This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The Pacers continue to defy the odds this postseason regardless of opponent, and after pulling their second upset in the first three games of the series Wednesday, Indiana could take control for good in front of the home crowd Friday. The high stakes virtually guarantee another wire-to-wire battle where we should see some outstanding individual performances.
With only one matchup, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
MVP- (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
Five 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 some of utility spots is undoubtedly key, as it enables you to roster a superstar in the MVP slot, where salaries for each player are 1.5x higher than if you were rostering them in a Utility spot.
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Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 6/13 @1:00 a.m. ET:
Oklahoma City Thunder (-6) at Indiana Pacers (O/U: 225.5)
Even with the Pacers holding a 2-1 series lead, the Thunder are unsurprisingly still solid favorites, as the perception of them being the most complete team in the series hasn't shifted. Naturally, Indiana has proven capable of overcoming steep odds on any given night this postseason, so those wishing to bank on a cover at minimum have a nice cushion to work with.
The projected total is right in line with how the first three games of the series have unfolded, as those contests have finished with 221, 230 and 223 points.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
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Elite Players
The players with the two highest MVP salaries on Friday's slate are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($25,500) and Tyrese Haliburton ($19,800).
Gilgeous-Alexander opened the series with totals of 55.5 and 65 standard FD points in Games 1 and 2, but he dipped to 42.6 across 42 minutes in the Game 3 loss. Nevertheless, he carries the highest upside of any player on either side, and despite having to frequently deal with Andrew Nembhard's defense, SGA is still shooting 47.9 percent over the first three games.
Haliburton had his best game of the series on Wednesday, recording 54.3 FD standard points on the strength of a 22-point, 11-assist double-double that also included nine rebounds, two steals and one block. He'd been less productive in the first two contests with totals of 35.0 and 36.6, but given his critical role, he has the ability to replicate Wednesday's outstanding numbers on any given night.
Expected Chalk
With only one matchup, the likes of Jalen Williams ($11,800), Pascal Siakam ($11,200) and Chet Holmgren ($8,600) should also be very popular.
Williams has been steady through the first three games of the series despite shooting just 39.2 percent, as he's averaging 34.7 FD points across 35.3 minutes per contest. He also shot 50.0 percent in Game 3 and therefore may be heating up heading into Friday.
Siakam bounced back from a poor shooting effort in Game 2 to go 8-for-14 from the floor in Game 3, posting 43.2 FD points and setting himself up for what should be another night of very high roster rates in Game 4.
Holmgren has upped his fantasy-point tallies in each of the last two games after opening the series with only 15.2 FD points, and his 37.0 FD-point contribution in Game 3 should lock in his popularity Friday.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.
Key Values
The following players make for strong candidates for the Utility spots:
Myles Turner, IND ($6,800)
Turner opened the series carrying an $8K salary despite a quiet finish to the ECF, and he's now refreshingly down to $6.8K after averaging 27.2 FD points over the first three games of the Finals. The big man is shooting only 42.4 percent against OKC's often stingy defense, but his 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game are playing a big part in keeping him a viable fantasy contributor. We can expect more of the same in Game 4 as long as Turner continues to do a good job staying out of foul trouble, as he's averaging a solid 28.3 minutes per game versus the Thunder thus far.
Alex Caruso, OKC ($4,800)
Caruso's four steals in Game 5 of the WCF against the Timberwolves netted 28.1 FD points and began a hot streak he's still on, as the defensive wizard has averaged 27.8 FD points over the first three games of the Finals. Caruso has shot a blistering 50.0 percent from three-point range so far against Indiana, and he's averaging a robust 29.0 minutes per contest off the bench. Caruso's 1.7 steals per game are also helping keep his fantasy floor secure, and he should once again spend plenty of time on the court Friday at a very reasonable salary.
Bennedict Mathurin, IND ($2,400)
Mathurin is best suited for tournaments given the fluctuation in his production, but his bargain salary helps offset much of the risk associated with rostering him. The third-year wing saw a big surge in Game 3, producing 35.3 FD points across 22 minutes with the help of scorching 9-for-12 shooting. Mathurin had also provided 14 points in Game 2, but he did little else besides score in that game, leading to just 15.9 FD points. Mathurin also has five more tallies of over 20 FD points during the Pacers' postseason run, however, so there's no questioning the fact he has the ability to amply overdeliver on the very minor investment he requires.
ALSO CONSIDER: T.J. McConnell, IND ($2,800)
