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NBA DFS Value Picks: Top Fantasy Basketball Bargain Plays for Pacers vs. Thunder Game 3

NBA DFS Value Picks: Top Fantasy Basketball Bargain Plays for Pacers vs. Thunder Game 3

DraftKings Fantasy Advice DFS NBA Rail

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

The Pacers are hosting the Thunder for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. Currently, the series is tied at one win apiece.

DraftKings is offering huge Showdown contests for this slate and below, I have featured two of my favorite DFS value picks for tonight’s single-game slate.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $800K Finals Shootaround [$200K to 1st] (OKC @ IND)

SG/SF Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers ($2,400)

Mathurin has been a solid contributor off the bench for the Pacers as of late. After scoring 25+ FPTS in two of the final three games of Indiana’s conference finals vs. the Knicks, Mathurin has scored 13.25 and 17.5 FPTS in the first two games of the NBA Finals vs. the Thunder while logging 18.5 minutes per game. The wing is handling a strong 23.7% usage rate this season, which ranks third for the Pacers, resulting in 0.9 FPTS per minute for Mathurin.

After two decent outings against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, which is the most difficult arena in the league to play in, Mathurin is now back at home for Game 3. Role players tend to always play better on their home floor and Mathurin is no exception. This season, the 22-year-old is scoring 2.9 more FPTS per game at home than when on the road. Mathurin has a real chance to top 20 FPTS tonight and he is the No. 1 value on the slate at this very low $2,400 salary.

PG/SG Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City Thunder ($6,200)

The Thunder traded for Caruso this offseason in hopes of the guard being a huge boost for the club come playoff time and Caruso is doing exactly that. After posting 24.25 FPTS when Oklahoma City eliminated the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Caruso has been thriving in the NBA Finals vs. the Pacers, scoring 31.5 and 26.25 FPTS in the first two contests of this series.

During these playoffs, Caruso is shooting 46% from the field, 41% on three-pointers and he is averaging 2.2 defensive stats per game. This translates into 0.94 FPTS per minute for Caruso and he has surpassed 20 FPTS in 10 of his 18 games this postseason. Ranking eighth in pace this season, the Pacers are a great matchup for Caruso and in his three matchups with Indiana this season, Caruso is averaging 24 FPTS per game. The 31-year-old is a safe bet for at least 20 FPTS tonight and Caruso is one of the best value plays to attack for this Showdown slate.

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.