After such a long layoff, there has been plenty of time to get excited for this year’s NBA Finals as well as to break down the positions and build the perfect fantasy lineup for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The MVP Stephen Curry and LeBron James are excellent players to build around and with so many value plays on the board, it makes a lot of sense to take both. Here is a look at the optimal fantasy lineup for Thursday’s DraftKings NBA Daily Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Stephen Curry, Golden State
Salary: $10,400
The fact that the NBA MVP has actually raised his level of play in the playoffs is incredible as Curry has averaged a team-high 29.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 three-point shots per game. Those averages are up across the board and leave us that much more excited about whether Curry can continue that trend and raise his game again opposite LeBron in the NBA Finals.
SG: J.R. Smith, Cleveland
Salary: $6,500
With Kevin Love out and Kyrie Irving dealing with tendonitis in his knee, it is Smith that has stepped up with some excellent numbers in these playoffs. He averaged 18.0 points per game with 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 threes in the conference final. Smith seems to love the bright lights of the big stage and he will play an integral role in whether or not the Cavaliers win this series so look for him to come out firing and set the tone in Game 1.
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Salary: $10,600
LeBron understands his role and what bringing a championship to the city of Cleveland will mean to his legacy, so look for him to attack from the outset in the series opener. LeBron has averaged a team-high 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists and over 3.0 combined blocks and steals per game in these playoffs, so a triple-double with a couple of three-pointers, steals and rebounds is definitely not out of the question.
PF: Draymond Green, Golden State
Salary: $8,300
If there is one player other than LeBron and Curry worth locking in for Game 1, it has to be Green. Klay Thompson might be Golden State’s second-most lethal scorer behind Curry but Green does it all and his ability to stuff the stat sheet in a number of different areas is what separates him from the rest. Green has averaged 14.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this postseason. With the intensity ramping up against Cleveland for the NBA Finals, you can bet that Green will show up.
C: Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland
Salary: $5,200
Mozgov and Tristan Thompson have both been excellent filling in for the injured Love and since Mozgov is the cheaper of the two, we will go with him here. Mozgov has averaged 9.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers in these playoffs and considering he is their best big man option for the pick-and-roll, we like him in this spot.
G: Shaun Livingston, Golden State
Salary: $3,200
Livingston has provided the Warriors with some valuable minutes off the bench but it’s his salary that makes him so attractive to us in this spot. We don’t have much money left over after rolling with Curry, LeBron and Green, so the fact that we can have Livingston at the right price tag is what we’re looking at.
F: David Lee, Golden State
Salary: $3,000
Lee should provide the Warriors with some valuable minutes as they look to contain Mozgov and Thompson and while we can’t rely on him for scoring, he should be a little bit of a garbage man and chip in rebounds and maybe some blocks.
FLEX: James Jones, Cleveland
Salary: $3,000
Jones has been used sparingly off the bench for Cleveland but it’s worth taking the risk that he will play here as anything he produces can be considered a bonus considering we’re just using him to fill out our roster. We’re tight against the cap and will look for our stars to deliver but if Jones chips in, that’s even better.
