NBA DFS Showdown Picks Breakdown for Knicks vs. Cavaliers on DraftKings (Saturday, May 23)

On Saturday, the Eastern Conference Finals move from New York to Cleveland for Game 3 between the Knicks and the Cavaliers. New York jumped out to a strong 2-0 series lead with a win on Thursday, and the Knicks will look to win their 10th straight playoff game and move just one game away from the NBA Finals with a win on Saturday. The Cavs will try to bounce back from their two road losses and climb back into the series. Let’s take a closer look at this standalone Game 3 matchup from a DFS fantasy basketball Showdown perspective to help you build your lineup for Saturday’s contests on DraftKings.

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.

Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. 

Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.

NBA DFS Stud Picks

In both the FantasyLabs projections and the ShotQuality projections, Karl-Anthony Towns has the highest median projections for Game 3 and the top Plus/Minus projection in a UTIL spot. He is just a little bit cheaper than Jalen Brunson, who has the highest ceiling and floor projections on the slate.

Both of the Knicks stars had strong starts to the series. Towns had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in 40 minutes in Game 1, producing 39.25 DraftKings points. In Game 2, he had 18 points, 13 boards, one assist, and 38.75 DraftKings points. He’s averaging 44.7 DraftKings points per game in his 12 games this postseason and has posted three straight double-doubles dating back to the closeout game against the Sixers.

KAT brings a very high ceiling if he takes on more of the offense, and he had a pair of triple-doubles against the Hawks on the road for over 50 DraftKings points in each matchup. He has that kind of upside in Game 3, and he has been very consistent, exceeding salary-based expectations in 10 straight games.

Brunson is another strong option to consider with the highest ceiling projection on the board. He went off in Game 1 to lead the Knicks’ dramatic comeback, posting 58.25 DraftKings points on 38 points and six assists. In Game 2, he had only 18 points but dished a playoff-high 14 assists for 44.25 DraftKings points. He is averaging an impressive 43.4 DraftKings points per game in the playoffs and has been exceptional in each of the first two games of the series.

Both Knicks stars are solid options to build around with high ceilings. Brunson has been better in this series and matchup, so if you’re just playing one, I’d give him the slight advantage.

On the other side, the Cavs’ fantasy production is built around the big three of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley. Harden, Mitchell, and Mobley round out the top five in ceiling, median, and floor projections, and they also fall in line behind Towns and Brunson in Plus/Minus projections at UTIL in the ShotQuality projections.

Mitchell is the most expensive but has also been the most productive in this series, posting 29 points and 53.75 DraftKings points in Game 1 before finishing with 26 points and 35 DraftKings points in Game 2. In Game 1, he had six steals to boost his fantasy production, but he didn’t have any thefts in Game 2. There were rumors that Mitchell is dealing with a leg injury from Game 1, but he and the team haven’t confirmed any issues.

Harden has had an up-and-down postseason run. He had 34 DraftKings points in Game 2 but only had two assists to go with his 18 points. He only had 23.75 and 26.0 DraftKings points in his previous two games, and he has only had five assists total in his two games this series. He did go off for 50+ DraftKings points in two of the Cavs’ games against the Pistons, and if Mitchell is limited, he would have to step up and carry more of the offense. He’s a high-risk, high-reward option in Game 3 with a very wide range of results possible.

Mobley had 14 points and only six rebounds in Game 2, totaling a disappointing 30.5 DraftKings points. He had at least 44 DraftKings points in four of his previous five games, and if he gets back to that level, he’ll be a great value stud to build around. He had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 44 DraftKings points in Game 1, and his defensive numbers are almost always enough to make him an even stronger play.

The Cavs will need a bounce-back game from Mobley and more from Harden if they’re going to climb back into the series. Since he’s the cheapest of the five studs highlighted in this section, Mobley is the easiest to build around, and he has a very high ceiling in Game 3. Mitchell is risky due to his potential injury, while Harden remains volatile, so Mobley is actually the most reliable of the Cavs, even coming off a down game.

Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:

NBA DFS Mid-Range Picks

While they aren’t on the same level as the group highlighted above, Jarrett Allen and Josh Hart are strong mid-range plays with the potential to outproduce their price point. Hart went off for a monster Game 2, pouring in a playoff-high 26 points and finishing with 47.5 DraftKings points. He had had 13 points and 29.25 DraftKings points in Game 1 and is averaging 32.6 DraftKings points per game in the playoffs.

