Luka Doncic and the Mavericks look to avoid elimination at Golden State in Game 5 of the West Finals.
I’m sure everyone was happy to see Dallas win Game 4. It’s always nice to get more basketball because it appeared as though this series was coming to a screeching halt. Golden State looks like the better of these two teams, and it’ll be nearly impossible for the Mavericks to overcome a 3-0 deficit. All that said, let’s look at this critical Game 5!
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Injury Report
- James Wiseman (knee) OUT
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot) OUT
- Otto Porter (foot) Questionable
- Gary Payton (elbow) OUT
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Core Plays
Stephen Curry (PG/SG – GSW): $37
Curry and Doncic need to be in every lineup out there. Yahoo is very friendly in terms of its pricing, which means you need to get these guaranteed points. Curry and Doncic are the two-best bets to lead the slate, with Curry scoring at least 39 Yahoo points in seven of his last eight games. The former MVP is also averaging 44 fantasy points per game in that span, taking over this offense once again. Using Curry and Doncic in your star slots could earn you nearly 200 fantasy points, and that’s obviously the easiest way to start your build.
Cash Game Considerations
Luka Doncic (PG/SG – DAL): $56
We just mentioned that Curry is a mandatory choice, and Doncic falls in the same boat. He should actually be the first player selected in every lineup, scoring at least 58 Y! points in five of his last six games. The All-Star is also posting a 65-point average across his previous three outings, and it’s clear that he will be the showman for Dallas for the next decade. The simple fact is, Doncic will play 40 minutes, take 20-30 shots and lead the team with a 40 percent usage rate. That makes him impossible to fade!
GPP Targets
Klay Thompson (SG – GSW): $25
He’s risky with the way he’s been shooting, but this guy is too good to be just $25. The former All-Star has scored at least 25 Yahoo points in 22 of his last 23 games, posting a 34-point average in that span. That’s quite the total from a $25 player, and it doesn’t even consider that he has a 50-point upside if he gets hot. Thompson has been much better at home in these playoffs too, and that’s far from surprising, with many shooters having better scopes in their home building.
Maxi Kleber (C – DAL): $12
Kleber has been invisible for most of this series, but the Game 4 masterpiece shows the sort of upside this guy has. The German big man was in every winning lineup, finishing with 35 Y! points across 22 minutes. We don’t expect that to continue, but his ability to block shots and fire up threes makes him an elite GPP option with how cheap he is and how much upside he has.
Value Plays
Dorian Finney-Smith (SF – DAL): $17
Finney-Smith was fantastic in Game 4, finishing with 31 Yahoo points. He’s shown that capability throughout these playoffs, averaging 25 fantasy points per game in nearly 40 minutes a night. Getting that sort of playing time makes him tough to fade below $20, especially since he has to rebound and defend so much as well. When you’re using Curry and Doncic, there’s no better pairing than Finney-Smith to save some salary!
Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $15
Looney has been starting at center all season, and he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career right now. The big man is averaging 30 Yahoo points per game since the clincher against Memphis, and he’s simply becoming a much more significant part of this offense. He’s playing 29 minutes a game in that span, and if he’s doing that, Looney should never be just $15. He averaged nearly 35 fantasy points per game when played 29 or more minutes in the regular season, and Golden State is clearly unleashing him in this series.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
