This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
After an extended break, the NBA is back in action Sunday with the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. DraftKings has their Showdown format available as a result, which is different from the normal classic game in that there are no positions, just six utility spots. Let's look at some players across the different price tiers that can hopefully help you end the night with a winning lineup.
Expensive
LeBron James, CLE ($18,700): James is having a special run during the playoffs, scoring at least 59.5 DraftKings points in 10 of 11 games. The only time he didn't was when he logged limited minutes in a blowout loss during the series against the Pacers. He has played at least 38 minutes in all 10 of those games and will continue to have an extremely high usage rate, giving him the highest upside of anyone taking the floor Sunday.
Terry Rozier, BOS ($11,500): It's hard to imagine the Celtics have made it this far without Kyrie Irving (knee) and Gordon Hayward (ankle). Rozier is one of the main reasons they have been able to win despite missing two of their best players, scoring at least 30 DraftKings points in all but two games during the playoffs this year. He's getting a ton of playing time due to the Celtics lack of depth at point guard and has shown an ability to contribute in multiple areas, making him a strong option to consider for Game 1.
Middle-priced
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($9,000): After battling a hamstring injury in the series against the Sixers, Brown returned to the starting lineup and scored 36.5 DraftKings points Wednesday. He played 31 minutes and has had a lot of time to rest, which is encouraging for his status heading into this series. His usage rate has been up in the playoffs despite his injury issues, so look for him to continue to be more involved in the offense against the Cavaliers.
Marcus Smart, BOS ($8,100): With all the Celtics injury woes, having Smart back has given them a significant boost. He came up big against the Sixers, scoring at least 28.8 DraftKings points in four of five games. He may not score a ton of points, but he still has a reasonable floor when you factor in his ability to contribute in multiple areas, especially with defensive stats.
Discount
Kyle Korver, CLE ($5,800): James struggled to get help from his teammates at times in the first two rounds, but Korver is one of the few supporting players who has played well. His contributions are largely limited to his ability to score, but he still finished with at least 25 DraftKings points in three of four games against the Raptors. He logged at least 27 minutes in all four of those games as well. This will be a much tougher series against an excellent Celtics defense, but Korver's secure playing time makes him a viable option to consider.
Jeff Green, CLE ($3,900): In this showdown format, you have to take chances with some really cheap players if you are playing in a tournament. Like Korver, Green's contributions are mostly in the scoring department, but he scored at least 18.5 DraftKings points in three of four games against the Raptors. He played at least 20 minutes in each of those three contests and should continue to be one of the key reserves for the Cavaliers against the Celtics. His upside isn't high, but that doesn't mean he can't provide value at this cheap price.
