The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will square off in Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference Finals with the Mavericks hoping to grab a 2-0 lead on the road while the Timberwolves attempt to level up the series at 1-1. Despite a huge three-point advantage for Minnesota in Game 1, Dallas was able to hold its nerve during the last few minutes to scrape by and get the win.
Here’s a look at one potential lineup strategy DFS managers can employ for Showdown contests involving Friday’s game with a captain pick, utility plays and fades.
Captain Pick
Anthony Edwards, $17,100
Despite a down scoring performance relative to his lofty standards, Edwards tallied 51.3 fantasy points in the opener. He should be more aggressive attacking the basket in Game 2, as he took just four shots inside the perimeter in Game 1. Perhaps the Timberwolves spell him defensively to allow him to be more assertive on the offensive end. In any case, he’s $3k less than Luka Doncic in what is a pivotal spot for Minnesota. Take Edwards as the captain tonight.
Utility Plays
Luka Doncic, $13,400
In the end, you don’t end up saving too much money on the captain spot since rostering Doncic is a necessity. He’s topped 60 fantasy points in three straight games, and will continue to see high usage in Game 2. The Mavericks have typically struggled in Game 1s but they flipped the script for this series. There’s a chance Doncic is a bit quiet in the first half with Kyrie Irving being more aggressive but he should eventually get enough opportunities to put up another big fantasy number.
Jaden McDaniels, $6,000
McDaniels might be a trendy value play here after logging 37 fantasy points in the opener, highlighted by six made triples. The forward is unlikely to have that type of shooting performance again, even though he was a marksman from deep during the regular season. There is some consistency of late with McDaniels, as he’s logged 35+ fantasy points in three straight games. At this price, he’s worth adding to your lineup.
Dereck Lively, $5,400
The rookie is playing beyond his years lately in this postseason. He’s logged double-digit rebounds in three straight games and didn’t look out of place battling the likes of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 1. His work on the offensive glass is particularly impressive for his age, and he’s not seeing a big increase in price point yet. Even though he splits time with Daniel Gafford, head coach Jason Kidd trusts Lively in key moments. He logged 30.8 fantasy points in Game 1 and should keep up his strong play tonight.
Derrick Jones Jr., $5,000
After a string of solid performances against the Thunder, Jones Jr. was relatively tame with 16 fantasy points in the series opener. He still played heavy minutes and is often involved in the key pick-and-roll actions with Doncic as the rim runner. If Jones Jr. can knock down a few triples, he’ll pay off for DFS managers who roster him. The minutes are there and the production has been there recently, so one down outing can be ignored.
Kyle Anderson, $2,600
There were a lot of jokes surrounding Kyle Anderson’s jump shot in Game 1 but managers who took a flier on him were pleased with 17 fantasy points in 17 minutes. When you roster someone at this price point, anything above 10 fantasy points is a win. Anderson’s minutes have fluctuated a bit but his versatility is going to be a factor in this series. I think the Timberwolves continue to give him decent playing time and that makes him a strong bargain play.
Fades
Rudy Gobert, $8,400
Gobert looked out of sorts in Game 1, especially on the glass. He’s going to bounce back but I don’t know that his offense is enough to make him worth adding to your lineup ahead of shooters like McDaniels and Jones Jr. The big man only managed 28.3 fantasy points in Game 1 and while I do see him having a better game, he’s not worth this price.
P.J. Washington, $8,000
At some point, Washington will have a big game from the perimeter again. However, role players tend to play better at home so that boom is unlikely to happen in Game 2 tonight. Washington has fallen back to Earth after some hot shooting earlier in the Oklahoma City series, which has tempered his value a bit in DFS contests. He’s still doing some good work on the glass but I’d leave him out of lineups for Game 2.