This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a single-game slate Friday night as the Clippers and Mavericks meet in Dallas for Game 6 of a Western Conference quarterfinal-round series that the Mavs lead 3-2. Of note, the first five have been won by the road team.
With just one matchup on the ledger, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters, which are comprised as follows:
· MVP- (Garners points at 2x the normal rate)
· STAR- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
· PRO- (Garners points at 1.2x the normal rate)
· Two Utility spots- (Garner points at normal rate)
With the valuation also being different than in conventional FanDuel contests on multi-game slates and top players inevitably headed for heavy rostering, there are definitely strategic elements particular to single-game lineups. Finding key value plays for the two utility spots is undoubtedly key as it enables you to fill out the multiplier spots with some of the top projected producers.
Slate Overview
Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas Mavericks (Projected total: 217.0 points):
Both the Clippers and Mavs have scored 106 points or fewer in three games this series. But we did see Games 2 and 3 end with combined totals of 248 and 226 points, making this total one that's certainly within a high range of outcomes. However, the recent trend between these clubs is tighter defense with the last two only combining with 187 and 205 points. Each side's major stars are healthy and ready to roll. And with LA looking to stave off elimination and get the series back to the Staples Center, we could see some aggressive offensive play on both ends tonight.
Positional Breakdown
FanDuel single-game rosters don't have traditional positions that match those on a starting five, so we'll instead break down some candidates for the top three multiplier positions:
MVP (2x): Luka Doncic ($16,000) and Kawhi Leonard ($15,000) are unquestionably the top candidates for this spot, though a case could certainly be made for Paul George ($14,000). Except for an outlier of Game 4 where Dallas scored just 81 points, Doncic has posted at least 56.9 and as much as 71.6 FD points this series. Meanwhile, Leonard only shot 7-for-19 in Game 5, but had produced 54.5 to 58.2 FD points in the first four matchups.
STAR (1.5x): George is probably the ideal candidate for this spot considering he's tallied 45.4, 49 and 52.4 FD points in three games this series. The veteran has dropped at least 20 points in each contest and has avoided any of his trademark shooting cold spells by draining 49.4 percent of his attempts while logging 39.0 minutes per contest. The Mavericks' Kristaps Porzingis ($12,500) is another viable candidate, albeit with more risk as the big man has been far from his best during the series and only has one tally north of 30 FD points - a 39.8 showing in Game 2. However, he certainly offers the upside for an explosion, keeping him viable for this multiplier spot in tournaments.
PRO (1.2x): Whichever one of the two players mentioned in the STAR category doesn't make the cut for that spot will make for very strong candidates in this slot, as will Reggie Jackson ($11,500) and Tim Hardaway ($11,000). Jackson has found a groove over the last four by operating as the starting point guard in three appearances. The veteran is averaging a solid 16.5 points (on 42.1 percent three-point shooting), 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 30.8 minutes over that span and is coming off draining six three-pointers in Game 5. Meanwhile, Hardaway's shot has been typically erratic as he's only shot 26.8 percent over the last three after a strong start to the series, but he's still capable of a ceiling north of 30 FD points as he posted in both Games 2 and 5.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following serves as a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written (usually late morning Eastern time), check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate.
Luka Doncic (neck)/ Status: PROBABLE
Doncic is fully expected to take the floor without restrictions and fill his usual high-usage role.
Other injuries to monitor:
Serge Ibaka, LAC (back)/ Status: DOUBTFUL
Maxi Kleber, DAL (Achilles)/ Status: PROBABLE
Elite Players
The three highest-salaried players on the slate are Doncic ($16K), Leonard ($15K) and George ($14K). As already detailed in Positional Breakdown section, each player has already produced multiple elite FD-point tallies during the series and each should see very heavy usage tonight in a game with such high stakes.
Expected Chalk
With only one game, the trio mentioned in the previous section should be even more popular than usual with the likes of Porzingis, Hardaway and Jackson also very highly rostered.
Key Values
Note: On a multi-game slate, I typically try to highlight players that would be considered under-the-radar plays in this section. Naturally, with such a limited player pool, there will be very few low-rostered players that are likely to also be viable from a DFS perspective, so I'll instead focus on two of the best candidates to provide a strong return relative to salary for the two Utility spots in single-game lineups:
Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL vs. LAC ($10,000)
Finney-Smith hasn't been as involved on the offensive end as he was during the tail end of the regular season, but his ability to stuff the stat sheet helped bring about a return of 33.8 FD points in Game 5 thanks in large part to his five steals. He also posted 28 FD points over 36 minutes back in Game 1 on the strength of 18 actual points, so the potential for a strong night is there if he can just rediscover his stroke as he's only managed 26.5 percent over the last four after draining 72.2 percent of his attempts - including 70.0 percent from three-point range over the regular-season finale versus the T-Wolves and in Game 1 against the Clippers.
Marcus Morris, LAC at DAL ($9,000)
Morris has also been a bit erratic with his production and usage in this series, but he's been on an upward trend since Game 2 by scoring 19.7, 21.6 and 37.9 FD points. Morris is shooting 51.9 percent - with 53.3 percent from behind the arc - in those three games while posting a well-rounded line of 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal over 35 minutes. Morris is only averaging 8.8 shot attempts per game in the series, so he unfortunately could also turn in a dud if he doesn't have the hot hand.
