This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Tuesday brings the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA after the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers handedly in Game 1. It also provides another opportunity to win some money in FanDuel's single game contest, so let's examine some players who could help you bring home some cash.
MVP Candidates
LeBron James, CLE ($20,000): James scored 35.9 FanDuel points in a Game 1, which is a terrible performance considering his price. He still had seven rebounds and nine assists, but was just 5-for-16 from the field and committed seven turnovers. While the Celtics are a very good defensive team, it's not often you see James struggle that much. Expect him to rebound with a better performance Tuesday and have the highest upside of anyone taking the floor, making him an excellent candidate to use in the MVP position where a player gets two times the points.
Kevin Love, CLE ($14,000): Love shot only 5-for-14 from the field Sunday, but still scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds on his way to 30.1 FanDuel points. He had finally turned his playoff struggles around, scoring at least 40.2 FanDuel points in three straight games entering this series. If you are playing in a tournament, you should be looking for players with the highest upside for this position based on the points multiplier. As the clear second best option on a Cavaliers team where the supporting players have struggled, Love could be in for a big night if this game stays close.
Star and Pro Candidates
Al Horford, BOS ($14,000): Horford has been a rock during the playoffs, scoring at least 32 FanDuel points in 12 of 13 games. He doesn't need to score a ton to provide value either since he is also averaging 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks during this run. He doesn't have the upside that James and Love have, but his floor is high, making him an excellent candidate for either of these positions.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($12,500): Brown was only needed to play 28 minutes Sunday, but he still finished with 38.1 FanDuel points. He's been one of the focal points of the Celtics' offense with Kyrie Irving (knee) out and continued that trend by scoring 23 points on 16 shot attempts in Game 1. He won't provide many assists, but when you combine his scoring with his rebounds and defensive stats, he is certainly someone to consider using in one of these multipliers.
Utility
Marcus Smart, BOS ($10,000): Smart struggled offensively Sunday, shooting 4-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-5 from behind the arc. He still provided six assists and a steal in only 25 minutes due to the blowout nature of the game. He's not a great offensive weapon, but he's an extremely important part of their defense and has a high minute's floor even in a bench role, making him a viable option to consider Tuesday.
Tristan Thompson, CLE ($7,000): Thompson came off the bench in Game 1, but finished with eight points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. Since the Cavaliers were blown out, it is expected they will make a lineup change and start Thompson in Game 2. He has played well when given extended playing time during the playoffs, scoring at least 21.7 FanDuel points in all three games that he logged at least 20 minutes. The price is right to take a chance on him in tournament play if he does indeed start.
