RADIO
It has been a while since we've had some NBA action going on. Both teams are coming into the NBA Finals well-rested. You can say that Denver is "supposed" to be here, but not even the most fanatic of Heat fans expected this. Of course, they hoped for it. The Heat had to make it through the number 1 seed in Milwaukee and the number 2 seed in Boston. Who saw that coming?
We are in showdown mode for the rest of the finals. Showdowns are a little different. On DraftKings, you have a "captain" that scores 1.5x points but is also 1.5x the price. On FanDuel, there are no price multipliers, but points still are for several slots. The MVP slot scores double the points. The Star scores 1.5x points. The pro slot scores 1.2x points. There are also two utility slots that score the normal point value. Are you ready?
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/1/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before the lineup locks at 8:30 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers!
DraftKings and FanDuel Captain/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN ($21,000 DK; $17,500 FD)
How can you argue with Jokic? His 57.8 DraftKings point average in two games against Miami this year is actually under the 60.6 total that he has averaged through the regular season and playoffs. Speaking of playoffs, Jokic has cleared 70 fantasy points in 10 of Denver's 15 playoff games. Jokic has hit another level in these playoffs. While I don't expect 70 against Miami, 60 is still very possible, giving Jokic the highest ceiling on the slate.
Caleb Martin, MIA ($11,100 DK; $12,000 FD)
Martin is a bit of a risk, but with Tyler Herro out, this is a risk I'm willing to take. Butler's price is nearly as high as Jokic and he only hit the 70-fantasy point threshold once in these playoffs (Game 4 vs. Milwaukee). To me, Butler feels overpriced for the captain slot. He's a decent option at the Star slot on FanDuel, but using a guy like Martin as captain on DraftKings will save you enough money to comfortably use Jokic. Martin had 96.25 DraftKings points over the last two games against Boston. If he can get anywhere near that at a price this low, we could be sitting pretty.
Also consider: Jimmy Butler, MIA ($20,100 DK, $16,000 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jamal Murray, DEN ($10,800 DK; $15,500 FD)
Murray and Jokic worked very well together in the sweep of the Lakers. Murray topped 60 fantasy points twice in the four games and averaged 56 DraftKings points per game in that series. The Heat are running with Lowry and Vincent at the point. Can they stop Murray? I have my doubts, and so should you. Murray didn't play well in his one game against the Heat this year, but I'll trust his recent playoff success more.
Michael Porter, DEN ($7,600 DK; $12,500 FD)
Miami's best options are Butler, who feels overpriced; Bam Adebayo, who has been inconsistent at best in the playoffs, and Martin, whom I'm likely running at captain. If not, Martin will be somewhere in my lineups. That leaves Porter as the only other viable option in this tier for me. The good news is that there are several Heat players that are good values to make other pieces fit. Porter is also coming off of perhaps the best four-game stretch of his career. He averaged 15 points, 9.3 rebounds, and four assists in the series against the Lakers. His price is still reasonable enough for me to use him.
Others to consider: Bruce Brown, DEN ($6,200 DK; $9,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Value Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Gabe Vincent, MIA ($5,800 DK; $8,500 FD)
Vincent has been starting at the point lately and putting up strong numbers. He'll still lose time to Lowry, but Vincent still plays more minutes so the ceiling is higher. The price difference is negligible, so I'll always go with the higher ceiling. Vincent has scored in double figures in four straight games for the Heat. He should chip in another solid game here.
Duncan Robinson, MIA ($4,200 DK; $7,000 FD)
Miami is plenty deep enough to survive without Tyler Herro. However, Robinson should get more minutes in the absence of Herro and he is always on the verge of a scoring outburst. That said, Robinson is always a risk because he really needs to score to be useful in DFS. His floor is terrifying, but I love the upside in large-field GPPs.
Others to consider: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DEN ($5,600 DK, $7,500 FD)
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