We’re primed for a single-game slate Thursday, as the Suns and Clippers get together and try to generate a fitting encore to an instant classic of a Game 2. Los Angeles will naturally be out to both forget and overcome the heartbreaking fashion in which they dropped that 104-103 decision to fall into their current 2-0 series hole.
I’ll outline a pair of candidates for each of the three multiplier spots (MVP. STAR and PRO) in FanDuel’s single-game roster format, and I’ll also offer another two players to consider for the two Utility spots that accrue FanDuel points at a non-multiplier rate. Thursday’s game should offer a very good DFS environment, considering some of the jaw-dropping performances we’ve seen thus far.
Read on to see my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 6/24/21. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS MVP Picks (2x)
Paul George, SF- vs. PHO ($15,000)
George will once again take the floor without Kawhi Leonard (knee) on Thursday, and he’s now sporting a 35.1 percent usage rate and averaging 44.7 FD points per 36 minutes without his star teammate on the floor. George’s 1-for-8 performance from distance in Game 2 is definitely a concern, but he still managed to put up 39.2 FD non-multiplier points in that contest and tallied at least 54.3 in each of the prior three. George has scored under 41 FD points only once at home in the postseason, and given the series circumstances Thursday, his usage should be through the roof.
Devin Booker, SG – at LAC ($14,500)
Booker is an interesting case Thursday, as he’s coming off a 5-for-16 shooting performance in Game 2 that netted just 25.3 FD points. He also could see Chris Paul return for Game 3, which would naturally put a dent in Booker’s usage. However, Booker averaged 42.0 FD points per game this postseason before Paul went down, and if his teammate is limited in any way Thursday, the star shooting guard should still see a boost over his already elevated usage. Additionally, if Paul is back, Booker should benefit from less defensive attention.
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FanDuel DFS STAR Picks (1.5x)
Chris Paul – at LAC ($14,500)
Paul is expected back for Game 3, where he should see a normal workload. That equated to tallies of 46.7 to 55.1 FD points over the last four games he played, a span during which he shot an outstanding 62.7 percent, including 75.0 percent from three-point range. Paul shot 52.6 percent in three regular-season games versus his old Clippers squad as well, leading to a pair of tallies of 38.8 and 52.6 FD points. Los Angeles is also allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to point guards (28.3 percent) and 52.9 FD points per contest to point guards over the last seven, enhancing Paul’s case.
Deandre Ayton– at LAC ($13,000)
Ayton was excellent in Game 2, posting 47.8 FD points on the strength of a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double in 35 minutes. The big man also supplied 32.8 FD points in Game 1, and he averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal in three regular-season games versus Los Angeles. Ayton has averaged 32.3 FD points over 12 postseason games overall, and his ability to churn out a double-double any time he taks the floor makes him an excellent option for the 1.5x multiplier spot.
FanDuel DFS PRO Picks (1.2x)
Reggie Jackson – vs. PHO ($12,500)
Jackson has scored 32.9 to 53.6 FD points over the last four games, a stretch during which he’s shot 53.8 percent, including 38.2 percent from distance. The veteran point guard is averaging a robust 16.3 shot attempts per contest during that span and is complementing his average of 23.0 points per contest with 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Jackson should be set for another busy night with Leonard still out as well, making him a solid 1.2x multiplier candidate.
Mikal Bridges – at LAC ($10,000)
Bridges could be a tad lower-rostered than usual after turning in a clunker in Game 2 where he supplied 11.5 FD points across 35 minutes. The talented wing had averaged 29.9 FD points on 51.4 percent shooting over the prior seven playoff games, however, and he certainly has the ability to check off every box on his stat sheet. With Leonard still out, Bridges should also have a clearer path to a bounce-back effort, and his salary won’t necessarily be difficult to provide a good return on when factoring in the 1.2x multiplier.
Utility Spot options to consider:
Cameron Payne ($12,000); Nicolas Batum ($11,500)