RADIO
The only game tonight is Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Hawks and Bucks. The Hawks surprised nearly everyone by waltzing into Milwaukee and taking Game 1. The Bucks blew the Hawks back to Atlanta on Friday, which is where we are for Game 3 tonight. We know for sure that Donte DiVincenzo and De'Andre Hunter are out. The only player that has a chance to join them is the struggling Bogdan Bogdanovic.
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 6/27/21. 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 (-4.5, 224 total)
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C (Captain: $18,000, Utility: $12,000)
Game 2 highlighted the risks of using Giannis at captain in this series. The Bucks are heavy favorites, and considering what they did to Atlanta in Game 2, it looks warranted. Giannis also played just 29 minutes in the Game 2 win. All things considered, the 48.75 DraftKings points output is good for the minutes he played. However, it's not good for the price. I think Atlanta shows up at home, which is the only reason I'm even considering Giannis at captain tonight.
Jrue Holiday - PG/SG (Captain: $14,400, Utility: $9,600)
DraftKings raised the price on Middleton again despite another lackluster point total. Meanwhile, Holiday outscored Middleton again. 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 $600 cheaper at captain and $400 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. Holiday is a scorching 23-38 from the field in this series so far.
P.J. Tucker - SF/PF ($4,000)
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. Tucker has played 61 minutes in the first two games of this series, netting 36 DraftKings points. That's very pedestrian on a points-per-minute basis, but that's not why we play Tucker. He has a high volume of minutes and is active on the floor when he's out there. He almost can't help but break double digits.
Other options: Khris Middleton ($10,000), Bobby Portis ($3,200)
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Atlanta Hawks (+4.5, 224 total)
John Collins - PF/C (Captain: $13,200, Utility: $8,8o0)
I don't really understand the price hike on Collins. He was solid in his 25 minutes in Game 2, but most of the starters on either side were horrible for their prices. That's just what happens in blowouts. I do think Atlanta puts up more of a fight, but I'm not willing to gamble with Trae at captain. That's two downright awful games against the Bucks in three tries. It wasn't just the blowout nature of Game 2. Trae didn't shoot or play well when he was in the game at all. If he goes off like he did in Game 1, I'll take the L and move on. Collins is a much safer option across the board.
Clint Capela - C ($8,200)
Well, at least the Hawks were able to get some much-needed rest for Collins, Young, and Capela. Capela was huge in the Game 1 upset and didn't play poorly in Game 2. He just didn't see many opportunities. When Young doesn't play well, the ball just doesn't move within this offense. Yeah, Young has the skill to hit from anywhere on the court. The problem is that he tries to do it all the time when the team is down, which just causes them to struggle more. If Atlanta stays in this game, Capela is in for a nice night relative to price. If not, his numbers will stagnate just like they did in Game 2.
Cam Reddish - SG ($5,000)
One of the few bright spots for the Hawks in Game 2 was Reddish. He hadn't played since February 21 due to an Achilles injury, but didn't look slowed much at all. Reddish put up 16 DraftKings points in 17 minutes. He will mostly be a scorer, but that's exactly what Atlanta needs right now. Bogdan's knee injury has made him more of a liability than an asset, even though he hasn't missed any time. Kevin Huerter is very streaky as well. Adding Reddish to the mix should be a nice boost to the Hawks, especially if he plays solid in whatever minutes he's allotted in Game 3.
Other options: Trae Young ($11,200), Danilo Gallinari ($5,600)
