This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After a rollercoaster first three games that have included a particularly difficult pair of victories, the Celtics are on the cusp of a record 18th NBA title. Boston is likely to once again be without big man Kristaps Porzingis, but as Joe Mazzulla's club has already proven on many occasions this postseason, they're highly capable of winning in that scenario.
With only one matchup, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
MVP- (Garners points at 2x the normal rate)
STAR- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
PRO- (Garners points at 1.2x the normal rate)
Two 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 the two utility spots is undoubtedly key as it enables you to fill out the multiplier spots with some of the top projected producers.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, June 14 @12:00 a.m. ET:
Boston Celtics (-1) at Dallas Mavericks (O/U: 211.0)
The Celtics went into Game 3 as 2.5-point road underdogs, understandable given the road environment, the Mavericks' desperation and the absence of Porzingis. Yet, after overcoming all of those odds – not to mention an early 13-point deficit – oddsmakers naturally aren't ruling out Boston closing matters out in a clean sweep.
The projected total is notably a tick lower than it was for the first two games of the series in particular, and that slight dip is understandable when considering Dallas has yet to crack 100 points in the first three games but has also done a good job limiting the Celtics' scoring.
Injury Situations to Monitor
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Kristaps Porzingis, BOS (lower leg): QUESTIONABLE
It appears Porzingis is closer to doubtful based on pre-Game 3 reports, and if he does sit out again, Xavier Tillman and Al Horford will be the most direct beneficiaries.
Luka Doncic, DAL (thoracic contusion): PROBABLE
Doncic is unsurprisingly on the injury report, though he's essentially a lock to suit up for Dallas's high-stakes matchup.
Elite Players
The two highest-salaried players on the slate are Luka Doncic ($17,500) and Jayson Tatum ($16,000).
All eyes may be on Doncic even more than usual Friday, considering he fouled out in Game 3 and has been persistently vocal about his displeasure with the officials. Whether or not he is in the right head space with everything stacked against Dallas remains to be seen, but the upside is always there and he's scored over 43 FD points in each of the first three games of the series thus far.
Tatum was still inefficient shooting-wise in Game 3, but he drained a series-high 11 buckets on his way to a team-high 31-point performance and 46.7 FD points. Tatum also posted 46.8 FD points in Game 2, and even if his shooting is ragged once again, it's likely a safe bet the star forward will accrue plenty of volume as he tries to help the Celtics close matters out, almost certainly without Porzingis.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Jaylen Brown ($15,000), Kyrie Irving ($14,000) and Derrick White ($11,500) should also be very popular. All three make for great options in the STAR or PRO slots.
Brown started slow but put on quite a performance in Game 3, finishing with at least 50.0 percent shooting for the seventh straight postseason game on his way to a series-high 51.6 FD points. The star wing is arguably a good candidate for the MVP spot as well, but he's unquestionably the top choice for the STAR slot.
Irving finally put together a strong performance in Game 3, tallying 39.6 FD points while shooting 4-for-6 from three-point range. However, Irving ultimately finished with under 50.0 percent shooting (13-for-28) and put together an extremely scoring-dependent line, so considering the matchup against Boston's elite defense, he's too risky to deploy above the STAR or PRO spot.
White has seen a welcome drop in salary since the start of the series, making him a very viable value play that can be deployed anywhere from the STAR spot on down. The defensive wizard has put up 41 and 33 FD points in the last two games despite going just 10-for-25 from the field in those contests, as eight of those buckets have come from behind the arc. White also has three steals and four blocks in that span, and he's always an excellent candidate to supplement his fantasy production in that fashion.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Jrue Holiday, BOS ($11,000)
We've already seen Holiday deliver handsomely on several occasions this postseason with Porzingis sidelined, and with a championship within the Celtics' grasp, he could definitely be primed for one of his better performances. Holiday saw his offensive usage take a dip in Game 3 – he put up only nine shot attempts – but he still generated a solid 24.3 FD points. Then, he'd recorded 32.1 and 49.7 FD points in the first two games of the series, shooting a blistering 65.2 percent, including 44.4 percent from three-point range, in that span. With Holiday often the beneficiary of Luka Doncic's highly questionable defense, not to mention Holiday's ability to complement his production with defensive stats, he's a very viable option at his current salary.
P.J. Washington, DAL ($10,000)
Washington continues to be the Mavericks' most reliable third option offensively, and he'll enter Game 4 having averaged 25.9 FD points over the first three games of the series. The athletic big man is struggling with his shot against the Celtics' elite defense in a manner similar to most of his teammates, draining just 42.4 percent of his shots. Nevertheless, Washington's usage should remain elevated in the do-or-die game for Dallas, and his salary is certainly reasonable enough when compared to his recent production.
Al Horford, BOS ($9,500)
As alluded to earlier, Porzingis is expected to sit out Thursday's game, a development that would equate to Horford remaining in the starting five. The veteran big man has already delivered four performances of over 30 FD points during the postseason, flashing more than enough upside for his current salary. Horford took only six shots across 37 minutes in Game 3, but he does have a trio of double-digit shot-attempt games in the playoffs and is capable of getting hot from distance on any given night.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dereck Lively, DAL ($9,000)
