This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After the Knicks flipped the script in Game 3 – in response to the Pacers doing the same to them in the first two contests of the series – we're set forwhat should be a fascinating Game 4. For the first time in the series we do have a significant injury to be mindful in that of Aaron Nesmith's ankle sprain, but otherwise, both squads will once again have all their key weapons ready for what could well be another wire-to-wire battle.
With only one matchup, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
MVP- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
Five Utility spots- (Garner points at normal rate)
With salaries also being different from 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 some of the utility spots is undoubtedly key, as it enables you to roster a superstar in the MVP slot, where salaries for each player are 1.5x higher than if you were rostering them in a Utility spot.
Try our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, 5/27 @ 12:15 a.m. ET:
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers (-2.5) (O/U: 220.5)
The Pacers retain narrow home-favorite status, but the line would naturally be much different had Indiana not blown a 20-point lead in Game 3. The 2.5-point spread implies, quite correctly, that anything can happen between these two teams in a series where the first three games have been decided by 14 total points.
The total unsurprisingly leans much more toward the Game 2 figure of 223 total points than it does to Game 3's modest 206, which was partly affected by Jalen Brunson spending plenty of second-half time on the bench due to foul trouble and also uncharacteristically struggling with his shot. Given Indiana's pace and the fact Indiana has surrendered 113.9 points per home game since the start of the season, the 220.5 is a reasonable number.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Aaron Nesmith, IND (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Nesmith, who rolled his ankle in Game 3 but returned to the game, can't suit up, the likes of Ben Sheppard and perhaps even Bennedict Mathurin could step into meaningful minutes.
Elite Players
The players with the three highest MVP salaries on Tuesday's slate are Jalen Brunson ($21,900), Tyrese Haliburton ($20,700) and Karl-Anthony Towns ($18,900).
Brunson saw a significant downturn in Game 3 primarily due to foul trouble, although he also went 6-for-18 from the field on his way to just 23.9 standard FD points. Nevertheless, he averaged 50.4 standard FD points over the first two games and shot 53.8 percent in the process, so the upside that warrants the highest salary on the slate is there.
Haliburton has scored 41.3 to 53.3 standard FD points in the first three games of the series, providing a slightly different fantasy performance in each. He does have a pair of 11-assist efforts and has hit/exceeded the 20-point mark twice, and there's no question he'll be heavily involved again after averaging 18.0 shot attempts in the first trio of contests.
KAT spearheaded the Knicks' 20-point comeback in Game 3 and finished with 37.5 standard FD points, and he also provided 57.4 in Game 1. His rather tame Game 2 performance aside (27.4 standard FD points), Towns has as much upside as Brunson or Haliburton, but at a noteworthy savings.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Pascal Siakam ($10,200), Myles Turner ($8,400), Josh Hart ($8,000) and Mikal Bridges ($7,800) should also be very popular.
Siakam dipped to 24.8 FD points in Game 3, but he'd supplied 38 and 51.5 in the first two contests and should be rostered highly once again Tuesday thanks to his ability to outpace his salary.
Turner has upped his FD-point totals in each of the first three games of the series, going from 28 to 29.1 to 36.3 FD points over that span. His ability to round out his production with defensive stats and his steady scoring and rebounding should place him in plenty of lineups once again.
Hart didn't draw the start in Game 3 but actually saw a big boost in production with 28 FD points over 34 minutes (18.7 across 28 minutes in Game 2), and he could be the most popular mid-salary play Tuesday.
Bridges has seen a salary bump but has earned it with an average of 32 FD points across the first three games of the series, a figure that should keep his roster rate high Tuesday.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
OG Anunoby, NYK ($7,600)
Anunoby's salary has surprisingly slipped below Bridges', as the former has opened the series with 33.2 FD points per contest on the strength of 16.0 points (on 51.4 percent shooting, including 40.0 percent from distance), 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks. The veteran wing is averaging a robust 38.3 minutes per game as well, and it's worth noting he'd also posted a stellar 45.8 in the decisive Game 6 of the second round against the Celtics. Anunoby also shot 57.7 percent, including 50.0 percent from behind the arc, in two games against the Pacers in the regular season, so there's plenty of reason to believe his early-series success is legitimate and can carry into Game 4.
Mitchell Robinson, NYK ($3,600)
Robinson's infamous free-throw struggles aside, the big man has been a particularly steady source of fantasy production since Game 2 of the second-round series against the Celtics, producing an average of 19.9 FD points via 4.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 22.8 minutes per contest in the last eight postseason games. That includes tallies of 19.1 to 25.8 FD points in the first three games of the current series, and he could be due for another turn with the starting five Tuesday. Robinson has logged back-to-back 29-minute stints, and given his importance on the defensive end, he should have a safe floor in terms of playing time again provided he continues to do a good job staying out of foul trouble.
T.J. McConnell, IND ($2,000)
McConnell is the proverbial free square Tuesday due to his rock-bottom salary, and that's especially relevant when considering he's a surprisingly significant beneficiary whenever Nesmith, who's listed as questionable due to his ankle injury, is off the floor. McConnell has a 23.4 percent usage rate and averages 42.8 FD points per 36 minutes whenever he's not sharing the floor with Nesmith, and the veteran point guard having averaged an efficient 17.4 FD points across just 14.3 minutes per game in the first three installments of the series. McConnell is shooting a crisp 53.8 percent over that span, and if he sees at least a slight uptick in minutes, he could deliver a performance along the lines of the five of 24 or more FD points he's already supplied this postseason.
ALSO CONSIDER: Andrew Nembhard, IND ($5,800)
