My FanDuel NBA Fantasy Roster For The Finals
I haven’t done a lineup suggestion article or one where I pick players, because— well, because there are millions of those online. One of my goals as an NBA fantasy writer is never to be just one of the masses. But now we’re talking about the NBA Finals.
If there was ever a time to do what everyone else is doing, this is it. We’ve got the two best teams in the NBA getting ready to do battle for the ultimate prize. Motivation? I think they have it. Talent? Skill? Drive and desire? Check, check, and check. What does this mean?
We have some great games on deck. Games of this magnitude often feature several standout performers who are significant for NBA daily fantasy and fantasy purposes. On that note, let’s go over my roster.
FanDuel NBA DFS Roster for Game 1
Okay, if you have never played, you’ve got $60,000 to spend on six positions. Your MVP will cost 1.5 times more, but it will score at the same rate. The good thing is that if this roster ends up struggling, we can go in a different direction for Game 2.
The hardest part was by far deciding on who I wanted to draft as my MVP.
MVP—Chet Holmgren $14,100
Now, my first thought was to go for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, or Jalen Williams. I tried to come up with a roster I was happy with several times, with each as my MVP.
But, as the biggest and most productive stars on the court, they have the biggest price tags. No matter what I tried, I always ended up taking on guys I had never heard of, and produced little because I couldn’t afford anyone else.
Yes, it would be great to have SGA or Haliburton as MVP when they have a 60,70, or 80+ DFS point night, but it wouldn’t matter if I had two guys on the back end that may score 15 points combined.
So, went with Chet. He’s averaging 34.98 fantasy points per game. As long as he sticks around his average, I’ll get 50+ DFS points a game out of him. I can live with that because….
Roster Spots No. 2 and 3:
- Tyrese Haliburton $13,600
- Jalen Williams $12,400
I still have Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Williams on my roster. Haliburton has scored 41.3+ points in six of his last seven, 50+ in four, and had one game with 80+. He would probably be a great choice for MVP.
But in his last ten games, he had 20+ nights and one with 11.5 points. The possibility of him having an off night and costing an arm and a leg scared me off.
Williams appeared to be a solid choice for MVP as well, with 30+ points in nine of his last ten games. But the 16.8 night gave me reason to pause, and I thought his price tag was a little much for what he brought to the table.
The Rest of the Roster
- Myles Turner $8,000
- Andrew Nembhard $6,000
- Aaron Nesmith $5,000
Turner may be the first player I pull for Game 2. Why? Because his production in the last three games vs. the Knicks has me concerned, he may not bring a ton of value to the roster. Of his last ten games, if he plays like he did during the first seven (six between 28-36 points and one with 50+).
But in his last three, he scored 23.1, 15.4, and 12.4.
For the last two spots, I’m hoping to get 20+ points from each. In his previous ten games, Nembhard had 20 - 30+ points in seven and 49.6 in one. The other two were 11.9 and 15.9, which are concerning, but I can see enough upside in the other eight.
I flip-flopped between Isaiah Hartensten and Aaron Nesmith for the last spot. I don’t expect much from either. But Hartenstein had less than 20 points in five of his last seven games. That makes me think his role has diminished and may not come back.
As for Nesmith, his last two games were not great (15.1 and 10.4). But he had 24+ in his previous five. I like my chances with him getting at least 20 points over Hartensten.
