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FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Friday, 6/18/21
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Point Guard
Reggie Jackson FD - $5500 DK - $5200
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 30.8 DK - 32.19
Get ready to see a lot of Clippers on this list for Friday. That’s just the way it is when they lose their best player and everyone else has to pick up the slack in the scoring department and the minutes as well. Jackson was third on the team last game with 15 shots in his 37 minutes. LAC just isn’t a high assist team with the way they run their offense, so you aren’t going to get that out of the PG slot here. But he’s just too cheap for the minutes they need him to play in this game.
Jordan Clarkson FD - $5200 DK - $6200
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 31.86 DK - 33.6
Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley are both questionable for this game. There’s a world where neither plays, but even if just one sits then I do think Clarkson is still an option. It’s been a real struggle for Clarkson this series and he’s shooting just 38% from the field through the first five games. The volume is mostly there and he’s getting just about enough minutes off the bench. But the shot just isn’t going down. It’s kept the FanDuel price in check though and I think you can take a stab at him in cash.
Shooting Guard
Paul George FD - $10600 DK - $10100
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 46.66 DK - 48.89
Playoff P definitely stepped up last game with Kawhi Leonard on the shelf and turned in a great game for the Clippers in a somewhat surprising win. George took a team-high 22 shots which wasn’t all that surprising. We all knew he was going to have the highest usage rate on the team when Kawhi was ruled out. He ended up putting in 37 points which started to pay the day. But the 16 rebounds was a surprise and he was able to really turn in a fantastic fantasy performance. George will be the highest-owned player on the slate in this one and it will be correct.
Terance Mann FD - $4400 DK - $3200
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 23.91 DK - 24.25
On DraftKings, if he’s in the starting lineup again then you basically have to play him at near the minimum. He *only* played 26 minutes last game in the starting role, but he still managed 13 points and two rebounds, assists, and steals each. That’s fine enough for the DraftKings price point and there’s a world where the minutes increase in this game as well. He’ll be the total chalk on DraftKings again if running with the starters.
Small Forward
Nicolas Batum FD - $6200 DK - $4900
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 33.29 DK - 33.3
There are almost no small forward options on FanDuel for this slate meaning that even at this higher price point, Batum is likely to see quite a bit of ownership. And the DraftKings price is probably low enough to consider as well. Without Kawhi, just about every Clippers guy should get a look on this slate. He played 42 minutes in Game 5 and contributed nine points and seven rebounds. The big gains came on the defensive end where he had four steals. That’s probably not repeatable, but the minutes will be there again.
Bojan Bogdanovic FD - $5900 DK - $5900
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 28.64 DK - 30.76
He’s not exactly at a great price point, but again, the options are just so thin on FanDuel. There are basically three viable options on the site to fill out two positions. So that’s going to come down to Batum, Bojan, and Gallo. The former two actually start which is why they basically get the nod even though the latter is coming the cheapest. That’s the only thing that makes it a close call. Last game Bojan took a team-high 20 shots and was a flamethrower from behind the arc going 9-17 from three. That’s not going to happen again, but he has put up 16 or more shots in four of this series first five games.
Power Forward
Tobias Harris FD - $7200 DK - $7700
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 43.38 DK - 43.52
Harris was dreadful in Game 5, though you could say that about just about everyone on the Sixers. But before that game, he’d been a steady scoring threat through this series, putting up 21 points a game on 52% shooting. He’s been moderately on the boards as well, averaging seven rebounds per game. On FanDuel, I think Tobias is a pretty easy play in the power forward position and we are likely to see right around 40 minutes in a game the Sixers just need to win.
Marcus Morris Sr. FD - $6400 DK - $5100
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 33.66 DK - 35.5
From a fantasy perspective, Morris stepped up in a big way with Kawhi Leonard out and ended up playing 40 minutes in the win. He was second on the team in shots after PG with 16 shots and he ended up putting 25 points. It was almost a score-only game though for Morris who contributed very little anywhere else on the stat line. But if he’s going to get this kind of run then you have to play him even at the increased prices.
Center
Rudy Gobert FD - $8000 DK - $7500
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 52.42 DK - 51.82
Gobert played his most minutes of the series in Game 5 though it wasn’t enough for the Jazz. But in a must-win game, he should be out there for maximum run again come hell or high water. He’s double-doubled in four of the five games of this series though of course will never be part of the focal scoring part of the offense. That’s just the reality we live with Gobert now, but the floor is still high enough to justify the DraftKings price. On FanDuel it’s a little closer, but I’m concerned with the other two options. There’s a chance Embiid is still somewhat limited with the knee and Capela has been completely marginalized this series.
