NBA fans get treated to back-to-back Game 7s this weekend from the Western Conference. On Saturday, it’s the Clippers and Nuggets facing off in Denver. Both teams are well-stocked with proven playoff performers and plenty of star power. The single-game showdown is featured in tonight’s NBA DFS contests, so let’s take a look at three NBA DFS picks that are must-starts for your showdown builds for Saturday.
The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET, and DraftKings Sportsbook has the Nuggets as 1.5-point home favorites.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $500K Game 7 Special [$100K to 1st] (LAC @ DEN)
PF Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets, $10,200
Kawhi is cheaper than both Nikola Jokic ($13,600) or James Harden ($10,800), but he has been very consistent in the six games in this series. He has a team-leading 28.2% usage rate in the series and has produced an average of 47.6 fantasy points per game at the rate of 1.23 fantasy points per minute.
He has at least 45 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He had a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists for 55.25 fantasy points in Game 5 and followed that with another double-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 49 fantasy points in Game 6.
Kawhi has taken at least 15 field-goal attempts in every game in this series, and his career playoff resume is unquestionable. He saves enough salary compared to Jokic that he is much easier to build around for fantasy basketball, and he’s a very strong option to include in your NBA DFS picks.
PG/SG Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $9,800
Murray has stepped up in Game 5 and Game 6 with two big games for the Nuggets. In Game 5 in Denver, he went off for 43 points and 71.25 fantasy points in the Nuggets’ big win. He was also solid in Game 6 with 48.5 DraftKings points.
He scored 20+ points in five of the six games of the series and has at least 30 DraftKings points in each contest. He has played the most minutes of any player in the series, and he has shown the ability to come up “clutch” with a big game when the Nuggets need it most.
Not only did he go off in Game 5, he had two big games in his last two Game 7 matchups. He had 35 points, three assists and three rebounds in Game 7 against the Timberwolves last season. In Game 7 against the Clippers in 2020, he was even better with 40 points, five assists and four rebounds.
His history in his past Game 7 contests and his recent form makes him one of the top NBA DFS picks to build around. He hasn’t been quite as reliable as Jokic or even Kawhi, but his ceiling is high enough to make him a great option to build around.
PG Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $5,600
Westbrook has produced 24.6 fantasy points per game in this series. However, his production has been even better than that average indicates, since he only played nine minutes in Game 3 due to foot inflammation and missed Game 4. He returned in Game 5 with 23.25 DraftKings points in 25 minutes and was even better in Game 6, with 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and 37 DraftKings points in 35 minutes.
In two games, he played over 30 minutes and had 34 and 37 DraftKings points. Getting that production under $6,000 in a UTIL spot or using him as a value Captain’s Pick play makes a lot of sense given his upside.
He is higher risk due to the injury issue, but his ceiling is worth the risk given how impactful he can be both on the court and as one of the day’s top NBA DFS picks.
