This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The Eastern Conference Finals move to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3, with the Knicks aiming to get back into the series. Action begins at 8:00 p.m. EDT, and I've got you covered with a variety of build options for FanDuel's single-game contests.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Before we begin, let's take a look at the winning lineup from Game 2 via one of FanDuel's most popular multi-entry contests.
MVP Jalen Brunson 84.15
UTIL Tyrese Haliburton 45.1
UTIL Pascal Siakam 51.5
UTIL Mikal Bridges 35.4
UTIL Mitchell Robinson 25.8
UTIL T.J. McConnell 17.4
There's a popular playoff theory called the 1-2-1 rule, where you get two games out of your best performer, one out of the second-best, and one out of an unexpected role player. If you look at this year's postseason, that tracks as we've already seen evidence of it with the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith powered the Pacers during the opener while Siakam led the team with 51.5 points on Friday. If you follow the theory, it stands to reason the team will depend on Haliburton as the series draws to a close. It's an interesting trend, though there's no hard data to back it up.
Brunson has been the Knicks' lead offensive engine, and the winning lineup took advantage with a massive multiplier total. His salary tops the pool on Sunday, and one could argue the dollar amount is almost prohibitively high. That winning lineup adhered to a very popular 4-2 scheme where you reach into the bargain bin for two value selections and then spend on four quality scorers. Mitchell Robinson became the surprise of this configuration as Karl-Anthony Towns' lack of defensive success was the primary reason for the veteran's emergence. KAT only lasted 28 minutes in Game 2 as he struggled to hold down the interior.
MVP CANDIDATES
Tyrese Haliburton (MVP $20,400, UTIL $13,600)
Jalen Brunson (MVP $21,600, UTIL $14,400)
Pascal Siakam (MVP $15,900, UTIL $10,600)
Mikal Bridges (MVP $12,000, UTIL $8,000)
I'm less interested in Brunson for the MVP spot as the 1.5x salary increase is too much to stomach, yet I'd be a fool to completely fade him. Haliburton's number is a little easier to handle, but he might be best suited as a UTIL option at $13,600. My data crunch keeps bringing me back to Siakam and Bridges. Though Siakam is $3,900 more, his data through two matchups has been solid and reliable and we've seen remarkable consistency after some early struggles during the Cleveland series. Bridges hasn't popped with a Brunson-like effort in a while, yet he's averaging 36.1 FDFPs this series and a multiplier total of 54.1 would be a nice anchor. FanDuel's per-slot average is $10,000, so we'll have to make some concessions in all three of these scenarios.
UTILITY CANDIDATES
Our four MVP candidates are also eligible for UTIL consideration.
Myles Turner ($8,200)
OG Anunoby ($7,800)
Aaron Nesmith ($6,800)
If we lock in this trio, our slot average plummets to $12,533. Bridges' MVP salary is right in line with that number. If we take Siakam in the fifth spot at $10,600, Brunson and Haliburton are both available and I'm perfectly fine with either on Sunday.
ROBINSON BUILD FOR ELITE MULTIPLIER
Let's assume the Knicks keep Robinson in the mix as a defensive option and we utilize him as a punt for Turner. We then swap Nesmith for T.J. McConnell ($2,200) and move Bridges over to UTIL. We are then free to use either Brunson and Haliburton, with one of them covering the MVP. That build would look like this:
MVP Brunson/Halburton
UTIL Bridges
UTIL Siakam
UTIL Robinson
UTIL McConnell
UTIL Brunson/Haliburton
This is a replica of the Game 2 winning lineup, and it's still a viable option if you believe in Robinson's continued production. If you aren't comfortable with copying the best roster from Friday, flipping Bridges for Anunoby or reinstalling Nesmith represent ways to diversify the build. You could also bend the rules by giving Siakam the multiplier, but you would inevitably leave a lot of money on the table due to the limited number of pivots available with the increased cash flow.
FOR TOWNS BELIEVERS
Many think Towns will bounce back on Sunday. There's a build for you if you're a believer, but it's going to cost you. Keeping Brunson and Haliburton in your lineup with Towns is virtually impossible, so you'd have to roll without one. KAT would probably fit in best with a Bridges MVP build that could still include Brunson/Haliburton and Siakam.
