The Knicks were handed their first loss in over a month as they fell to the Spurs in Game 3. The pattern of the game was similar to New York's first two wins. The Spurs jumped to an early lead, followed by a Knicks run to close the gap before the half. The difference came after intermission. Rather than stave off a late run via demoralizing jumpers from guys like Brunson and Bridges, the Knicks' offense fell apart and couldn't make the tough shots to seal the deal. The loss should be a sound wake-up call for a team that has gotten away with a streak of wins despite fouling too often and holding onto the ball for the bulk of most possessions. Optimizing the transition was also a problem in Game 3, and although the Knicks held home-court advantage, there was a noticeable lack of hustle. As we motor through my favorite FanDuel DFS recommendations, we'll keep New York's retooling in mind while balancing our build with Spurs who have obvious values as they return to their home court. Before we begin, here's a quick primer for those unfamiliar with the format.
For FanDuel single-game contests, participants are given six positions to fill. While five of them are normal (UTIL) spots, the remaining slot allows for a 1.5x multiplier (MVP) to be given to the selected player. That's a significant bonus for the selected player, but there is 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 cannot pick more than four players from one team. That limit doesn't apply to FanDuel. FanDuel only requires that you use players from both teams, with a maximum of five per team instead of four.
The most common mistake made by DFS players is assuming that finding the game's top scorer and placing them in the multiplier is the key to winning. While that approach can pay off occasionally, it's often not the case. The top scorer will usually have a high salary, and the 1.5x multiplier will restrict your ability to maximize production in the UTIL spots. If a player's base salary is $10,000, it increases to $15,000 under the multiplier, eating up a sizable chunk of your available salary.
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Let's take a look at how a top lineup in one of FanDuel's most popular contests fared in Game 3.
MVP Victor Wembanyama 96.5
UTIL De'Aaron Fox 34.6
UTIL OG Anunoby 40.5
UTIL Julian Champagnie 20.7
UTIL Dylan Harper 29.8
UTIL Stephon Castle 40.5
Castle's performance was strong enough to earn a spot in this winning lineup, which is notable considering his struggle to meet 5x value relative to his lofty salary. Although his lofty line will correspond with a bump in cost, his exposure is bound to increase. What's most notable is the lack of Knicks elites. Inefficient nights from Brunson and Towns kept them off the board, and the most effective build featured a huge night from Wembanyama and bits of his supporting cast.
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MVP (1.5x) Candidates
Victor Wembanyama, SAS (MVP $25,500, UTIL $17,000)
Jalen Brunson, NYK (MVP $18,300, UTIL $12,200)
De'Aaron Fox, SAS (MVP $11,700, UTIL $7,800)
It will be hard to fade Wembanyama as the top option for the MVP spot. My only cause for fading him comes from New York's efficiency in making adjustments throughout the season. The 25-point beatdown the Spurs suffered back in March showed how the Knicks can have some success in containing the 7-4 powerhouse, but they'll need to stop fouling him if they hope to hold him to an underwhelming final line. Brunson makes the list despite a sluggish start. He finished with a team-high 32 points thanks to a massive shot volume (25 attempts). While I wouldn't call New York's dependence on pivotal jumpers from Brunson reckless, it's certainly a bit dangerous. If you buy into a more accurate night from him, he's an excellent multiplier pick for you. Fox is included for a couple of reasons. One reason to spend down is a faith in better returns from New York players with elevated salaries. I also can't trust Castle, and Karl-Anthony Towns has yet to score a point in the fourth quarter during this series. Still, making room for guys like Anunoby, Bridges and Hart might be a sound way to go, and you can get them while promoting Fox and hanging on to Brunson and Wemby in utility.
Utility Candidates
All of the MVP candidates also qualify for UTIL consideration.
OG Anunoby, NYK ($8,200)
Mikal Bridges, NYK ($6,400)
Devin Vassell, SAS ($5,800)
Dylan Harper, SAS ($5,200)
Julian Champagnie, SAS ($4,800)
How you fill out the UTIL spots depends on a few different factors.
- Who you use and exclude in the MVP slot
- Recency data
- Your projected game result
Your utilization of Vassell, Harper and Champagnie will definitely increase if Wembanyama is your top pick. Adding Brunson as a UTIL lock with Wemby gives you an average salary of $5,575 remaining, so it's imperative to add Champagnie and Harper to stay below the cap. With Fox, I can find my way to a build of Fox/Wemby/Brunson/Anunoby and still have an average of $5,450 for the final two spots. Vassell and Champagnie fit perfectly to fill out that build, although you could also do combinations that also involve Harper and Bridges. I would like to have Anunoby involved whenever possible due to his upside.
If you want Brunson at the top, you face some of the same challenges you're facing with Wemby, although to a lesser degree. A Brunson/Wembanyama/Anunoby build brings you right back into the Bridges/Vassell/Harper/Champagnie range. You can swap Vassell or Bridges and finish with Harper and Champagnie.
Single-game formats are tough to play and involve a lot of trial and error. To reduce your frustration, I always recommend firing up a few different builds and place most of your focus on single-entry GPPs, 3-players or 50/50s.
