NBA Finals, Game 3: DraftKings Showdown Players & Captain Picks

NBA Finals, Game 3: DraftKings Showdown Players & Captain Picks

Damn, does it hurt to be right sometimes. If you were at all behind the given notion that Klay Thompson would reconcile fantasy owners with a bounce-back performance on this past Sunday night, then you were feeling pretty smooth going into halftime.

And the third quarter.

Until suddenly, you felt the sting I speak of above. [Trust me, Klay can relate.]

Thompson came down extremely awkwardly, nearly doing the splits as Danny Green bumped into him coming down from a three-point attempt and he never recovered.

Now headed back to Oracle Arena for Game 3, the Warriors have become the walking wounded now more than ever. And despite stealing homecourt advantage for the time being, the Golden State depth chart stretches to one of the thinnest iterations we’ve ever seen it as, begging the question for us all: Who will be picking up all the additional usage and minutes for Klay should he miss Game 3?

While Thompson is officially listed as Questionable for Wednesday night’s matchup back in Oakland, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not the Warriors will take the court sans Thompson, it’s without a doubt that he will at least be hindered by the hamstring and limited in action. And this opens up the other side of the equation as well, considering the Raptors will have an edge at the position during certain rotations when Klay’s off the floor and someone not as experienced is filling his space. Let’s consider.

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Top Shelf

Stephen Curry ($11,600/$17,400 Capt.)

This one is a given. Following a pedestrian performance by his own standards in Game 2 (24 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL) while combating what seemed to be an illness, Steph will be primed to outperform his necessary daily fantasy value back in front of a raucous home crowd cheering his every maneuver, especially considering the Warriors’ swiss cheese thinned-out roster who will be feeding off his successes.

While Curry’s usage dipped down to 24% in Game 2 from Game 1 (30.3%), part of this was due to the fact that he didn’t attempt a single shot in the entire fourth quarter. We need not count on that happening again, barring any unfortunate circumstances, and can anticipate that Splash Brother 1A will be firing early and often.

Fading Curry would be highly advised against, but would be an extreme angle to getting leverage on the field should he underperform (or worse). I’ll be rostering 95%, with roughly 15-25% of those seating him at the Captain position.

Mid Grade

DeMarcus Cousins ($7,200/$10,800 Capt.)

With nowhere to go but up from his phantom appearance in Game 1, Cousins seamlessly defaulted into fantasy points following Klay Thompson’s fourth quarter exit on Sunday night. He more than tripled his floor time from the first outing, skyrocketing from eight to 28 minutes of play.

DeMarcus seemed to be quietly serviceable leading up until the fourth quarter, where he eventually dominated the post and commanded a team-high 29.4% usage rate in the fourth quarter (outside of the 33% by Bogut in his brief 2:20, six-point contribution). Cousins smashed out a double-double performance (11 PTS, 10 REB) and proved his doubters wrong that he could indeed be counted on in the big moment.

I will be rostering 80% of Cousins, with about 50 % of those with him in the Captain position.

Kyle Lowry ($7,600/$11,400 Capt.)

Speaking of nowhere to go but up, this guy could use a serious boost in his game if the Raptors plan to make this a series. Seeming to embody the very lackadaisical demeanor as several other Raptors in Game 2, Kyle Lowry may have a greater opportunity to produce should Klay Thompson sit out on Wednesday night.

Shooting a meager 4-for-11 from the field (3/7 3PA) in Game 2, Lowry will have to find his shot in a Game 3 that will more than likely feature lots of help coverage on Kawhi Leonard and will provide an opening to do so without Thompson’s defense on the floor (if he’s out). Not to mention that the field ownership on him will assuredly be down following his last dud.

I’ll likely be coming in around the 30% mark on Lowry, with an oddball half of them featuring him in the Captain role.

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Lower Tier

Andre Iguodala ($5,600/$8,400 Capt.)

Few players are simply made for the clutch, icicle-dagger veined moments of a Championship series, and Andre Iguodala is among the ranks of them. Burying the go-ahead three-pointer in the waning moments of Game 2, during the only lapse seen in the Raptors’ makeshift box and-1 defense, Iguodala cemented himself as Horry-like and reminded everyone who stole the show with Finals MVP during the Warriors’ first title of this given dynasty.

Should Klay miss any time for his hamstring, Jggy would be a prime beneficiary alongside Draymond Green to carry his brunt of the offense. He isn’t a scorer first but is extremely well-rounded and provides fantasy value at a very affordable price, with a moderate ceiling to boot.

I will be rostering about 40% of the future Hall of Famer, with a quarter of those coming in with him at Captain as it provides lots of elasticity for more expensive players.

GPP Dart Throw

Norman Powell ($2,400/$3,600 Capt.)

Alright, this could be a wild one but bear with me. Putting up 13.25 DraftKings Fantasy Points while nearly scraping the bottom of the player pool at $2,800 in Game 2, Norm Powell will be worth a strong consideration as a GPP tournament punt.

With Kyle Lowry proving to be ineffective thus far, the emergence of such players as Fred VanVleet conveys that the Raptors will need to derive production elsewhere to aid Kawhi Leonard when his starting cast is inconsistent. Nick Nurse has had no problem going to Powell during the regular season, and provided a much needed boost with his minutes significantly increased from Game 1 (5 minutes to 21 in Game 2).

I’ll be throwing the dice on Norm Powell in about 30% of lineups, as I believe his contribution could be critical if the Raptors are to come out victorious in Game 3. Of those rosters with Powell, I’ll flirt with one of them featuring him at Captain in case he goes off.

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