The Warriors and Celtics meet Monday night in a series-shifting Game 5 after Golden State dominated the final five minutes of Game 4, leaving the TD Garden with a 107-97 win. Game 5 marks one of the last opportunities to get involved in NBA DFS tournaments, and if you’re putting together a DraftKings Showdown lineup, we’re here to offer some advice.
Boston and Golden State traded punches for the majority of Game 4, but ultimately Boston’s sub-par shot selection in the last five minutes of play lost them the opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Boston was 1-of-8 from the field in the final five minutes, with seven of their eight shot attempts coming from behind the three-point line. There’s a recipe to beating the Warriors, and settling for threes in closing time is not one of them.
Stephen Curry’s 43-point output (12-of-25 FG, 7-of-14 from three-point range), led all scorers while Jayson Tatum’s 23-point performance (8-of-23 FG, 4-of-8 three-point range) led the Celtics. Draymond Green had another inefficient scoring night (1-of-7 FG, 0-of-2 three-point range) as he looks to bounce back and silence the critics in Game 5.
Below, we’ll look at our DFS showdown lineup picks for Monday night’s main slate.
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Warriors vs. Celtics Game 5
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary) SF/PF Andrew Wiggins, Warriors ($11,400)
Wiggins’ captain salary of $11,400 is the fourth-highest behind Curry ($17,100), Tatum ($16,500), and Brown ($15,000), making him a worthwhile addition to your showdown lineup.
Wiggins’ versatility and stability throughout the Finals gives owners the shot for an efficient performance at a reasonable price. The 27-year-old wing has logged 40+ minutes in back-to-back games, averaging 40.15 fantasy points per game. Wiggins hasn’t shot the three-ball at a great clip throughout the Finals, but he’s been getting shots up from distance. He’s only 3-of-12 from three in his last two games, but the volume is there, and so is the chance for an efficient three-point shooting output in Game 5.
UTIL PG Stephen Curry, Warriors ($11,400)
While Curry’s steep captain salary makes the rest of your lineup tough to assemble, he’s a shoo-in at the UTIL spot. Curry’s been on a mission to claim his first-ever Finals MVP, averaging 34.3 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field.
He’s coming off a historic 43-point effort in the Warriors' 107-97 Game 4 victory and is looking to put Golden State in the driver’s seat to claim their fourth title in eight years. His assist numbers haven’t been strong (3.8 assists per game) but he’s supplementing that with an average of 6.3 made threes per game. There’s no need for Curry to pass up the rock, go get buckets.
UTIL PF/C Draymond Green, Warriors ($6,600)
Green’s been at the forefront of criticism with his performance so far in the Finals but has been a stable fantasy producer outside of his disappointing Game 3 showing.
Green’s salary has hit a low point-- with his season average at $8,144--now’s the time to buy low on Dray. Despite Green not making shots or scoring points, he’s done his part on the boards and in the assists category. Green corraled nine rebounds and dished out eight assists in the Warriors' Game 4 win. While there’s been some talk of not playing Green during the important stretch runs of games, he’s still logging 35+ minutes a game. Robert Williams ($6,800) is another option that fits within the budget, but his uncertainty (left knee soreness) gives Green the upper-hand tonight.
UTIL PG/SG Jordan Poole, Warriors ($5,800)
Poole is the cheapest salary option in this lineup and although he’s a volatile addition to showdown lineups, his breakout potential outweighs his bust capability.
Similar to Green, Poole’s salary price is at its floor--Game 5 marks only his second game priced below $6,000 the entire playoffs. Poole’s shooting volume makes him a worthwhile addition to showdown lineups, having chucked up double-digit shots in two of the past three games, so he may be in line for his first 20+ point output of the Finals.
UTIL PG Marcus Smart, Celtics ($8,200)
This showdown lineup has been Warriors-heavy, as Smart is the first Celtic utilized for Game 5. Smart has stuffed the stat sheet in basically every game, coming off an 18-point, four rebound, five assist, and four steal output in Game 4.
Smart has put up double-digit shot attempts in all but one game (his Game 2 dud) and has connected on three-plus triples in back-to-back games. After committing a total of 10 turnovers in Games 2 and 3, Smart committed just two TOs in Game 4. Expect another reliable game from him in Game 5.
UTIL PG/SG Derrick White, Celtics ($6,400)
White’s turned into a sharpshooter from distance in the Finals, connecting on 10-of-20 three-point attempts through four games.
His salary has hit a high point, but he’s still a worthy addition to showdown lineups due to the 27-year-old guard averaging north of 30 minutes per game in the Finals. White’s yet to amass his 21-point output in Game 1, as that'll likely be his best performance, but he’s still capable of putting up another double-digit scoring game. If White can dish out 2-3 assists, he’ll help owners get in the money for Game 5.
