RADIO
The only game tonight is Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Hawks and Bucks. The Hawks surprised nearly everyone by waltzing into Milwaukee and taking Game 1. We are back at the Fiserv Forum tonight for Game 2. So far, only Donte DiVincenzo and De'Andre Hunter are still out. Bogdan Bogdanovic is listed as questionable, but he was going into Game 1 as well and he played 27 minutes. I would expect him to be fine.
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 6/25/21. 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.
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Milwaukee Bucks (-7.5, 226 total)
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C (Captain: $18,600, Utility: $12,4o0)
Well, Giannis put up 70.5 DraftKings points in Game 1, so we can't say that he's not worth that exorbitant salary. We saw for perhaps the first time in his playoff career Giannis be the alpha for the entire game. Middleton's struggles had as much to do with the loss as anything. I would expect Giannis to continue that role in Game 2. The Bucks don't want to leave home without a split. You can bet they will come ready, and that likely means Giannis dominates wire to wire.
Jrue Holiday - PG/SG (Captain: $14,100, Utility: $9,400)
DraftKings raised the price on Middleton despite his worst showing since Game 2 of the Brooklyn series. Meanwhile, Holiday had his best game of the playoffs with 61.5 DraftKings points in 42 minutes. While Middleton's ineffective shooting isn't likely to be a series-long trend, Holiday's assist totals and work on the defensive side of the ball give him a higher floor than Middleton. Middleton still has the higher ceiling considering the volume of shots he takes, but Holiday is $1,200 cheaper at captain and $800 cheaper otherwise. That can make a huge difference. Besides, for as exciting as Trae is on offense, he is not a good defender. Expect more open looks for Holiday than Middleton.
P.J. Tucker - SF/PF ($3,600)
The minutes are there for Tucker because he might be the best defensive player on this team even though Giannis is the one with the DPOY awards. There is some risk involved as Tucker, despite playing an average of 30 minutes per game in the Brooklyn series, was held to single-digit DraftKings points three times. Tucker was solid in Game 1, but the more telling thing for me was the 35 minutes. We're rolling him out there for minutes volume and not much else. He can't help but hit value if he's going to play that many minutes.
Other options: Khris Middleton ($10,200), Bobby Portis ($3,000)
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Atlanta Hawks (+7.5, 226 total)
Trae Young - PG (Captain: $17,700, Utility: $11,8o0)
Young had the worst game of his career against the Bucks in the regular season, so of course it makes sense that he blows up for 48 actual points and 75.75 DraftKings points in Game 1. While I don't think Young makes half of his shots again, the volume alone and big assist numbers make his ceiling as high as Giannis. The bad news is that his floor is 40. If he drops a 40 here in the captain slot, you're toast.
John Collins - PF/C (Captain: $12,900, Utility: $8,6o0)
As expected, Collins had another strong game against the Bucks even with a ceiling game from Young. The difference between the two is that I think Collins still holds value if Milwaukee comes out and buries the Hawks here. I still see a 40 from Collins. Young likely still hits 40, but he's also $3,200 more in the utility slot and $4,800 more at the captain. That's an entire player difference in salary, especially if you run one of the Bucks value pieces.
Cam Reddish - SG ($4,800)
The return of Reddish will likely sap the value of both Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter. Of course, Young's Superman impression and the strong frontcourt play destroyed the value of everyone else in Game 1. That's why I would rather take the shot with a cheap Reddish unless it comes out that he's on a minutes limit. The value pieces for the Hawks here are almost non-existent. Reddish has the best ceiling so long as he plays 28 minutes or so.
Other options: Clint Capela ($7,800), Danilo Gallinari ($5,600)
