The 2024 Western Conference Finals will begin Wednesday with Game 1 between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas is in the conference finals for the second time in three seasons, while Minnesota has waited 20 years to get back to this stage. The Timberwolves won three of the four regular-season meetings between the two sides and are coming off an impressive road Game 7 win over the defending champions Nuggets, but the Mavericks have been one of the best teams in the league over the last two months.
Here’s a look at one potential lineup strategy DFS managers can employ for Showdown contests involving Wednesday’s game with a captain pick, utility plays and fades.
Captain Pick
Anthony Edwards, $17,100
There’s some temptation with Luka Doncic and you can roster both players in any combination if you’d really like to. However, Edwards has been awesome in Games 1 this postseason. He logged 56.3 fantasy points in the playoff opener against the Suns before dropping 63.3 fantasy points on the Nuggets in Game 1 of that series. The Timberwolves forward has been aggressive early and often in these playoffs and should have a good matchup against Dallas. The Mavericks are 19th in fantasy points allowed to opposing wings.
Utility Plays
Kyrie Irving, $9,800
Irving has been somewhat quiet in these playoffs, going under 30 fantasy points per game in the last three contests. He only played one game against the Timberwolves in the regular season, so there’s not much to go off when it comes to trends. I think Minnesota tries to contain Doncic, which will open up more opportunities for Irving in this contest. I’d back him at a slightly lower price point instead of Doncic.
Rudy Gobert, $8,000
Gobert looked lost in Game 3 against the Nuggets, but turned things around since then from a fantasy perspective. The Defensive Player of the Year topped 30 fantasy points in each contest since that fateful Game 3, averaging 34.2 fantasy points. The big man should have the edge in this series going up against some inexperienced centers, which means he’ll potentially be able to score more points along with his usual excellence on the glass. I’d roster Gobert given his current form.
Dereck Lively, $5,400
It was a bit frustrating building this lineup since I wanted to play Jaden McDaniels instead of Lively or Gafford but was falling $100 short. I’ll take the rookie big man who has been stellar in Dallas’ last two games over Gafford, who has cooled a bit. Lively has a tough matchup as mentioned above and might feel overwhelmed as a rookie but he is averaging 29.3 fantasy points per game over the last four games. He’s worth taking a flier on as a flex play.
Derrick Jones Jr., $5,000
Jones Jr. emerged late in the series against Oklahoma City, averaging 30.9 fantasy points per game over the last three games. The versatile forward has been able to find his three-point shot a bit, which will help open up some driving lanes for him in this particular matchup. With the Timberwolves set to focus on Doncic and Irving, it’ll be players like Jones Jr. who will need to step up. At this price point, he’s worth backing as a value add to your lineup.
Naz Reid, $4,400
There are some risks with Reid, who has been steady but not spectacular during these playoffs. He’s made an impact closing games out for the Timberwolves, even if his efforts don’t necessarily show up in terms of fantasy production. He logged 50.8 combined fantasy points in Games 6 and 7 against Denver, and I’ll back him to carry that over into this series. He’s worth adding at this price.
Fades
P.J. Washington, $8,400
Washington appeared to be the X-factor for the Mavericks with his performances in Games 2 through 4 against Oklahoma City, averaging 46.4 fantasy points thanks to a three-point shooting burst. The forward fell off a bit after that, logging 31.5 fantasy points in Game 5 before managing just 19.3 fantasy points in Game 6. Washington isn’t a great three-point shooter to begin with, so he’s unlikely to replicate the type of stretch he had against the Thunder here. I’d fade him at this price.
Mike Conley, $7,200
The veteran guard has actually been a really solid fantasy presence, averaging 30.4 fantasy points in the six games he played against the Nuggets. He topped 30 fantasy points in three of those games. However, I think he’ll have to expend more energy on the defensive end in this particular series and that’ll impact his production offensively. Of all the rotation players on Minnesota’s roster who can make an impact with the three-point shot, I think Conley does offer the most versatility when it comes to scoring. However, I’d fade him for this particular matchup.