason continued in Game 1, as he compiled 43 FD points on the strength of a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included a pair of doubles. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the big man's statistical profile was that he drained another three of four attempts from three-point range, pushing his postseason success rate from deep to 46.7 percent. The combination of his salary and upside should keep Turner very popular Thursday.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Derrick White, BOS ($12,000)
White delivered handsomely at an $11.5K salary in Game 1, posting 42.7 FD points over 42 minutes. White also put up double-digit shot attempts for the eighth time in the last nine playoff games, and he recorded his first multi-steal tally of the playoffs as well. The Pacers are also surrendering 39.7 percent shooting from behind the arc and 1.2 steals per contest to two-guards during the postseason, furthering White's case.
Jrue Holiday, BOS ($11,500)
Holiday shot 52.9 percent, including 47.8 percent from three-point range, in five regular-season meetings against the Pacers, so it wasn't entirely surprising to see him go a blistering 10-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-8 from behind the arc, in Game 1 versus Indiana. The do-it-all veteran now has scored over 37 FD points in three of the last four postseason games, as he continues to pitch in more offensively during Porzingis' ongoing absence. The Pacers also have the second-worst defensive efficiency rating (-10.9) against point guards of the original 20-team postseason field, fueling Holiday's candidacy Thursday.
T.J. McConnell, IND ($9,000)
McConnell's salary is very enticing for a player of his upside, and he checks in with an average of 28.2 FD points on 54.2 percent shooting, including 40.0 percent from three-point range, over the last nine postseason contests. That includes a tally of 24.6 FD points over 25 minutes in Game 1 against Boston, a span during which he went an impressive 6-for-11 from the field. McConnell shot 54.5 percent against the Celtics in four regular-season contests as well, so there's reason to believe he could continue thriving Thursday while likely avoiding a good deal of Boston's tough first-string backcourt defense.
ALSO CONSIDER: Al Horford, BOS ($10,500); Aaron Nesmith, IND ($10,000)
