RADIO
We are up to Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Suns and Bucks. Dario Saric for the Suns and Donte DiVincenzo for the Bucks are the only players out as the series moves to Milwaukee. The Bucks dug themselves a 0-2 hole, but they were 26-10 at the FiServ Forum this year. They took Game 3 at home to pull the series to 1-2.
We are in Showdown mode for DFS on DraftKings from here on out. To build our rosters for this particular format, we need to identify a Captain and five utility players. It's just like the analytics nerds dreamt it up: positionless basketball. The Captain will earn 1.5 times the amount of points he regularly tallies, but it also drives up the price for your more prominent players.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/14/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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Milwaukee Bucks (-4, 220.5 total)
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C (Captain: $18,300, Utility: $12,200)
Giannis wasn't much of a factor even when he did play in the Atlanta series, but he has 194.5 DraftKings points in the first three games of this series. The Freak seems to be extra motivated by defenses geared to stop him. The Suns clearly can't. 140.25 of those DraftKings points came in Games 2 and 3. There is no higher upside than Giannis here, so you have to pay for him at captain in cash games. You may get away with a GPP fade, but I don't feel particularly good about it. At any rate, he needs to be in any build in some capacity in cash and single entry tournaments.
Jrue Holiday - PG/SG (Captain: $13,800, Utility: $9,200)
Much as I expected, both Holiday and Middleton shot better from the floor in Game 3. It makes more of a difference for Holiday. His 21 points in Game 3 were his best output of the series and he still only took 14 shots. All of the peripheral stats that Holiday had been piling up in the first three games were still there. Middleton still has the higher ceiling, but I view Holiday as a better value for the price. Giannis doing the heavy lifting all over the court is limiting Middleton's upside some, but not so much for Holiday.
P.J. Tucker - SF/PF ($3,400)
Tucker continues to be one of the best value plays out there just because of the minutes he plays. He hasn't played under 30 minutes since Game 5 against Atlanta and has only come in under 30 minutes three times in the entire playoffs since Game 2 of the first round. Most of what Tucker does doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He rarely takes more than five shots per game and the only real category that he contributes in is rebounds. That said, that much time on the court has given him a floor of about 15 DraftKings points. I'll take that for the price.
Other options: Khris Middleton ($10,000), Pat Connaughton ($4,200)
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Phoenix Suns (+4, 220.5 total)
Chris Paul - PG (Captain: $14,400, Utility: $9,600)
I would consider Paul the safest play for the Suns, even though Devin Booker still has more upside. Paul has 127 DraftKings points in the first three games of the Finals in his quest for his first NBA title. That alone is enough of a motivator for Paul, who has been in the league long enough to truly appreciate the enormity of the situation. He's the safest play on either team for cash games, but if you absolutely must have that upside, go with Booker instead.
Deandre Ayton - C (Captain: $12,600, Utility: $8,400)
Our days of questioning whether we can run Ayton at captain should be over by now. In a game in which most of the Suns team underperformed, Ayton still racked up 32.25 DraftKings points in just 24 minutes because of foul trouble. He needs to cut down on the fouls and remain a factor for both the Suns and us DFS players, but I really like the upside for the price. He would need to have a ceiling game at captain if Giannis goes off, but I don't mind it in large field GPP's.
Jae Crowder - SF/PF ($6,800)
The last two games highlight just why the Suns wanted Crowder. He has a ton of playoff experience and can be relied upon for efficient shooting in most games. Most bailed on Crowder after he went 0-8 from the floor in Game 1, but Crowder has made ten of his 15 shots since then and scored 28 points. That has led to 65 DraftKings points over the last two games. He's the best mid-range option on either team right now.
Other options: Devin Booker ($10,400), Cameron Johnson ($3,800)
