This article aims to highlight some of the alternative plays at each position for tonight’s Showdown NBA slate. These are some potentially lower-owned, higher risk/reward options for use in large field GPPs. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop. Today’s slate starts at 8:30 ET.
Jimmy Butler – Miami (at Boston) – DK: $12,900(Capt)/$8600, FD: $14,000
Boston’s win on Saturday will have people flocking to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston is a three-point favorite tonight, which supports these popular plays. To differentiate then, I think putting Butler or Bam Adebayo in the Captain on DK or multiplier spots on FD is wise. I love the idea of Butler getting four days rest and Miami showing up to extend their lead in this series. For one thing, he’s not going to hurt you there. Butler may not end up being the highest scoring player, but he definitely has 50-plus fantasy point upside as he last showed in the Milwaukee series.
Kemba Walker – Boston (vs. Miami) – DK: $13,800(Capt)/$9200, FD: $11,500
If you’re committed to a Boston player in the Captain or MVP but still looking for lower ownership, consider Walker. We loved him on Saturday, and while he wasn’t amazing, he turned in another solid performance overall. He shot 50 percent from the field and from three-point range (four made threes), and the return of Gordon Hayward had no negative impacts on Walker’s numbers. Like Butler, Walker is a safe multiplier play with upside.
[[ad:athena]]
Marcus Smart, Tyler Herro, Gordon Hayward, and Goran Dragic form a little tier today from which you’re going to have to draw 2-3 players. Beyond them, you get to Duncan Robinson, probably the safest, but volatile, super-bargain option, Daniel Theis (good minutes, but almost no upside vs. Adebayo), Kelly Olynyk (10-13 MPG), or worse. In this tier, I think Tyler Herro is the chalkiest play, so to differentiate, I like Hayward or Dragic.
Gordon Hayward – Boston (vs. Miami) – DK: $7200, FD: $10,000
Hayward saw a somewhat surprising 30 minutes in Game 3, and he contributed in every statistical category right away. His shooting wasn’t great, but three steals, five rebounds and four assists made up for it. I think he’ll build on that foundation tonight and hopefully improve his FG percentage for around 30 fantasy points. Note that Hayward’s return did not slow down Marcus Smart, who had an excellent Game 3 on both ends of the court. He’s just more expensive than Hayward that it might force some tougher choices, but I have no problem with rostering Smart here either.
Goran Dragic – Miami (at Boston) – DK: $8200, FD: $10,500
No one was more disappointed than me in Dragic on Saturday. He was the perfect fit for a Captain or MVP slot but turned in his worst performance in the playoffs, and in the bubble period. It won’t be easy for people to turn back to him, which is why ownership will flow to Herro. Smart was disruptive, and as one of the better defenders in the game, I’m concerned enough about the Celtics approach that I wouldn’t use Dragic in the top slot again today, but I’ll take a shot on him getting back to 30-plus fantasy points in one of the utility slots.
