DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Friday 10/9/20
With one game to choose from on today's NBA slate, let's look at how to utilize the DFS possibilities.
Here are some of the top plays on DraftKings. As always, good luck.
Captain Considerations
LeBron James ($18,600) -- LeBron is the No. 1 pick again in DFS after another double-double, just missing out on his first triple-double of this NBA Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers are one game away from winning the title, and LeBron's averaged 27.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in four games versus the Miami Heat. He's double-doubled in three-of-four games and scored 25 or more points in all four meetings. LeBron's recorded at least 51 fantasy points in all four games and averaging 57.3 fantasy points over the Finals. The scariest thing is I don't think we've seen the best game from The King yet, and a closeout Game 5 seems like the best time for it.
Jimmy Butler ($16,200) -- Butler is Miami's last hope for a chance to force a Game 6 in this series. Down 3-1 and facing a closeout Game 5, the Heat faces an uphill climb, but Butler has responded with monster numbers. Butler has averaged 27.5 points, 10.0 assists, and 7.8 rebounds in his first NBA Finals, and over the last two games, his numbers have been stronger. Butler's totaled 31.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists in 44.0 minutes per game in his previous two games with one triple-double and one double-double. The 2020 NBA Finals Jimmy Buckets is the best version of Butler, and we've witnessed it on the biggest stage, making him worth captain consideration over Anthony Davis ($17,700).
Utility Considerations
Anthony Davis ($11,800) -- Davis bounced back with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks for 49.25 fantasy points after a disappointing 27.25-point performance in Game 3. Davis hasn't been able to double-double much in the postseason, recording 3 in his last 10 games and 1 in his previous 7, which leads me to utility considerations. He could go off in Game 5, and most likely it would be through scoring, which we've seen him do a ton of in the postseason. Davis has averaged 28.2 points per game in 19 playoff games and 25.8 in the NBA Finals after scoring 32 and 34 in the first two games.
Jae Crowder ($7,400) -- Crowder had his lowest-scoring outing of the Finals with eight points but recorded his six straight game of 20 fantasy points or more. He's been a consistent role player for the Heat through their injuries, and he's recorded 22 rebounds over his last three games while scoring 32 points. Crowder played 25 and 28 minutes in the first two games of the series compared to 34 and 35 in the previous two games. Crowder could play his highest minute total of the series; 39 minutes are his playoff-high with Miami. Crowder has averaged 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in his three game with 36 or more minutes in the postseason.
Rajon Rondo ($6,200) -- Rondo has been Mr. Do-It-All off the bench for the Lakers in the postseason, recording 8.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. He's played in 14 of the Lakers' 19 postseason games, and in the NBA Finals, Rondo's averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in 26.8 minutes. Rondo's played 28 minutes in his last two games, impressive totals despite his lack of scoring in that span. Rondo has made 25% of his field goals over the previous two games (3/15) but averaged 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists to 1.5 turnovers. Rondo's a key role player for the Lakers in a closeout Game 5; he's a sneaky double-double option.
Danny Green ($4,400) -- Green's currently chasing his third ring and back-to-back championships after winning with the Toronto Raptors last season. He hasn't been the most influential player or dependable DFS option in the NBA Finals, but his 16.5 fantasy points per game are better than most around his value. Green had eight shot attempts in Game 4, knocking down four while adding two rebounds and one assist. Green redeemed himself after a goose egg 0-for-6 in Game 3 and a 1-for-8 performance in Game 2 with a slight four-minute bump in playing time in Game 4. I like Green's chances to play between 25-30 minutes tonight because of his defense and three-point ability making him a last utility spot play in DFS.
Vaughn Dalzell is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Vaughn also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his account, username vdalzell. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.com
