Game 1 of the Western Conference finals tips off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Here we are! We’re finally in the Conference finals, and it’s a matchup that we absolutely adore. The Nuggets have looked like the best team in the West all season, but the Lakers have been rolling since the All-Star break. The historical context of this season has to scare Denver fans. The Nuggets have lost all seven of their playoff series against the Lakers in their franchise history. In their three Conference finals over the last 50 years, Denver has lost to L.A. in all three of them while never reaching the Finals. That’s a daunting trend, but if any team can buck it, it’s the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets.
Core Plays
Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $11,600 DraftKings, $16,500 FanDuel
It’s hard to deny the talent this superstar possesses. Davis averaged 52 DraftKings points per game during the regular season and comes into this matchup scoring at least 50 fantasy points in 14 of his last 20 games. Many of those were playoff games, and we have to assume he is locked into 20 shots and 40 minutes in these must-win matchups. In the two games he finished against Denver this year, he averaged over 54 DK points!
Jamal Murray (PG – DEN): $9,200 DraftKings, $13,000 FanDuel
We were surprised to see Murray on the injury report, but he’s expected to suit up for this critical Game 1. This guy has been a stud for two months, averaging nearly 40 DraftKings points per game. That’s what we’ve seen throughout Murray’s postseason career, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in 44 career playoff games. The matchup is the best part, though, with the Lakers allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards during the regular season. In their four matchups this year, Murray maintained a 39-point average against the Lakers.
Cash Game Considerations
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,800 DraftKings, $17,500 FanDuel
You can’t fade Jokic on a single-game slate. This guy led the NBA during the regular season with 60 DraftKings points per game and has been even better in this postseason. The former MVP has scored at least 72 DK points in seven of his last eight games. I’m not sure I’ve seen a stretch like that since the Russell Westbrook OKC days, and you know Joker will leave it all on the floor in this Western Conference finals. Jokic is averaging over 60 fantasy points per game in four meetings with Los Angeles.
LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $15,500 FanDuel
LeBron showed us why he’s the greatest player of this generation in the Game 6 clincher over the weekend. King James finished that masterpiece with 61 DK points, which is right on par with his career average in the postseason. He’s also established one of the highest floors of any player, scoring at least 36 DK points in all but two games this year. If you want a safe 40-60 DK points, LeBron is the best pick on the board outside of Jokic.
GPP Targets
D’Angelo Russell (PG/SG – LAL): $7,200 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
Russell has the highest upside of any player in this price range. The former All-Star has scored at least 25 DK points in 10 of his last 12 games, dropping at least 34 fantasy points in six of those. Getting 30-35 DraftKings points would be amazing from such an affordable player, and as long as he’s playing 30-35 minutes and taking double-digit shots, Russell is a great GPP option.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG – DEN): $5,600 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
Caldwell-Pope has struggled at times in these playoffs, but his two most recent games show why he’s so valuable. The Denver winger scored 39 and 27 DraftKings points in his two most recent games and regularly plays 35-40 minutes a night. His elite defense is the reason why the Nuggets can’t pull him off the floor, and it makes Caldwell-Pope an intriguing GPP option with that 40-point upside. In his last game against Los Angeles, Caldwell-Pope provided 26 DK points across 31 minutes.
Value Plays
Aaron Gordon (SF/PF – DEN): $6,800 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Gordon struggles on the offensive end, but Denver can’t take him off the floor because he needs to guard LeBron James. That should guarantee Gordon 40 minutes a night in this series, and he needs to be $1,000 more on both sites in that sort of role. In the 17 games that Gordon has played over 35 minutes, he’s averaging 38 DK points per game. He’s also excelled against the Lakers all year, scoring at least 27 fantasy points in all four of their matchups.
Dennis Schroder (PG/SG – LAL): $4,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
It looks like the Lakers are willing to run small, and it’s allowing Schroder to play a ton of minutes. The Los Angeles guard averaged 30 minutes a night over the final three games of the Golden State series, despite getting ejected in one of those. We saw Schroder average 28 DK points per game in the 45 outings he played at least 30 minutes in the regular season. That would be incredible from such a cheap player, and he makes for a great pairing with studs like Jokic, Davis, and LeBron.
Advantageous Pricing
Aaron Gordon (SF/PF – DEN): $6,800 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Dennis Schroder (PG/SG – LAL): $4,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
Jarred Vanderbilt (SF/PF – LAL): $2,600 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
