FanDuel DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Heat at Lakers (10/9)

Today’s game is going to be an interesting one as the Los Angeles Lakers lead this series 3-1 and have a chance to close out the NBA Finals tonight with a win, but that could also lead to a strong performance from the Miami Heat with their backs against the wall. Ensure you’re up-to-date with the injury statuses as this contest could very well be dictated by the health of certain players. Implied betting totals give the edge to the Lakers tonight.

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MVP/Star

LeBron James (LAL): $16,000
The Washed King continues to defy the odds by putting together three strong performances in the NBA Finals, with only one performance totaling less than 51.4 FanDuel points. LeBron has topped 25-plus real-life points in each contest and has come incredibly close to a triple-double in every game in the series. Bron is clearly going to be a chalky MVP or Star option tonight, and he should be — he’s been unstoppable.

Anthony Davis (LAL): $15,500
AD has maintained a strong level of consistency throughout the NBA Finals sans one stinker of a performance two games ago when he totaled only 26.5 FanDuel points. Davis has topped 32-plus real-life points twice and totaled 22 real-life points, in addition to nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and one steal in his latest game. Davis is clearly performing incredibly well, is getting a bundle of run in terms of his minutes, and is producing at top-tier levels. The only decision to be made is where you want to insert AD into your lineups.

Jimmy Butler (MIA): $15,000
Butler has topped 43-plus minutes of playing time in his last three games and hasn’t scored less than 54.1 FanDuel points in any of those games, proving just how well he’s playing right now. Butler reeled off one triple-double during that span, nearly totaling two more though he came up just shy in the two remaining games. Butler is clearly putting the Heat on his back and even has 11 combined blocks and steals in this series. He seems like a safe bet to produce strong numbers tonight, particularly with it being a win-or-go-home scenario.

Bam Adebayo (MIA): $13,000
The big man returned to the court in the last game after missing games two and three due to an injury. His first game back didn’t go very smoothly as he totaled only 24.9 FanDuel points in 33 minutes of playing time. Adebayo is going to have a ton on his plate tonight as the Heat are desperate for a win, trying to get a chance to extend the series. The big man is a risky choice tonight but could be a fun contrarian option that separates your lineup from many others with chalky options.

Pro/Utility

Kelly Olynyk (MIA): $11,500
The Canadian got plenty of run with Adebayo sidelined in games two and three, but had his playing time drastically slashed in the most recent contest with Bam’s return to the court. Olynyk doesn’t seem like a great option tonight, especially when you consider the lack of minutes he’s likely to receive barring injury. Spend your money elsewhere, unless you’re really looking for a contrarian lineup.

Tyler Herro (MIA): $11,000
Not many players have gotten more minutes than Herro throughout the NBA Finals, and that will certainly keep him relevant and a potential option on tonight’s slate. Herro’s totaled between 21.3 and 33.9 FanDuel points in each contest, with his weakest performance coming in Game 1 and his most productive coming in the last game. He seems like a safe option for this contest, particularly with how badly the Heat will need a tertiary scoring punch outside of Butler and Adebayo.

Duncan Robinson (MIA): $9,500
Robinson’s finals have been a tale of two halves — his first two games were terrible, with his last two games totaling 32.5 and 27.7 FanDuel points. Robinson’s scoring output improved in his last two games, but the sharpshooter doesn’t offer a ton of potential as his limited ceiling really only limits him to 3-point shots while not offering the ability to scoop up a ton of ancillary stats.

Rajon Rondo (LAL): $9,500
The king of the assist has not performed tremendously in this series as he’s topped 25.1 FanDuel points twice, with the remaining two games totaling less than 20 FanDuel points each. Rondo, though, does present a decent option who can scoop rebounds and assists with relative ease, but his scoring output will never really carry his performances. He seems like a decent option tonight, particularly when we get into the reduced price players.

Kendrick Nunn (MIA): $9,000
Nunn is finally back into the rotation with Goran Dragic sidelined, but he has not exactly performed well, especially in his last two games in which he’s totaled 4.2 and 10.8 FanDuel points. Nunn had two productive games prior to his last two, but he doesn’t appear to be a very consistent scoring option, nor does he have a solidified role with consistent minutes as a legit player. Nunn is certainly a risk option tonight, but a strong output from the guard could separate your lineup from many others if he’s capable of being productive.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (LAL): $9,000
Quietly, KCP has been one of the more consistent players in this series as he’s scored between 23.4 and 25.1 FanDuel points in three games, totaling double-digit points in each of those games while chipping in a handful of rebounds and assists to boot. KCP is likely to be a popular cheap option, especially with his consistent scoring output and reduced price tag, especially when you compare him to some of the remaining names at a similar cost.

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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.