After a masterpiece of a Western Conference Finals ouster of the defending champion Thunder, the Spurs were at a rest disadvantage in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and it appeared to come to bear in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. New York ultimately notched a critical series-opening victory at Frost Bank Center, putting quite the onus on San Antonio to bounce back in Game 2.
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 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 some of 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.
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 Friday, June 5 @12:00 a.m. EDT:
- New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs (-6.5) (O/U: 214.5)
Despite their Game 1 stumble, the Spurs are being afforded plenty of respect by oddsmakers and the betting public for tonight's Game 2. San Antonio has an even bigger projected advantage than their -4.5 closing line from Game 1, with the theory apparently being they've recalibrated and will play with the urgency and intensity befitting their circumstances.
The modest projected total isn't surprising, as both teams put on impressive defensive performances a Game 1 that finished with just 200 total points. There's an implied uptick in the 214.5 total, as there appears to be a good chance the Spurs are able to figure some things out offensively after having a look at how the Knicks defended them Wednesday.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
NONE
Elite Players
The player with the highest MVP salary on Friday's slate is Victor Wembanyama ($25,500). Jalen Brunson ($18,600) sports the second-highest salary in that spot.
Wembanyama shot just 6-for-21 from the floor in Game 1, but he still finished with 49.4 non-multiplier FD points thanks to a 12-for-13 tally from the line and 12 rebounds. Wembanyama is now averaging 48.7 non-multiplier FD points in three starts against the Knicks dating back to the start of the regular season.
Brunson also struggled plenty with his efficiency in Game 1 while going 12-for-31 from the floor, but his sheer volume and still helped him to 30 actual points and 32.6 non-multiplier FD points. If Game 1 is any indication, Brunson's usage should remain extremely elevated throughout the series.
Go to RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns ($11,800), Stephon Castle ($10,600) and Josh Hart ($9,000) should also be very popular as non-MVP candidates.
Towns has scored over 35 FD points in six straight games, and his very safe floor should ensure he's very popular again Friday.
Castle is averaging 35.9 FD points and shooting 49.7 percent since the start of the semifinal round, eclipsing 29 FD points in 14 consecutive contests in the process and thereby inviting a high roster rate yet again.
Hart took only five shots and scored three points in Game 1, but his 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals led to 45 FD points, his second-highest total of the postseason and his four over 41 since the end of the regular season.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
OG Anunoby, NYK ($7,600)
Anunoby's productive postseason continued in Game 1, tallying 26.6 FD points via 17 points, three rebounds, one steal and one block across 31 minutes. The solid performance pushed Anunoby's playoff average to 37.1 FD points per contest, and the talented forward is also shooting 56.1 percent, including 48.4 percent from behind the arc, over the entirety of New York's 13-game postseason run. Anunoby is also shooting 85.7 percent from the line since the end of the regular season, and he's pulling down an impressive 57.0 percent of his 11.6 rebounding opportunities per contest this postseason as well.
Mikal Bridges, NYK ($6,400)
Bridges saw notable downturn in offensive usage in Game 1 as Jalen Brunson took 31 shots, but he still drained three of his six attempts and finished with a respectable 22.1 FD points. He's now averaging 31.8 FD points since his dramatic turnaround in Game 6 of the first-round series against the Hawks, shooting an elite 62.2 percent over that span. Bridges' salary remains reasonable and the Spurs could certainly make some adjustments that leads to a hit in Brunson's overall usage, and Bridges is highly capable of helping pick up some of the slack in such a circumstance.
Julian Champagnie, SAN ($5,000)
Champagnie is always better suited for tournaments due to his occasional fluctuations in usage and production, but the floor-spacing big enters Game 2 on a particularly impressive four-game run of production. Champagnie is averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 32.9 FD points across 30.8 minutes per game in that span while shooting 51.1 percent, including 50.0 percent from distance, in the process. Champagnie has put up 27.4 FD points per game since the decisive Game 5 of the first-round series against the Trail Blazers, a span of 15 games where he's shot 38.1 percent from three-point range. Champagnie can heat up at any time from long range and may be particularly aggressive Friday given the stakes, making him a very appealing value option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Devin Vassell, SAN ($5,600); Dylan Harper, SAN ($4,600)
Try our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
