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The only game tonight is Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Hawks and Bucks. The Hawks were again without Trae Young, but this time the Bucks buried them and have a chance to close out the series in Atlanta. There is no structural damage to the knee of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he will still likely miss Game 6. He will join Donte DiVincenzo and De'Andre Hunter on the sidelines. Bogdan will play. We have to assume that Young will here since there is no tomorrow if the Hawks lose tonight,
We will stay in Showdown mode for DFS on DraftKings tonight. To build our rosters for this particular format, we need to identify a Captain and five utility players. It's just like the analytics nerds dreamt it up: positionless basketball. The Captain will earn 1.5 times the amount of points he regularly tallies, but it also drives up the price for your more prominent players.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/3/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
Milwaukee Bucks (+2.5, 216 total)
Khris Middleton - SG/SF (Captain: $15,600, Utility: $10,400)
Giannis is doubtful again, so I'm all-in on Middleton at any position in any format. There is no other cash game play. We saw Middleton put up 62.25 DraftKings points in 45 minutes in Game 5. No player on either team has this kind of ceiling, and if you have been playing showdowns in any capacity in these playoffs, you know it's damn near impossible to get this kind of production at this price. Even in a large field GPP, I'm not sure I would chance a fade here. Maybe if Trae plays, but even then, it's dicey.
Jrue Holiday - PG/SG (Captain: $14,400, Utility: $9,600)
For the first time in a few games, Holiday didn't outscore Middleton. He came close though. 56 DraftKings points in 42 minutes. His ceiling isn't really that far away from Middleton's. Those looking to maximize the value of value plays will run Holiday at captain and hope for the best. It's hard to fade either him or Giannis in this situation, but I'm not against running Holiday at captain in large field GPP's. That $1,200 could come in handy.
Bobby Portis - PF/C ($6,200)
DraftKings jacked up the price on Portis. Honestly, they should have done so before Game 5. Portis is still cheap enough to be used in all formats. If you really want to separate yourself from the pack in a GPP, Portis is a very interesting captain option. The 43 DraftKings points weren't far removed from Middleton or Holiday, especially when you consider the difference in pricing. If Middleton goes bonkers, you're 1.5x behind the field, but if a chalk punt busts, a Portis-captained lineup will be sitting pretty since you didn't have to go as far down the value ladder.
Other options: Brook Lopez ($7,200), P.J. Tucker ($4,400)
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Atlanta Hawks (-2.5, 216 total)
Bogdan Bogdanovic - PG/SG (Captain: $13,200, Utility: $8,800)
Bogdanovic has the highest ceiling of anyone but Young no matter who is or isn't on the court. The bad news is that we saw what his floor is in the first three games of this series and at the very end of the Philly series. It finally seems as if the knee is no longer bothering him, which gives the Hawks a lethal outside shooter. It was his defensive contributions and six made threes that put Bogdan over 40 in Game 4. His scoring did so in Game 5. If Trae Young is out, Bogdan is a lock. If Young plays, he's still good enough for a look in a UTIL slot.
John Collins - PF/C ($8,200)
I still feel that Collins in a bit overpriced here. Bobby Portis did a good enough job on Collins, but he's no Giannis. The 35 DraftKings points out of Collins signified his return to prominence in this offense. If Trae Young misses this game, Collins will have no issues having a chance to hit value. He just need to hit more than half of the shots he takes this time around. That will go a long ways towards Collins being in an optimal lineup.
Cam Reddish - SG ($3,400)
I'm okay with Reddish being in a minutes restriction at this price. It's better than Atlanta not playing him at all. Half a game of Reddish at a price that wouldn't be half of what he would be priced at if he played a full game is still a good discount. Reddish doesn't have the upside of a Gallinari or Lou Williams, but his floor is higher.
Other options: Trae Young ($10,200), Danilo Gallinari ($3,800)
