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NBA DFS Picks: Top Captain Plays for Thunder vs. Pacers Game 1

NBA DFS Picks: Top Captain Plays for Thunder vs. Pacers Game 1

DraftKings Fantasy Advice DFS NBA Rail

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

The Thunder and Pacers begin the NBA Finals with Game 1 in Oklahoma City on Thursday. DraftKings is offering some huge Showdown contests for this matchup, and below, I dive into two of my favorite captain plays for this Showdown slate.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $1.25M Finals Tip Off Special

PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder ($18,300)

Gilgeous-Alexander has been getting better and better as the Thunder inch closer to winning the NBA championship. The MVP posted 58.75 FPTS in Oklahoma City’s closeout win over the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, which is his third effort of 58+ FPTS in his last four starts of these NBA Playoffs. With a 34.9% usage rate and a 30% assist percentage, Gilgeous-Alexander is producing 1.6 FPTS per minute this season.

After sending Minnesota home in just five games, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are facing the Pacers in the NBA Finals, which is an awesome spot for the guard to flourish. Indiana ranks eighth in pace this season — compared to the Timberwolves, who rank 22nd — and Gilgeous-Alexander exposed the Pacers for 73.25 FPTS and 57.3 FPTS in his two matchups with the club in the regular season. Gilgeous-Alexander leading this slate in fantasy points by a comfortable margin is inevitable and paying up for the superstar at captain is a wise choice for this Showdown slate.

PF/C Chet Holmgren, Thunder ($13,200)

If looking to save some salary at captain, Holmgren is a strong target at this price. The versatile big man ended the Western Conference Finals vs. the Timberwolves on a high note, posting 39.75 FPTS and 37.75 FPTS in the final two contests of that series. This postseason, Holmgren is supplying 35.3 FPTS in 30 minutes per game with a 21.7% usage rate.

Holmgren wasn’t available for either of the Thunder’s two matchups with the Pacers in the regular season, but this uptempo matchup is perfect for Holmgren to flourish. Not only does Indiana rank sixth in pace, but they are giving up the sixth-most points in the paint this season. We just saw Knicks’ big man Karl-Anthony Towns have easily his best series of the playoffs against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and Holmgren should thrive in Game 1 with over 40 FPTS a strong possibility.

Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.