Things are getting spicy in the Eastern Conference Finals. After falling into a 3-1 series deficit, the Knicks rallied back for a dominant win on Thursday. Now, the pressure shifts back towards the Pacers, hoping to avoid an elimination game in New York on Monday. Ahead of Saturday’s NBA postseason clash, DraftKings is offering several can’t-miss DFS Showdown contests. Let’s take a closer look at which players fantasy basketball managers should be targeting as captain plays tonight.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $500K Shootaround [$100K to 1st] (NYK @ IND)
PG Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers ($16,800)
‘Understatement’ doesn’t do Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 5 performance justice. The guard was a complete non-factor on Thursday, posting an eight-point, six-assist stat line while shooting two-of-seven from the field. It was a dud on several levels, especially following a masterful triple-double in Game 4. During that contest, Hali recorded a whopping 84.5 fantasy points. Right now, Indiana’s face of the franchise is a total boom-or-bust play. He’s a difficult player to trust, but also someone capable of single-handedly winning your matchup.
It’s not the most scientific logic, but a bad game followed by a good one seems to be the norm for Haliburton. It helps that the 25-year-old is such a dynamic passer, and more than capable on the glass. In this series, he’s averaged 10.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game. As long as the All-Star flirts with 20 points on decent efficiency, he should return value for fantasy managers. Even with a hefty price tag, Hali is worth the risk on Saturday.
C Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks ($15,900)
Going into this series, the one decisive edge in New York’s favor was down low. Despite his struggles on defense, Karl-Anthony Towns has been a massive problem for the Pacers throughout his career. That’s been no different over the last two weeks. During this series, KAT has posted 25.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8% from the field. In addition, the big man has connected on 42.3% of his attempts from three-point range.
At this point, Towns’ biggest enemy is himself. Pointless fouls have been a constant theme for the center, limiting his minutes in the second half. As long as he plays smart, KAT should find success against an overmatched front court. In eight of his last ten meetings with Indiana, the five-time All-Star has notched at least 23 points. That level of scoring, combined with elite rebounding, has proven to be difficult for Pacers center Myles Turner ($11,100). At this price, there’s no reason to trust anyone on the Knicks more than Towns, including Jalen Brunson ($17,400). Ride the hot hand once again in Game 6.
