The 2024 Western Conference Finals continue Thursday with Game 5 between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks lead the series 3-1 and are hoping to avoid going back home for Game 6, while the Timberwolves try to win their second game in a row in this series and shift the pressure on Dallas.
Here’s a look at one potential lineup strategy DFS managers can employ for Showdown contests involving Thursday’s game with a captain pick, utility plays and fades.
Captain Pick
Luka Doncic, $21,000
Even though Doncic struggled from the floor in Game 4, he still finished with a triple-double and nearly made enough plays late to win the game for Dallas. The star guard racked up 68.8 fantasy points, 0.2 points short of his best outing in the series and his sixth straight game going for 60+ fantasy points. It’s a hefty price tag but the production is too good to pass up.
Utility Plays
Anthony Edwards, $11,800
You can flip Edwards and Doncic with your captain spot to save a handful of bucks, though the 1.5x points boost makes Doncic the more worthwhile selection there. Edwards has been stellar in the last two games, tallying 50+ fantasy points each time. He came one assist shy of a triple-double in Game 4 and should be in fine form once again as the Timberwolves try to stave off elimination.
Daniel Gafford, $6,000
Gafford scored 31.5 fantasy points in Game 4, his second game of the series going over 30 fantasy points. Dereck Lively is questionable and could return, but that should still leave Gafford with plenty of opportunities to make an impact. Dallas needs to re-establish its presence in the paint, and that responsibility falls on Gafford. He should have a stellar showing tonight.
Jaden McDaniels, $5,600
McDaniels has been quiet after going for 37 fantasy points in the series opener, tallying 50.4 fantasy points combined over the last three outings. However, he shoots the ball substantially better at home from the perimeter, which is where he excelled in Game 1. After a few down showings, I think McDaniels is a Timberwolves role player worth backing in Game 5.
Josh Green, $2,800
Since we splurged on Doncic and Edwards, we’re going to have to round out the lineup with some true fliers. Green has been getting consistent minutes, though he often defers on shooting the ball. He did have a decent effort in Game 2 with 18 fantasy points and plays enough to at least come close to hitting double digits in most games.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, $2,600
In a similar vein to Green, Alexander-Walker simply hasn’t been able to get going from deep in this series. He is actually one of the few role players who doesn’t shoot the ball better at home, so it’s risky rostering him in Game 5. However, there aren’t many choices at this point when it comes to price and NAW has at least tallied double-digit fantasy points in the last three games.
Fades
Karl-Anthony Towns, $9,000
Towns erupted in Game 4 with 25 points, connecting on three late triples to give the Timberwolves some important scoring in clutch time. However, he still only logged 32.8 fantasy points because he fouled out of the contest. While I don’t think Towns’ poor outings from Games 1-3 were a true reflection of him, I also don’t think he replicates his Game 4 outing tonight. Combine that with his propensity to get into foul trouble and I’m staying away at this price point.
P.J. Washington, $7,000
Washington’s value continues to slip as he continues to revert back to his usual three-point numbers. The forward is still an important contributor on the glass and remains organized in Dallas’ offense but the payoff just isn’t there anymore. He’s going to have a breakout game at some point but predicting that is a fool’s errand. I’d leave him out of your lineup for Game 5.