This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The era of four-game slates are in the rear-view mirror now, and moving forward we will tackle these two-game offerings by looking at the depth at every position and making three selections for every slot.
SLATE OVERVIEW
DEN @ POR (-5) O/U: 227.5
PHO @ LAL (-2) O/U: 207.5
The most significant variables for Thursday involve two primary injury scenarios. Both of them are in the PHO/LAL matchup, with the most prominent issue involving Anthony Davis and his groin.
Although the All-Star has put in some light work since missing Game 5, he isn't cleared to play yet. Based on the events of this series thus far, it appears that the Suns have the Lakers out-matched if Davis can't make it. LeBron James has a vast history of carrying teams on his shoulders, but at age 36 his heroics may not pack the same punch.
The one situation in LA's favor is Chris Paul's struggles with his shoulder. Although he will play, Paul has needed to take a step back as an attacker. His shoulder has severely affected his shooting stroke, as he's converted just 40 percent of his shots over the five playoff games. The Suns are a significantly more well-rounded team than the Lakers, but Paul is a big piece of the offense and will likely be limited, to some degree.
We will work on the assumption that both Davis and Paul will play. Davis ($10,000) is unlikely to meet value if he is limited, but if breaking news indicates a full complement of minutes, he's a reasonable add. Paul ($7,500) is available at a much less expensive salary, but he's only beaten 5x value once out of five games against the Lakers.
POINT GUARD
Damian Lillard, POR ($11,000) vs. DEN
Lillard has been brilliant in what is arguably the most exciting series thus far, and even at his heightened salary, there is plenty to like about going with Lillard. For one, the player pool at PG is inexpensive below him, so it's possible to offset the elevated price with a budget PG to even things out.
With the exception of Game 4, his numbers are MVP-worthy. The hiccup with Game 4 was his shot volume, and it was the most effective evening for Aaron Gordon as his primary defender. The wheels came off for the Nuggets in Game 5, however. Lillard shredded Denver's defense and went off for 88 FP. Unless the Nuggets adjust, we could be in line for Lillard's second-best FP number of the series.
Cameron Payne, PHO ($5,400) @ LAL
Payne's contribution is directly tied to the situation with Chris Paul, who has needed frequent rest in the series. He only logged 19 minutes in Game 5, but he still managed 25 FP in the contest. The team is confident with Payne's ability to fill in, and I especially like him if Davis is out or limited. If the Suns break out to an early lead and hold on to it, Paul would almost certainly fade down the stretch, and Payne would be the top candidate for mop-up duty.
Facundo Campazzo, DEN ($5,300) @ POR
Recency bias will move people off Campazzo after an underwhelming Game 5 performance, but his other stat lines in the series have been exemplary. The scrappy Argentinian is at a severe height advantage, but he's a consistent dime-dropper and is very adept at finding the open man. In selecting Campazzo, you're hoping for a high assist number and shot volume that exceeds Game 5.
SHOOTING GUARD
Devin Booker, PHO ($8,400) @ LAL
Shooting guard is a very weak position tonight, and it makes sense to ride with the two best options unless you are strapped for cash. Booker is the key to Phoenix's success, especially with Chris Paul's injury issues. His FanDuel pricing is at its highest in the series, and ideally, you are looking for a number in the 45-FP range to make him worthwhile. Due to the significant drop-off in production at this position, it makes sense to hope for upside and fire up Booker.
CJ McCollum, POR ($8,000) vs. DEN
As I said, it's a weak field at shooting guard, so this is one spot where I'll pay up in my second selection. There is absolutely nothing wrong with betraying correlation and stacking McCollum with Lillard. Because of the slim slate and the obvious pace advantage of this game, it is actually a preferable play. At a glance, McCollum has one of the most consistent floors available among shooting guards in the first round, and he has found his way into a couple of perfect lineups.
Austin Rivers, DEN ($5,000) @ POR
The team has leaned on the veteran guard, who has a lot of playoff experience and knows how to be clutch when it counts. Finding ways to make up for Jamal Murray's absence is a continuing work in progress for the Nuggets, and Rivers has taken advantage of the elevated need for support in the backcourt. I would be more inclined to keep McCollum at the position, so Rivers is best used as a pivot for Booker if your lineup goes into overdraft.
SMALL FORWARD
This position carries some variance because of Anthony Davis. His absence would make LeBron James ($10,600) and Kyle Kuzma ($4,300) a lot more valuable, but his appearance would drop my MME exposure to both players severely -- to almost zero. They are two players to keep in mind, but they are directly tied to Davis' status.
Michael Porter, DEN ($7,600) @ POR
Porter's production has been a bit of a head-scratcher in this series. He's shown flashes of his stellar regular-season production, but it hasn't been consistent. Porter has the potential to be the future face of this franchise, but he needs to step up if the Nuggets hope to come out victorious in this series. I think he can rise to the occasion in this critical Game 6 matchup.
Mikal Bridges, PHO ($6,000) @ LAL
Bridges' 39-FP outing in Game 5 was certainly encouraging after a lukewarm beginning in this series. It would be nice if he were a bit less expensive because this recent price elevation makes a 30-FP floor the ideal baseline total for us. Still, the question marks for Davis force us to look elsewhere, depending on his status.
Note: If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,200) plays, I would consider him as a low-end option, but if he's limited, I'm more inclined to find my way back to Kyle Kuzma ($4,300).
POWER FORWARD
Beyond Anthony Davis ($10,000), the options at power forward are very inexpensive. Since we need a floor of 50 FP for Davis to be worthwhile tonight, it looks like power forward is where you save cash on tonight's slate.
Aaron Gordon, DEN ($5,600) @ POR
I don't object to Robert Covington ($6,200), but there's more value to be had for Gordon at this reduced price. The Nuggets have only just started to utilize Gordon properly, but they did use him as a good defensive solution for Damian Lillard, albeit briefly. He put up his best totals of the series in Game thanks to 11 shot attempts, and he's been very consistent in the rebound column against the Trail Blazers.
JaMychal Green DEN ($3,700) @ POR
You'll find Green hanging around often in the second and third units, but I wouldn't stack him with Gordon due to correlation issues. If you opt for Gordon, Jae Crowder ($5,300) will help to diversify your options at the position. It all depends on where you elect to go. Adding Covington makes Green a decent play, but I favor Crowder if you opt for Gordon.
CENTER
This position offers the most potential on this slate, and it's a shame that we can only pick one. Aside from a tepid Game 4, Nikola Jokic's ($10,800) numbers can't be beaten, but he may be too expensive to get, especially if you opt to take advantage of Lillard's prolific production.
Deandre Ayton ($7,800) is an excellent option for the money -- a full $3,000 less than Jokic. Aside from an off-night in Game 5, Ayton has gotten the best of the Lakers inside for some excellent value-beating totals. The Lakers' situation at center has gotten muddier and muddier, and it's unclear if Andre Drummond ($7,000) can stem the minutes bleed he's currently experiencing.
Because of the uncertainty in LA, I'm forced to hope for upside (and fewer fouls) from Jusuf Nurkic ($7,500), who had six turnovers before fouling out in 24 minutes Tuesday night. He becomes a lot more attractive if Davis plays a full complement of minutes because AD will potentially limit Ayton's effectiveness.