Hart is a streaky scorer and multi-category producer, which gives him both a high ceiling and a high floor from the mid-range options. Both sets of projections have him as slightly overpriced and due for some regression in Game 3, but his Game 2 contributions were key to the Knicks’ 2-0 lead at this point in the series.

Allen had a double-double with 13 points, 10 boards, and 33 DraftKings points in Game 2 after only 26.75 DraftKings points in Game 1. In the playoffs, Allen is averaging 29.3 DraftKings points per game. He has had a few spike games, but his value is in his stability down low and his production on the glass. He had some huge games against the Raptors early in the playoffs, but he has quieted down since then.

OG Anunoby has looked solid in his two games back after his hamstring injury. He played 34 minutes in his return in Game 1 and posted 24.2 DraftKings points on 13 points and five rebounds. He played 32 minutes in Game 2 and earned 32.5 DraftKings points.

He showed a very high ceiling against the Sixers and Hawks before the injury, posting over 39 DraftKings points in five of his last six games before going down. He even had two games over 50 DraftKings points. He has that kind of upside in Game 3 as well, and as long as he’s healthy, he brings a very high ceiling.

Mikal Bridges continued his remarkable playoff turnaround in the first two games of the series. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven straight games and has scored at least 17 points in six of those contests. Bridges has 29.2 and 29.8 DraftKings points in his first two games of the series and played 42 and 40 minutes. He makes a strong option to include as a UTIL or even to build around as a Captain, leaving room to fit in multiple stars.

Bridges and Anunoby could each have a larger role if Hart cools off, and they are great mid-range values to consider.

In the ShotQuality projections, Max Strus has the highest Plus/Minus projection of the mid-range options, sitting above Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, and Allen. He comes cheaper at only $5,600, but he always brings a high ceiling due to his ability to get hot from long range. He didn’t do that in either game in New York, posting only 13.5 and 15.5 DraftKings points, but coming home could help him turn things around. He had 30+ DraftKings points in three of his previous eight games coming into this series.

Sam Merrill also has some streaky upside as the series shifts to Cleveland. He had 23 points and 30.75 DraftKings points in Game 7 against the Pistons, but he only posted 19.75 and 3.5 DraftKings points in the first two games of this series.

In the cheaper middle range for the Knicks, Miles McBride has played a limited role so far this season after helping to fill in while Anunoby was injured. Mitchell Robinson is also getting a few minutes off the bench, earning 17 DraftKings points in 14 minutes in Game 1 followed by 10.5 DraftKings points in 12 minutes in Game 2. He is a bargain play that can make a big impact in limited minutes when he’s at his best.

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NBA DFS Value & Punt Picks

• Dennis Schroder ($2,600): Both sets of projections are very high on Schroder, and the ShotQuality projections give him the highest Plus/Minus projection of all the non-studs. He could get more work if Mitchell is at less than 100%, and he posted 13 and 13.5 DraftKings points in the first two games of this series. The veteran guard has 11+ DraftKings points in eight of his last nine games over the last two rounds. His production may not be huge, but it has been consistent and enough to make him a good value under $3,000.
• Jordan Clarkson ($2,000): Clarkson is the only value and punt option with a better Plus/Minus projection than Schroder in the FantasyLabs projections. He only played seven minutes in Game 2 and had just 3.5 DraftKings points, but both sets of projections indicate he could play a larger role in Game 3.
• Dean Wade ($3,200): Wade has played 20+ minutes in six straight games for the Cavs and has at least 10 DraftKings points in three straight. He had 22.25 DraftKings points in Game 1 in almost 30 minutes, and even without much usage, his minutes give him enough potential to be worth his bargain salary.
• Jose Alvarado ($2,400): Alvarado’s role has been limited in the first two games in this series, playing under eight minutes in each game. He does have spike potential if he gets more minutes as a defensive disruptor, but he’s high-risk with an undefined role.
• Jaylon Tyson ($1,600): For the Cavs, Tyson is in a similar spot to Alvarado. He has a high ceiling if he gets minutes, but there’s little certainty of playing time. He had some huge games for the Cavs in the regular season and did get over 10 minutes in Game 2. He turned in 7.75 DraftKings points after coming up empty in Game 1. He’s definitely risky, but his potential is intriguing based on what he has done when given extra minutes in the past.