If you've been playing our NBA Finals DraftKings Showdown lineups with us the whole series, thanks for being loyal. But to be honest, it's been a struggle. Our lineup has been lacking one key piece in every game so far. So, instead of following a pattern that hasn't worked, we're switching it up pretty drastically for Game 6 between the Lakers and Heat on Sunday.
Both Rajon Rondo and Jae Crowder make their NBA Finals DK Showdown lineup debuts for us tonight. Kendrick Nunn returns for only his second usage. We've faded both Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo in the hopes of capturing more sturdy mid-tier production. It might not work, but it's obvious we need to play Jimmy Butler and LeBron James, so those fades were necessary in this construction.
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Lakers vs. Heat Game 6
Captain (1.5x price, 1.5x points): Rajon Rondo, Lakers ($9,300)
Rondo has approached 20-plus DK points in every game of this series. Expect his secondary ball handling to be key in Game 6 as the Heat do everything in their power to prevent James and Davis from eliminating them. Rondo's sneakily improved outside shot is a nice bonus here, too, in addition to his normal stat-sheet stuffing.
FLEX: LeBron James, Lakers ($12,600)
James shouldn't let his chance at a fourth ring slip by for a second game in a row. It wasn't his fault L.A. lost in Game 5 after he went for 40 and found an open shooter with a chance to win the game. James shot early and often in the past few games of this series and should again Sunday.
FLEX: Jimmy Butler, Heat ($11,400)
Whether you believe Butler is the second-best player in this series long-term is irrelevant. Right now, that's exactly what he is. Butler's monster triple-doubles in Games 3 and 5 show his upside that can't be ignored as he uses every ounce of his energy to keep Miami alive.
FLEX: Jae Crowder, Heat ($6,800)
Crowder sees ample time on the floor to help defend James, and he's developed into a consistent outside shooter over the past few years. As the Lakers look to compensate for Duncan Robinson's big Game 5 (that sees his DK price rise), Crowder could be open a few more times.
FLEX: Kendrick Nunn, Heat ($5,400)
Nunn's scoring punch off the bench with no Goran Dragic will continue to be important for Miami. If the Heat push this to a Game 7, it will be in part because Nunn scores in double figures once again.
UPDATE: With Dragic active, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope is a smart pivot.
FLEX: Alex Caruso, Lakers ($3,800)
Counting on Caruso consistently throughout this series has not been our downfall, as he's done what we've hoped for. That shouldn't change in Game 6, and don't worry about conflict with Rondo positionally because they often share the floor.