It's do or die for the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. They'll need an inspired performance to avoid getting swept by the Knicks. Can they find a way to reverse the pendulum in their direction? I've provided builds that cater to both sides of the coin, giving you leeway to take a side with different captain and utility leans for both teams. For those unfamiliar with the format, here's a brief introduction to FanDuel's single-game contests.
For FanDuel single-game contests, participants are given six positions to fill. While five are normal (UTIL) spots, the remaining slot allows for a 1.5x multiplier (MVP) to be given to a selected player. That's a significant bonus for that player, but there's a catch. The player's base salary is also multiplied by 1.5x when used in the multiplier spot. The biggest difference between DraftKings and FanDuel involves roster limits. On DraftKings, you can't pick more than four players from one team. That limit doesn't apply to FanDuel, as they only require you to take players from both clubs with a maximum of five.
The most common mistake made by DFS participants is assuming that finding the game's top scorer and placing them in the multiplier is the key to winning. While that approach can occasionally pay off, it's often not the case. The best producer will usually command a high salary, with the 1.5x multiplier limiting your ability to maximize UTIL spots. If a player's base value is $10,000, that increases to $15,000 under the multiplier, and that would eat up a sizable chunk of available salary.
Let's take a look at a winning lineup from Game 3. This $10k winner came from the $3 NBA Floater.
MVP Mikal Bridges, NYK 67.8
UTIL Jalen Brunson, NYK 41.6
UTIL Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK 45.1
UTIL OG Anunoby, NYK 34.4
UTIL Josh Hart, NYK 38.3
UTIL Max Strus, CLE 33.4
Total: 260.6
Salary increases make this build impossible for Game 4. There were several alternate ways to cash, but taking Bridges at his low MVP salary allowed for a max-elite Knicks build to carry the day and the $10k prize. I cashed via a build that included Mitchell and Allen instead of Towns and Bridges.
Use our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
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MVP (1.5x) Candidates
Mikal Bridges, NYK (MVP $11,000, UTIL $7,400)
Jalen Brunson, NYK (MVP $20,400, UTIL $13,600)
OG Anunoby, NYK (MVP $12,900, UTIL $8,600)
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (MVP $19,200, UTIL $12,800)
With Cleveland's backs against the wall, there's definitely merit to adding an additional Cavalier or two for Captain consideration. However, I'm still confident that the Knicks can shut down this series on the road. I've listed my preferences in order, and I've put Bridges at the top. If you had told me that I would consider him as the 1.5x multiplier earlier in the regular season, I wouldn't have believed you. Bridges has come through in a big way in the postseason and has one of the best floors on the team over the last eight games. His low MVP salary is why I place him ahead of Brunson, Mitchell and Anunoby. That's a good enough reason unto itself, but as you'll see below, the math doesn't work in Bridges' favor. If you're a believer in a Cleveland rally, then by all means, take Mitchell.
Utility Candidates
All of the above candidates also have value as UTIL candidates. With a Bridges/Brunson/Mitchell build, we're left with an average of $7,500 per slot. If I add Anunoby, we go down to $6,950 per slot, which puts the following players still within reach.
Jarrett Allen, CLE ($6,600)
Max Strus, CLE ($4,200)
Miles McBride, NYK ($1,400)
This is where the math becomes sticky. The Bridges/Brunson/Mitchell/Anunoby/Allen build leaves us with an uncomfortable $7,300 remaining for the final slot. If we took Strus, we'd be left with a massive $3,100 on the table. So, where do we send that cash?
The most logical option is to send Brunson to the top and drop Bridges to the Utility. With that tactic, you will have spent 100% of your salary allotment. You get $400 left if you swap Mitchell and Bridges, and the scant amount won't move the needle much at any position. I'd rather not move below Strus to add to the small surplus, and my fades of James Harden, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are choices I am ready to live with. This leaves us with two reliable builds, with slight adjustments at Captain.
Brunson/Mitchell/Anunoby/Bridges/Allen/Strus
Mitchell/Brunson/Anunoby/Bridges/Allen/Strus
The Mobley Knick Fade
Mobley led the Cavs with 24 points in Game 3, and I see a path to making him available if you're willing to spend down. While supplanting Mitchell would be the easiest move, taking Anunoby off would leave you $1,400 (Brunson MVP) or $1,800 (Mitchell MVP) for the final spot. That leaves you with a choice of Landry Shamet ($1,800) with Mitchell or Miles McBride ($1,400) with Brunson. For me, the best build for Mobley would be:
Brunson/Mitchell/Mobley/Bridges/Allen/McBride
With Mitchell as the MVP, the $400 surplus could give you:
Mitchell/Brunson/Mobley/Bridges/Allen/Shamet
These builds are preferable if you believe Cleveland can extend the series, and also have an interest in Mobley's ability to repeat as the #1 or #2 scorer.
