There’s a five-game main slate we get to dive into on NFL Championship Sunday. There are a few injury spots we need to monitor before we make some decisions on value plays. The Atlanta Hawks are listing Trae Young as questionable to play. If he’s held out, there’s a ton of usage and minutes that open up on the Hawks.
There’s also another guard to look out for on the slate. Dejounte Murray is questionable for the San Antonio Spurs, who are in a great spot against the Washington Wizards. The Wiz haven’t played basketball in two weeks. If Murray sits, we’ll have a few plays to sift through on San Antonio. Let’s take a look at some value options under $5K for the five-gamer.
Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs, $5,000
Mills is right on the number for this article. If Murray sits, we could see Mills enter the starting lineup. When Murray was injured early in Friday’s game vs. the Dallas Mavericks, Mills filled in and ended up playing 37 minutes. If Murray sits, Mills is a lock for 30-plus minutes even if the game isn’t competitive. The Wizards were one of the worse defensive teams in the NBA and will likely be rusty after not playing in two weeks. Mills will be super chalk if Murray is out, but it’s chalk we’re OK eating.
Rodney Hood, Portland Trail Blazers, $3,800
The Blazers haven’t played two straight games because the Memphis Grizzlies had a Covid-19 outbreak. Portland returns to play at home against the Knicks on Sunday. With CJ McCollum sidelined, we saw Hood enter the starting lineup against the Spurs earlier in the week, scoring 21 points in 25 minutes. Hood is a cheap starter who is a decent cash-game option on the short slate.
Rajon Rondo, Atlanta Hawks, $3,500
Similar to the Murray injury situation, we can expect the Hawks to start Rondo at PG if Trae is ruled out. Rondo is coming off some vintage Rondo in the Hawks’ last game, scoring 9 points with 7 boards and 6 assists in around 19 minutes against the Timberwolves. If Rondo plays around 25-30 minutes, he’ll have triple-double upside at near min-price. Even if Young plays, this could be a game the Bucks just run away from Atlanta. Rondo playing around 20 minutes if enough to return value.