The Thunder and Pacers continue the NBA Finals with Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Sunday. 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.
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PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder ($18,600)
Gilgeous-Alexander is far and away the best fantasy asset in this contest and with the MVP is extremely likely to lead this Showdown slate in FPTS by a comfortable margin, paying up for Gilgeous-Alexander at captain is the most optimal route for lineup construction. The Kentucky product finished 55.25 FPTS in Game 1, making him the highest scorer on the slate by 15.75 FPTS. Gilgeous-Alexander is amassing 61.9 FPTS per game in his three matchups with the Pacers this season and he has eclipsed 50 FPTS in 12 of his 17 starts during these playoffs.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander is producing 1.54 FPTS per minute with a 34.3% usage rate and 30.5% assist percentage. Coming off the tough Game 1 loss, the Thunder are an 11-point home favorite for Game 2 and they boast a high 120.5-point implied team total on DraftKings Sportsbook. When at home and playing behind an implied team total of at least 120 points this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is providing 56.8 FPTS per game (17 games).
SG/SF Luguentz Dort, Thunder ($8,100)
Dort has been excellent against the Pacers this season. In his three matchups with this fast paced Indiana team – the Pacers rank eighth in pace this season – Dort has scored 23.25, 36.75 and 36 FPTS, with that latter result coming in Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Dort is shooting an elite 58% on three pointers against Indiana this season and he is averaging 3.0 defensive stats per game in this matchup.
After blowing a 15-point fourth quarter lead in Game 1, the Thunder are looking to bounce back in a big way in Game 2 on its home floor. Per usual with role players, Dort has been far more productive at home, especially this postseason. The veteran is scoring 25.6 FPTS per game at home during these playoffs, compared to just 11.5 FPTS per game on the road. Dort should have another strong showing in front of the Thunder faithful in Game 2 and he is a compelling spend down option at captain, that will allow you to roster multiple studs in your flex spots and surely will be a strategy used by very few DFS players.
