This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Guards:
Donovan Mitchell, UTA at HOU ($9.300): The fact that Mitchell scored at least 37 fantasy points in all six of his playoffs games thus far is enough incentive to use him, but his impressive streak extends much longer than that. In fact, Mitchell has at least 30 fantasy points in 27 straight games, as he's averaging close to 40 fantasy points per game in that span. His role could increase in this series too, as Ricky Rubio is expected to miss at least a week due to a hamstring issue. That means his 40 percent usage rate in the most recent game could carry over here, as he's likely to lead the Jazz in shots taken and minutes played.
Darren Collison, IND at CLE ($5,600): Collison has been inconsistent in this series, but he should be looking at close to 40 minutes of action in this do-or-die Game 7. Not only does he have at least 23 fantasy points in four of his six games in this series, Collison averaged 38 fantasy points per game in four regular-season meetings with the Cavaliers. That's no surprise when you consider the fact that Cleveland allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards in the regular season.
J.R. Smith, CLE vs. IND ($3,800): Using players like Smith Is dangerous in DFS, but he's playing way too many minutes to fade him at this sort of price. Not only has he played at least 27 minutes in all six games, Smith is now averaging 34 minutes a game in 10 meetings with the Pacers this season. In addition, Smith is averaging 20 FanDuel points per game in his 10 games against Indiana this season, which is over 5X value at this price. Using Smith makes it much easier to get guys like James Harden and LeBron James into your lineup as well.
Forwards
LeBron James, CLE vs. IND ($12,500): It's impossible to fade James in this critical Game 7 circumstance, as he should be playing close to a full 48 minutes. He's already played at least 39 minutes in five of the six games in this series, and is averaging 32.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game through the first six games. Those numbers are no surprise considering James averaged 54 fantasy points per game in the regular season. Not to mention, James is averaging over 50 fantasy points per game in the six Game 7's he played.
Joe Ingles, UTA at HOU ($6,500): With Ricky Rubio (hamstring) sitting this game out, Ingles should be one of the primary ball handlers for the Jazz. Not only was he bringing up the ball for the second-unit in the Game 6 win, Ingles was running much of the first-team offense through the top of the key. He ended the OKC series on a fury too, as Ingles averaged over 30 fantasy points per game in the final four outings. The fact that Ingles and James are the only small forward options above $5,200 adds to his intrigue, as those are truly the only two reliable SF options on this slate.
Thaddeus Young, IND at CLE ($6,200): Young has had some of his best numbers of the season against these Cavaliers, as he's exposed their weak defense. In fact, Young is averaging 29.6 FanDuel points per game in his 10 meetings with the Cavaliers this season, scoring at least 23 fantasy points in all but one of those fixtures. It's no shock either when you consider the fact that Cleveland allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards in the regular season.
Centers
Rudy Gobert, UTA at HOU ($7,900): There are only three centers worth using, as Clint Capela, Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner are the only centers north of $3,500. With that in mind, we're going to fade Capela, considering he has the toughest matchup of the three. Not only did Utah rank second in defensive efficiency, they allowed the fewest points in the league. While Houston is no cake matchup, Gobert should easily record a double-double with the Rockers firing up the most threes in the NBA while playing at a fast pace.
Myles Turner, IND at CLE ($5,400): Turner definitely has the best matchup of any of these centers, as he faces a Cleveland defense who ranked 29th in defensive efficiency in the regular season. While Turner hasn't blown up in this series, the fact that he averaged 28 FanDuel points per game in the regular season means he's a huge value at this $5,400 price tag. The fact that this is a Game 7 should add to his value too, as Turner should surpass his 28 minutes per game in this series while being leaned on more heavily.
