Can the Nuggets bounce back from a Game 2 loss as the series heads to Miami?
After the Heat dealt the Nuggets their first loss of the playoffs at home, the NBA Finals is tied 1-1 with the series shifting to Miami. As we get ready for a critical Game 3, we also have an opportunity to play Yahoo’s single-game contest.
In addition to selecting two flex players, there are three multiplier positions in this single-game format. A player slotted into the Megastar spot will earn double their fantasy points scored. The Superstar spot will earn 1.5x their fantasy points scored. Finally, the Star will earn 1.2x their fantasy points scored. With that in mind, let’s highlight some players to consider.
Multipliers
Nikola Jokic ($56): Unless you’re trying for a unique lineup in tournament play, rolling with anyone other than Jokic at the Megastar spot feels like malpractice. After scoring 64.0 Yahoo points in Game 1, he scored 55.2 Yahoo points in Game 2. Game 1 ended with him having yet another triple-double, and he scored 41 points in Game 2. He can do it all, so don’t hesitate to pay up for his hefty salary.
Jimmy Butler ($41): Butler has been doing a bit of everything in this series. While he only scored 13 points in Game 1, he posted seven rebounds and seven assists. In Game 2, he scored 21 points to go along with his nine assists. His ankle might not be completely healthy, and it may be contributing to some muted stat lines for him compared to what we saw from him earlier in the playoffs. However, his ability to contribute in multiple areas still leaves him with a high floor.
Bam Adebayo ($27): Adebayo has been in attack mode against the Nuggets. He scored 26 points on 25 shot attempts in Game 1, then followed that up with 21 points on 14 shot attempts and five free throws in Game 2. In the previous round against the Celtics, he had three games with 10 or fewer shot attempts. The Heat need him to play a ton of minutes to defend Jokic, so another valuable stat line could be coming.
Flex Plays
Michael Porter Jr. ($19): Porter Jr. had some lapses on defense in Game 2 and shot just 1-for-6 from behind the arc, which contributed to him only logging 26 minutes. Prior to that, he had averaged 35 minutes per game in the playoffs. He’s an important 3-point shooter and rebounder for the Nuggets, so don’t expect them to just go away from him because of an off night. At this salary, he could be well worth the risk.
Gabe Vincent ($16): When Vincent is locked in from behind the arc, the Heat are tough to beat. He is 9-for-16 on three-pointers in this series and has shot 53.2% from deep over his last eight games. During that eight-game span, he scored at least 26.6 Yahoo points four times. While he doesn’t provide much in terms of assists and rebounds, he can still score enough to provide value at such a cheap salary.
Player to Avoid
Caleb Martin ($18): Martin couldn’t have looked any better in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. However, he was just 1-for-7 from the field in his 25 minutes in Game 1 against the Nuggets. He was moved to the bench for Game 2, which contributed to him only scoring 14.5 Yahoo points. Given that the Heat played better and came away with the win, Martin could likely remain in a similar role off the bench for Game 3.
***
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
