Well, this is it. The NBA regular season draws to a close today and it’s been one heck of a ride. FanDuel did us a favor and eliminated the late games, so roster lock for the main slate will be 8 PM ET. All nine games on this slate start at the same time, so hopefully, we don’t get burned with any late scratches. The final day of the regular season is very tricky to attack so I would scale back your usual gameplay. Be sure to check the news as the day unfolds as these suggestions could be altered significantly.
Rather than address the rest situation as I normally would do here, I am going to analyze what is at stake for teams on this slate. In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers need a win and a Sixers loss to attain the #3 seed. The Heat can land in any of the final three spots of the East, with a win ensuring they will not be the #8 seed. If they win and the Bucks lose, Miami will own the #6 seed. If they lose and Washington loses as well, the Heat will take the #7 seed. A loss and a Wizards win knocks them back to the #8 seed. The Wizards need some help to get out of the #8 seed as even with a win they will need the Raptors to beat the Heat or the Sixers to beat the Bucks. Washington can take the #6 seed if they win and the Heat and Bucks both lose. The Sixers can take the #3 seed with a win against the Bucks. The Bucks have an interesting situation as they would get the Celtics in the first round and keep their first round pick if they finish #7. If they win, they would cement themselves at the #6 seed. Milwaukee also would stay at #6 if they lose and the Heat and Wizards lose as well. If the Bucks lose and both the Heat and Wizards win, the Bucks will drop to #8. In the Western Conference, the winner of the Nuggets/Timberwolves gets the final spot. The final three seeds are all possible landing spots for whoever wins, as both can finish as high as the #6 seed with a win. The winner of the Spurs/Pelicans game will likely get the Trail Blazers and if the Thunder win, the Spurs would get the Warriors in round 1 if they lose and the Pelicans would draw the Rockets if they lose. The Thunder cannot get home-court advantage if they lose to the Grizzlies, but a win doesn’t ensure it either. The remaining three teams are all coming off of two days’ worth of rest. Let’s take a look at a tournament lineup for FanDuel.
Well, this is it. The NBA regular season draws to a close today and it’s been one heck of a ride. FanDuel did us a favor and eliminated the late games, so roster lock for the main slate will be 8 PM ET. All nine games on this slate start at the same time, so hopefully, we don’t get burned with any late scratches. The final day of the regular season is very tricky to attack so I would scale back your usual gameplay. Be sure to check the news as the day unfolds as these suggestions could be altered significantly.
Rather than address the rest situation as I normally would do here, I am going to analyze what is at stake for teams on this slate. In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers need a win and a Sixers loss to attain the #3 seed. The Heat can land in any of the final three spots of the East, with a win ensuring they will not be the #8 seed. If they win and the Bucks lose, Miami will own the #6 seed. If they lose and Washington loses as well, the Heat will take the #7 seed. A loss and a Wizards win knocks them back to the #8 seed. The Wizards need some help to get out of the #8 seed as even with a win they will need the Raptors to beat the Heat or the Sixers to beat the Bucks. Washington can take the #6 seed if they win and the Heat and Bucks both lose. The Sixers can take the #3 seed with a win against the Bucks. The Bucks have an interesting situation as they would get the Celtics in the first round and keep their first round pick if they finish #7. If they win, they would cement themselves at the #6 seed. Milwaukee also would stay at #6 if they lose and the Heat and Wizards lose as well. If the Bucks lose and both the Heat and Wizards win, the Bucks will drop to #8. In the Western Conference, the winner of the Nuggets/Timberwolves gets the final spot. The final three seeds are all possible landing spots for whoever wins, as both can finish as high as the #6 seed with a win. The winner of the Spurs/Pelicans game will likely get the Trail Blazers and if the Thunder win, the Spurs would get the Warriors in round 1 if they lose and the Pelicans would draw the Rockets if they lose. The Thunder cannot get home-court advantage if they lose to the Grizzlies, but a win doesn’t ensure it either. The remaining three teams are all coming off of two days’ worth of rest. Let’s take a look at a tournament lineup for FanDuel.
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Point Guard
Jeff Teague (MIN): $7,400 vs. DEN
Teague has been on fire the last two games, scoring 46.8 FDP and 47.8 FDP in crucial outings. Tonight couldn’t be bigger and I expect all hands to be on deck tonight in the showdown against Denver. This is a plus matchup for Teague in a game that you need to have plenty of exposure to this evening.
Jamal Murray (DEN): $6,900 @ MIN
Murray will likely be leaned upon heavily in tonight’s finale against the Timberwolves, who represent a decent matchup for the guard. Murray was off with his shot on Monday, but I look for him to bounce back tonight.
Other Notables
Shooting Guard
Ben McLemore (MEM): $4,600 @ OKC
The Grizzlies obviously don’t have much to play for, but McLemore figures to be in the mix tonight for big minutes. Memphis is locked into the second-worst record and with Tyreke Evans and Andrew Harrison out, there are plenty of opportunities to be had in the backcourt this evening against the Thunder.
Jamal Crawford (MIN): $3,500 vs. DEN
Crawford is a risky punt as he likely won’t see much more than 25-27 minutes of playing time, but he can fill it up in a hurry and that upside is worth targeting given his price. This is a must-win game and I look for the veteran guard to be on his game tonight.
Other Notables
Small Forward
Jimmy Butler (MIN): $7,800 vs. DEN
Butler has yet to play more than 22 minutes in two games since returning from injury, but I have a feeling that could change tonight. As I’ve stated numerous times, this is a must-win game for both sides, so Butler could see more run for Minnesota tonight.
Rudy Gay (SA): $5,100 @ NO
Gay has gotten things rolling a bit as the Spurs head towards the playoffs and I expect that to continue tonight. San Antonio will need Gay to be sharp in the playoffs if they have any hopes of making some noise, so I’d expect a normal workload for the veteran this evening.
Other Notables
Power Forward
Anthony Davis (NO): $12,000 vs. SA
The Pelicans are likely to draw the Trail Blazers with a win, so I’d expect a full allotment of playing time for Davis this evening. We know Davis’ massive upside and he’s should be a foundational piece of your rosters tonight as New Orleans surely doesn’t want to wind up with either the Rockets or Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
Paul Millsap (DEN): $7,000 @ MIN
Millsap rounds out my game stack in Minnesota as it’s well-documented at this point how important this game is. The veteran is in a bit of an offensive slump, but I’d look for heavy minutes and the subsequent volume to help ease efficiency concerns.
Other Notables
Center
Jarrett Allen (BKN): $5,400 @ BOS
Allen has seen relatively steady playing time to close out the season and his ability to block shots gives him nice fantasy appeal. He doesn’t score a ton, but when he can provide some offense, he does have some decent upside. This isn’t the best of matchups, but I look for a solid outing in what amounts to a relatively meaningless game for both sides.
Other Notables
My Lineup
PG – Jeff Teague (MIN): $7,400 vs. DEN
PG – Jamal Murray (DEN): $6,900 @ MIN
SG – Ben McLemore (MEM): $4,600 @ OKC
SG – Jamal Crawford (MIN): $3,500 vs. DEN
SF – Jimmy Butler (MIN): $7,800 vs. DEN
SF – Rudy Gay (SA): $5,100 @ NO
PF – Anthony Davis (NO): $12,000 vs. SA
PF – Paul Millsap (DEN): $7,000 @ MIN
C – Jarrett Allen (BKN): $5,400 @ BOS
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Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros.
