The Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday with the Knicks hosting the Pacers for Game 1. DraftKings is offering a plethora of contests for this Showdown slate. Below, I have featured some of my favorite NBA DFS targets for this contest.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $500K Shootaround [$100K to 1st] (IND @ NYK).
Captain’s Picks
Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,800, $14,700 CPT)
Towns finished the Knicks’ second-round series against the Celtics with over 40 FPTS in three of his final five games. The big man now finds himself in a much easier matchup vs. the Pacers. Indiana ranks sixth in pace and 15th in defensive rating, compared to Boston, who ranks dead last in pace and fourth in defensive rating.
Towns dominated the Pacers in the regular season, scoring 48.25, 43.25 and 70.5 FPTS in his three matchups. The big man shot 56% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc in these outings.
The veteran center is producing an elite 1.4 FPTS per minute this season. Despite being only the third most expensive player on the board, Towns is arguably the top overall play for this slate, and he is the best player to roster at captain.
FLEX Plays
Josh Hart ($8,800, $13,200 CPT)
Hart closed the second round with a triple-double and 44.25 FPTS. He thrived against the up-tempo Pacers in the regular season, averaging 45.5 FPTS per game in three matchups. As you can see, playing at a faster pace is a huge boost for the versatile Hart, and he is far too cheap for his potential in this appealing matchup. The Knicks are a 4.5-point home favorite for Game 1, and Hart is generating 39.7 FPTS per game when competing as a favorite this season.
Andrew Nembhard ($7,000, $10,500 CPT)
Nembhard has been a major contributor for the Pacers this postseason. In his 10 starts, the 25-year-old is supplying 31.7 FPTS in 32.8 minutes per game and is handling an 18.5% usage rate. Nembhard is shooting 50% from the field and 50% on three pointers, and is without a doubt one of the best values available for this Showdown slate.
Obi Toppin ($3,600, $5,400 CPT)
Toppin is the best punt for this Showdown. The 27-year-old is scoring 16.1 FPTS in 15.9 minutes per game off the bench this postseason with a 22% usage rate. Toppin is shooting 51.6% from the field. He was effective against the Knicks in the regular season, averaging 16.8 FPTS per game in his two matchups against his former team.
Fade
Pascal Siakam ($8,600, $12,900 CPT)
Siakam has been inconsistent, scoring less than 30 FPTS in four of his last seven starts, and the Knicks are a difficult matchup for the forward. New York possesses a strong group of wing defenders in Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Siakam struggled in this matchup in the regular season, averaging 29.5 FPTS per game in his three matchups with New York. Siakam’s upside isn’t great in this spot, so he is worth fading at this slightly inflated price tag.
The Outcome
While the Knicks went 2-1 against the Pacers in the regular season, Indiana hasn’t played in over a week and is playing its best basketball right now. The Pacers are 8-2 in these playoffs and rank second in offensive rating. Indiana is 5-1 with four or more days of rest in its favor this season. This well-balanced Indiana team should shock the Knicks with a Game 1 upset at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers are 4-1 on the road this postseason, while the Knicks are just 3-3 at home. At a favorable +150 price on DraftKings Sportsbook, backing the Pacers on the moneyline is a sharp call for Game 1.
Final score prediction: Pacers 118, Knicks 110
