The first game between the Thunder and Spurs was the most watchable game of the postseason, as both teams exchanged blows through two overtime periods. The Thunder notched their first playoff loss, giving the Spurs momentum as they try to win another on the road. How do we tackle these games tonight? Wembanyama or bust? SGA all the way? Something else entirely? I've got a variety of FanDuel single-game build recommendations to get you off on the right foot.
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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NBA Injuries Today
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SAS De'Aaron Fox (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
It appears that Fox will be a game-time decision. Those who kept their ears to the ground were wise to lock in Dylan Harper ($7,300) before lock, and I'd recommend the move if Fox is ruled out again. Harper's salary has spiked up a bit, but he could still be viable independent of Fox's status.
MVP (1.5x) Candidates
Victor Wembanyama, SAS (MVP $25,500, UTIL $17,000)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC (MVP $22,500, UTIL $15,000)
I don't see a need to get cute here. You will want both of these guys in your lineup, and I don't think you can go wrong with either player in the MVP spot. Wembanyama is the favorite for the spot, and it's hard to argue against it. We're watching a future MVP and generational star in action, delivering stellar totals night after night. We could get fancy with the multiplier, but I don't see a need. You're challenged with a slot average of $4,875 per player remaining with Wemby in the MVP slot and SGA in the UTIL, and a $5,125 per-player average when you flip them. Our primary goal is to raise that average, but the sizable gap between the 7k and 5k talents won't allow you to get more elites in the grouping with this method.
Utility Candidates
Julian Champagnie, SAS ($4,400)
Alex Caruso, OKC ($3,800)
Keldon Johnson, SAS ($2,000)
I'll probably have Caruso in all of my lineups, but let's tinker around and see what happens if we couple Caruso with Johnson with SGA/Wemby. With SGA at the top, we have an average of $7,350 remaining. This gives you room for a Fox/Harper decision slot, but it also opens you up to Chet Holmgren ($9,600), who you can grab and couple with Champagnie. With Wemby at MVP, your options shrink somewhat, with an average of $6,850 for Caruso/Johnson UTIL builds. Holmgren is still attainable here, but you'd need someone like Cason Wallace ($2,800) to fill out the build. With Wemby at the top, it might be best to take Johnson off and take what the average is giving us, finishing the build with Devin Vassell ($5,200) and Isaiah Hartenstein ($4,800). With all of these thoughts in mind, here are my two favorite conventional builds:
Wembanyama/Gilgeous-Alexander/Vassell/Hartenstein/Champagnie/Caruso
Gilgeous-Alexander/Wembanyama/Holmgren/Champagnie/Caruso/Johnson
Castle and Williams
I get it. I'd love to have Williams involved as well, but it's a tough road with Wemby and SGA. A beginning build with the trio ranges from $3,167 to $3,500, depending on the MVP. A very unorthodox method would be to put Williams in the MVP, which would boost your average to $4,333 per player. Stephon Castle is only $200 more expensive than Williams, and you would see similar numbers in all three instances. Here's what happens with various builds that involve Williams:
Wembanyama/SGA/Williams or Castle/Caruso/Wallace/Johnson
SGA/Wembanyama/Williams or Castle/Caruso/Champagnie/Johnson
Williams or Castle/SGA/Wembanyama/Caruso/Hartenstein/Champagnie
Fox/Harper scenarios
If we look at the SGA MVP build that involved Holmgren above, you could fade Holmgren and implement a strategy where you save a utility with room for Fox or Harper, and decide between the two once Fox's status is announced. Other builds can allow this as well, but they don't fit as easily.
