The NBA Playoffs continue with the potential for a classic in today’s Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
This youthful Thunder team has challenged the former champions, and everything will be at stake in today’s fateful matchup. There has been a clear deficit in depth between these two teams, with Oklahoma City having plenty of hungry young bodies to rotate through. In contrast, Denver has kept their rotation tight with this set to magnify following the Grade 2 hamstring strain Aaron Gordon suffered in the previous game. Gordon is considered “physically improbable” to go today per ESPN’s Shams Charania, with the injury set to take several weeks to recover from.
Despite this Game 7 matchup being the lone NBA game on the slate, there is still plenty of action on the table and plenty of different ways to get involved with DraftKings Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports. This article will look at the top DFS value plays ahead of the lone playoff matchup.
While these are not names that will likely lead your squad in DFS production, look for these players to outperform their price point and provide some flexibility to get more stars into your lineup. Gordon’s injury is a brutal break for the Nuggets overall, but it still opens the door for some value to help win your DraftKings contests.
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PG Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder, $5,600
The $5,600 is a steep price tag from a value perspective, but the former MVP should be looked at as a must-start based on the context of this game. The Russell Westbrook experience is a roller coaster, but his energy will be necessary in this type of environment, and Denver has run out of rotational options in this series.
Looking at the playoffs overall, Westbrook has played 146 total minutes, which ranks sixth on the team. There are only six players to have played 60+ minutes in the postseason, with Westbrook set to fill some of the 38.2 minutes per game that Aaron Gordon ($8,200) provided. Overall, Westbrook is averaging 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, or 21.4 fantasy points per game in this playoff run.
Westbrook has tallied as many as 39.8 fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring in a game during this postseason stretch. Expect Denver to unleash the 36-year-old today, and for his energy to be necessary in combating the youth and depth of Oklahoma City. The nine-time All-Star has averaged a triple-double throughout a season before and can scale his game to fit what the team needs. Expect him to play an increased role in rebounding the basketball and helping to generate transition points.
There will be a longer leash than usual for Westbrook and his sometimes frantic style of play. You have to take the bad with the good in terms of what he brings, but he is one of the few players on this team trusted to see his role scaled up, and he has plenty of postseason scars built up through the years. Count on Westbrook making his impact felt in this game and outproducing his $5,600 DraftKings price point.
SF/PF Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder, $1,600
Another player set to be impacted by the loss of Aaron Gordon ($8,200) is Peyton Watson. Denver selected the UCLA product with the 30th pick in the 2022 draft and has done a nice job developing him in their system. Watson saw his statistical output grow to 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game across his 24.4 minutes in the regular season. He averaged 18.5 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring.
Watson saw his minutes limited to start the postseason, with 18.5 fantasy points being his largest output and averaging 12.1 fantasy points per game in the postseason overall. His 6-foot-7 frame and impressive athleticism will be necessary in this matchup. Expect Watson to see his largest opportunity on the floor today thus far in the series and surpass the 16:38 of game time he logged in Game 3, which is currently his playoff career high. Nikola Jokic is one of the best playmakers in the NBA, and Watson has found success being utilized as an off-ball cutter and lob threat. The 22-year-old also tallied eight rebounds in Game 5 and will need to help out in this area as well.
Watson’s 59 total minutes rank seventh on the team this postseason, with only one other player, Julian Strawther ($1,000), having logged double-digit total minutes. Count on Denver throwing him into the fire in this game and for Watson to have a chance to make a real name for himself. His size and athleticism will be necessary against this Thunder team, and he can fill a similar role to what Gordon has provided. He was a 35.3% three-point shooter in the regular season and is sure to be last on Oklahoma City’s defensive priority list. Expect him to be able to capitalize on open looks from the perimeter, make his impact as a cutter, while contributing to the rebounding battle. Watson has a clear path to one of the best statistical outputs of his career, and count on him to produce well past his $1,600 price point on DratKings DFS.
SF/PF Aaron Wiggins, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets, $1,200
Oklahoma City has an abundance of rotation players who would be in line for more significant roles on plenty of other teams. This has made it a bit difficult to predict who steps up on a game-by-game basis, but Aaron Wiggins has done a solid job establishing his importance throughout the year. While his 135 total minutes in these playoffs rank eighth on this Thunder team, Wiggins has played as many as 26:17 of game action in this playoff run.
Overall, the Maryland product is averaging 7.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, or 13.4 fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring. This comes after a regular season in which he averaged 22.0 fantasy points per game, and some recent struggles shooting the ball have limited his output. Across the past two games, he has shot just 2-for-10 from the field and 1-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc.
With the home crowd behind him, expect some better results tonight. Denver being shorthanded allows the Thunder to just play their game and force their opponent to adjust. Expect this to result in an expanded role for Aaron Wiggins, who established himself as a key bench piece. He has tallied as many as 30.0 fantasy points in a postseason game this year, and count on Wiggins to get back on track in this fateful Game 7. He has not been afraid of the moment to this point, and don’t be shocked if he ends up getting hot and becoming one of the stories of the game today.
