It’s been a heck of a season, and it all comes down to these final games. This could be the last game of the season, with Golden State taking a 3-2 series lead in their Game 5 victory. That means it’s time for Boston to hold serve because if they don’t win at home here, the Warriors are your NBA champs! I do want to thank all of you for reading throughout the season because this is my final article of the year! It’s been a joy to write about these players throughout the season, so let’s go out with a bang!
Schedule and Odds
GSW at BOS (BOS -4) O/U: 212
Game 5 was a fantastic performance from Golden State. It was close throughout, but the Warriors ripped off a huge run in the fourth quarter to take control. That gives them a 3-2 series lead, and one more win will crown them as champs. The Celtics have something to say about that, though, and they’ll surely leave everything on the table in this final home game of the year!
Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros
Injury Report
- James Wiseman (C – GSW) (knee) Questionable
- Gary Payton II (SG – GSW) (shoulder) Questionable
- Otto Porter Jr. (SF – GSW) (foot) Questionable
Core Plays
Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $11,200 DraftKings, $15,500 FanDuel
Tatum can’t hit the broad side of a barn right now, but he’s doing some of the best stat-stuffing of his career. JT is averaging 25 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists over his last nine games, playing nearly 42 minutes a night in that span. The role is just too significant for Tatum right now, leading the team in almost every usage metric. You better believe he’ll play 45 minutes, take 25 shots, and post a 30% usage rate in this do-or-die Game 6. As long as he’s got that sort of usage, Tatum needs to be in every lineup out there.
Cash Game Considerations
Stephen Curry (PG/SG – GSW): $11,600 DraftKings, $16,000 FanDuel
Chef Curry looks well on his way to Finals MVP as long as the Warriors take care of business in one of these final two games. The former MVP has scored at least 37 DraftKings points in 19 of his last 20 games, posting a 47-point average in that stretch. The fact that he dropped 37 fantasy points in one of the worst shooting nights of his career in Game 5 shows the sort of floor this former MVP has, and it’s clear he’s one of the safest plays on the board.
GPP Targets
Robert Williams (PF/C – BOS): $6,800 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
It’s been fun watching Rob-Will grow throughout the season. The big man has dealt with injuries numerous times this year, but he’s still one of the best per-minute producers around. He’s averaging over 1.3 DK points per minute for his career, and as long as the playing time is there, Rob will be a monster. He’s shown that recently, averaging 33 DK points per game across 29 minutes a night over the last three games. He could be looking at 35-40 minutes with Boston’s back against the wall, and if that’s the case, Williams should be $1,000 more on each site.
Gary Payton II (SG – GSW): $4,200 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
This is risky, but Payton would be the best play out there if you want to use Tatum and Curry. You need to save salary from getting both of those studs into your lineup, and GP looks like the best punt play on the slate. The defensive stud dropped 28 DraftKings points across 26 minutes in Game 5 and has at least 15 fantasy points in three of his last four games. That’s all you can ask for from such a cheap player, particularly since it allows you to do whatever else you want with your lineup.
Value Plays
Marcus Smart (PG/SG – BOS): $8,000 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
Smart is one of the safest plays out there. The feisty guard has played at least 39 minutes in five of his last seven games, and that seems like a guarantee in this elimination game for the Celtics. We’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 33 fantasy points per game across his last 14 outings, and he should be particularly hostile in this elimination game at home. If you’re getting one of the most aggressive players playing harder than usual, he should be in your lineup.
Draymond Green (PF/C – GSW): $7,000 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
Smart and Green are very similar players. They play with the same grit, making them good fantasy options with how they stuff the stat sheet. Green’s shot hasn’t been falling, but he still averaged 31 DK points per game during the regular season. We’ve seen flashes of that in this series, with DG scoring at least 27 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games. Good luck finding that sort of production from other players in this price range.
Advantageous Pricing
- Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $10,500 FanDuel
- Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $6,600 DraftKings
- Robert Williams III (PF/C – BOS): $6,800 DraftKings
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.