We have two games on the slate tonight. Game 1 of the IND/NYK will be played in MSG. DEN will look to bounce back at home after losing Game 1 to MIN. Tyrese Haliburton ($8,300) and Jamal Murray ($8,000) are questionable. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
DraftKings Sportsbook has NYK -6 over IND at home. The total is 217.5. DEN is -5.5 over MIN at home. The total is 207. Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
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Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers ($9,500) – Jalen Brunson is the King of New York right now. When trouble arises, the signal is sent into the sky, then the Brunson Burner heats up and gets bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket. He’s garnering a massive usage rate in the high 30s and has scored 41, 40 and 47 points in the last three contests. This game has a healthy total of 217.5, the Pacers and Knicks are ranked 12th and 13th in defensive rating among the 16 playoff teams, and, in three games during the regular season against Indiana, Brunson averaged 35.7 points, three rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Other Options – Anthony Edwards ($9,000)
Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks ($5,000) – Nembhard doesn’t garner a high usage rate, but he’s become an important connector piece for the Pacers. While he can hit the open J, his ability to exploit and find the seams in the defense by either scoring or finding the open man have been huge. During the first round, he played at least 30 minutes in every game with a few approaching 40. He will not dominate in any category, but chip in a little something-something everywhere. He has become a modicum of consistency, going for at least 23 DKFP in every game against Milwaukee with three over 30.
Other Options – Donte DiVincenzo ($5,600), Mike Conley ($5,400), Aaron Nesmith ($4,800), TJ McConnell ($4,400), Miles McBride ($3,900), Reggie Jackson ($3,400) if Murray is out, Ben Sheppard ($3,300)
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets ($9,000) – Anthony. Edwards. End of analysis.
The 22-year old player broke out last season, but is taking it to a new stratosphere this season. He’s even being mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan. And for good reason. The athleticism is off the charts, the shot making is divine and that dawg is barking with ferocity.
Edwards went for 43 points and 63.3 DKFP in Game 1. He put up 68.8 DKFP in the closeout game with Phoenix. Denver will make adjustments and Edwards probably won’t shoot 17-of-29 from the field. That said, he garnered a 36.7 percent usage rate in Game 1 and a similar workload should be expected again. Minutes? Check. Opportunity? Check. Talent? Check.
Other Options – Josh Hart ($7,100), Karl-Anthony Towns ($6,800), Michael Porter Jr. ($6,500)
Value
OG Anunoby, New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers ($5,900) – OG isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s hard to ignore a player who will likely play over 40 minutes. OG isn’t a playmaker and the usage rate is low, but he gets opportunities and cashes them in usually. Against Philadelphia, he attempted double-digits shots in every game, with 17 and 16 in the two of the last three games. He won’t dish out dimes but will grab rebounds and rack up defensive stats. He played 45, 50 and 47 minutes in the last three games. L.O.L. He put up 38.8, 29.5 and 40.5 DKFP in those contests.
Other Options – Donte DiVincenzo ($5,600), Aaron Nesmith ($4,800), Naz Reid ($4,300)
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($11,000) – I have built lineups with Jokic, and I feel good about them. I also like lineups built around some of the cheaper options as well. Decisions decisions.
Jokic struggled a bit in Game 1, shooting 11-of-22 from the field and 2-of-9 from downtown while turning the ball over seven times. Towns was mainly on him with Gobert playing a pseudo-center field. That said, Jokic still almost triple-doubled and put up 59 DKFP. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo on the slate, but there are definitely questions about accessing a ceiling game.
It’s well within the range of outcomes that both Brunson and Edwards match the output of Jokic, which would be huge at $1,500 cheaper. It’s also within the range of outcomes that Jokic puts up 90 DKFP. Sure, it’s a low probability event, but it’s something that could happen.
Other Options – Rudy Gobert ($7,000), Karl-Anthony Towns ($6,800), Myles Turner ($6,700)
Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers ($4,000) – I have no idea how many minutes Robinson will play. He could play 12 or 30. But, even in limited minutes, he produces due to his ability to clean the glass and block shots. In the last two games against Philly, he played 18 and 25 minutes, putting up 19.3 and 20.3 DKFP. He won’t have to bang with Embiid in this series, and it could be a little more up-and-down. I’ll take the possible upside for the low price.
Other Options – Isaiah Hartenstein ($5,200), Naz Reid ($4,300), Mitchell Robinson ($4,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.