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The NBA Finals continue Sunday with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns going head-to-head again in Milwaukee. As usual, DraftKings is offering up a huge Showdown contest for this NBA game. Below, I give you some of my favorite options to attack for the format.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: NBA Showdown $1.25M Finals Shootaround Special [$250K to 1st] (PHO vs MIL)
Captain’s Pick
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($17,700, CP) - Despite the loss, Antetokounmpo looked much healthier in Game 2, recording 71.5 DKFP. He logged 40 minutes, which was a notable five-minute upgrade from Game 1, and his usage also increased 10.9 percentage points. With two days of rest under his belt while facing a 0-2 deficit back at home, we should see another vintage performance from Antetokounmpo on Sunday.
The two-time MVP is producing 58.4 DKFP per game at home so far this postseason, and without question, Antetokounmpo brings the best upside of Game 3 by a wide margin.
Deandre Ayton ($13,500, CP) - If you’re not paying up for Antetokounmpo, taking Ayton at this reasonable price is my preferred route at captain. The center has been a stud thus far vs. the Bucks, with two straight double-doubles translating to 45.25 DKFP per game. As the Suns get deeper in the playoffs, we have seen Ayton’s playing time increase, with him cracking the 40-minute mark in three of his past six games.
Barring foul trouble, the blossoming 22-year-old should handle right around 40 minutes again on Sunday and supply at least 40 DKFP.
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UTIL Plays
Chris Paul ($9,800) - Even though Paul turned the ball over six times in Game 2, which is only the second time in 16 starts this postseason he has tailed more than three turnovers, the future Hall of Famer still finished with 40.5 DKFP. His floor has been extremely safe, with at least 40 DKFP in eight of his past ten starts, and Paul has been excellent in this difficult matchup vs. Milwaukee this season, providing 49.4 DKFP per game in four matchups with the Eastern Conference champs.
The Bucks are currently four-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook for Game 3. When the spread has been under five points and the Suns have been on the road this season, CP3 has amassed 42 DKFP per game.
Pat Connaughton ($3,800) - In this NBA Finals matchup, we have seen the Bucks primarily use smaller lineups with four wings and Antetokounmpo at the five, resulting in a big boost in playing time for Connaughton off the bench. After logging 28 minutes in Game 1, he then saw 34 minutes in Game 2 and responded with 25.25 DKFP.
Connaughton is going to be chalky coming off this outing, but he is just too cheap to ignore with this type of volume. In the last 10 contests that he has eclipsed 25 minutes, Connaughton is averaging 20.2 DKFP per game.
Torrey Craig ($1,000) - After exiting Game 2 early with a knee injury, Craig has been listed as probable for Sunday’s matchup. The injury scare has cut his price tag all the way down to a bare minimum $1,000, and rostering the defensive specialist opens up endless possibilities for your lineup.
While Craig obviously lacks real upside, he has a legitimate chance of reaching double-digit DKFP, which would be an outstanding return at his salary. Before tweaking his knee Thursday night, Craig had topped 10 DKFP in seven of his previous 15 games.
Fades
Mikal Bridges ($7,200) - Bridges stole the show for the Suns in the Game 2 win, posting a playoff career-high 27 points en route to 40.25 DKFP. However, this was the first time the forward had scored over 20 DKFP in three games, and naturally, Bridges’ ownership is going to be high after that outing.
Furthermore, his price has jumped up $400. With the Suns now on the road, Bridges is an easy fade for me at this cost.
The Outcome
While I believe the Suns are going to win this series and raise their first banner in franchise history, the Bucks should throw their best punch Sunday and steal one at home. As noted above, Antetokounmpo looked like his MVP self in Game 2, and outside of one loss to the Hawks, the Bucks haven’t lost a game at home this postseason.
I highly doubt the Suns get blown out, but I like taking my chances on the Bucks to cover the small four-point line on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Final Score: Bucks 120, Suns 109
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: NBA Showdown $1.25M Finals Shootaround Special [$250K to 1st] (PHO vs MIL)
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