The Cavaliers and Pistons have battled to a Game 7, so we'll share our best options for FanDuel's single-game contest. Though this isn't a standard betting article, an idea about the outcome is always worth considering in a two-team DFS format. I believe the momentum is firmly in Detroit's favor after a brilliant second half on Friday. Barring a perfect start from Cleveland, I don't think this game will be close. And that belief will influence many of my decisions this evening. First, let's review how these contests work.
For FanDuel single-game, 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 take players from both club 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 carry a high salary, with the 1.5x multiplier restricting your ability to maximize the 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.
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DET Duncan Robinson (back) - QUESTIONABLE
DET Caris LeVert (heel) - QUESTIONABLE
Both players have seen their numbers falter the last two matchups, yet Robinson did see some improvement after a Game 5 absence. Daniss Jenkins ($5,200) would probably start for the Pistons and could be the better off-guard option.
MVP (1.5x) Candidates
Cade Cunningham, DET (MVP $23,400, UTIL$15,600)
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (MVP $18,300, UTIL $12,200)
James Harden, CLE (MVP $17,700, UTIL $11,800)
Jarrett Allen, CLE (MVP $11,400, UTIL $7,600)
It's likely all four will find their way into my favorite build, though the occasional fade could occur. I'm endorsing Cunningham as the highest scorer, but let's look at the cap hit we encounter when placing him as MVP that shows we'll only have an average of $7,320 per slot remaining. Add in Mitchell and Allen at the UTIL and you're left with only $5,600 for the final three. There are two gaps in the player pool, with one between $7,500 and $5,200 and the other between $2,800 and $2,000. Both are narrower than they were earlier this series, but it's still something to consider. If the desired values aren't there, we don't have a motivation to reach for them.
So you're left with two separate strategies for Sunday: spend up and buy low or go cheaper and try for higher options. The cheaper build at MVP goes to Allen. Adding Cunningham and Mitchell gives you $6,933 per player with Cunningham, Harden and Allen a bit lower at $7,067. While Cunningham makes a lot of sense, selecting him at the top denies me opportunities to include additional Pistons I want involved. Therefore, I'm ultimately fading him and going with one of the other three to maximize stability.
Utility Options
All the MVP candidates are also playable in the UTIL section. Here are other considerations:
Ausar Thompson, DET ($9,200)
Tobias Harris, DET ($10,000)
Evan Mobley, CLE ($10,600)
Daniss Jenkins, DET ($5,200)
Paul Reed, DET ($2,800)
Sam Merrill, CLE ($2,000)
I've been thoroughly underwhelmed with Mobley, so I doubt he'll make the cut. And I have a similar feeling about Harris. Conversely, Thompson is someone who holds my interest. With him, I can add Jenkins without much trouble and leave a grab bag of Robinson, LeVert, Reed or Merrill from which to choose. As you'll see, the remaining outlay for the final slot is squarely in the aforementioned salary cap with an Allen/Mitchell/Cunningham/Thompson/Jenkins build at $6,400 per player. Swapping Harden doesn't move the needle much either, but is the money left on the table really something we should be concerned about? It doesn't if you believe in a great performance from Thompson.
Ultimately, I would rather have him on my roster over Mobley or Jalen Duren, who are the only others above $7,600 jump I mentioned earlier. Swapping Allen for Mitchell or Harden at MVP could let both players back into the fold, allowing us to spend the bulk of our cash - yet our final build will have to settle for Merrill and Reed at the bottom after keeping Thompson. To sum up this tactic, the lineup would look like this:
Harden/Cunningham/Mitchell/Thompson/Merrill/Reed
The Robinson/LaVert Question: A Detroit stack?
Estimating value for these players is tough. I would look to gameflow as a source of information. I'm a strong believer in a decisive win for Detroit on Sunday. Following my logic, it makes sense the Pistons would opt to rest their players once the matchup gets out of hand. If you feel differently, then risking either might be in your best interest. Again, we double back to the cash gap problem and the lack of motivation to save money once the elites are blended in.
One move I would consider is a wildcard Thompson MVP build, which would provide a bit more breathing room to risk LaVert or Max Strus instead of Merrill and Reed. Duren rolled his foot late during Game 6. And though he isn't in the injury report, we could see Reed earlier than usual to make him a more valuable selection at the bottom. I'd also be up to enter a couple additional contests and use a Detroit focus that would strike Mitchell and Harden from the roll.
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