The Knicks and Spurs are going head-to-head in Las Vegas on Tuesday night for the NBA Cup Final. In addition to the honor of winning this in-season tournament, each player from the winning team will be rewarded $530,933. DraftKings is offering some huge Showdown contests for this NBA Cup Final, and below, I dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
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NBA DFS Stud Picks
Victor Wembanyama ($17,400 CPT, $11,600 FLEX)
Wembanyama made his return from a 12-game absence due to a calf injury for this past Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal, and the superstar was huge in the Spurs’ win over the Thunder, producing 40.25 DraftKings points despite being limited to just 20 minutes off the bench. Wembanyama finished a team-high +21 in the box score, and following this impressive win over the defending champions, the big man should move back into San Antonio’s starting lineup for tonight’s NBA Cup final.
Wembanyama will likely continue to see a minutes restriction, but he should log around 25 minutes with so much on the line tonight. Still, with uncertainty around his playing time, most DFS players may shy away from Wembanyama, making him a terrific gamble for this Showdown slate. While handling a 30% usage rate, Wembanyama is averaging 56.7 DraftKings PPG and 1.7 DraftKings PPM this season, both of which are easily the highest among the players for this one-game slate.
The center is so efficient that even with less than his usual workload, Wembanyama has the potential to lead this Showdown slate in DraftKings points by a solid margin.
Jalen Brunson ($15,900 CPT, $10,600 FLEX)
Brunson is a must-play for this Showdown slate and the top player to roster at captain. The guard is on the heels of a 59 DraftKings point performance vs. the Magic in the semifinals on Saturday, which is the fourth straight game he has scored at least 44 DraftKings points.
Leading the Knicks with a 31.9% usage rate, Brunson is producing 1.2 DraftKings PPM this season, and the Spurs have had issues slowing down point guards this season, with their defense giving up the eighth-most DraftKings points to the position.
Brunson should see right around 40 minutes, with New York only favored by 2.5 points for this NBA Cup final, and the clutch player should have a huge outing. For the eight times Brunson has competed in a spread under five points this season, he is averaging 48.4 DraftKings PPG, via the Trends Tool.
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NBA DFS Mid-Range Picks
Stephon Castle ($12,600 CPT, $8,400 FLEX)
The Spurs have been working Castle back after he missed nine straight with a hip injury, but he appears to be back to full strength, as Castle logged 33.4 minutes in this past Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal vs. the Thunder, resulting in 30.5 DraftKings points for the UConn product. This season, Castle is handling a 26% usage rate, and he is generating 1.2 DraftKings PPM.
Castle has flashed great upside this season, with six efforts of at least 45 DraftKings points in 16 games, and while he isn’t rating as the greatest value in our projections, chasing Castle’s ceiling in GPPs has merit for this Showdown slate.
Josh Hart ($11,700 CPT, $7,800 FLEX)
Hart only saw 31 minutes vs. the Magic in the semifinal as he dealt with foul trouble, but the veteran still finished with 35 DraftKings points. Hart is unlikely to run into foul trouble again tonight, and as always, the Knicks should rely on him for huge minutes.
Since rejoining New York’s starting lineup 10 games ago, Hart is scoring 41.2 DraftKings points in 34.8 minutes per game with an 18% usage rate and a 15.5% rebound rate. Hart takes pride in being a strong rebounding wing, and him reaching the double-double bonus in this playoff-like setting is a possibility.
OG Anunoby ($10,500 CPT, $7,000 FLEX)
With the stakes high in the NBA Cup semifinals vs. the Magic this past Saturday, Anunoby logged 40 minutes en route to 45 DraftKings points. As the Knicks’ best defender and leader in plus/minus this season, Anunoby should see massive playing time again tonight.
Anunoby is scoring 1.0 DraftKings PPM while shooting a career-best 41% on three-pointers this season, and he is the No. 1 value on the slate in our projections. If you’re looking to save at captain tonight, Anunoby makes the most sense.
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NBA DFS Value & Punt Picks
- Dylan Harper ($6,900 CPT, $4,600 FLEX) – Harper is in the midst of a strong rookie season, amassing 24 DraftKings PPG. The guard is commanding a high 27.2% usage rate that ranks third for the Spurs, and he is underpriced at these salaries.
- Mitchell Robinson ($6,000 CPT, $4,000 FLEX) – Robinson was huge in the semifinals vs. the Magic, posting 24.2 DraftKings points across 17 minutes. The center has recorded at least 19 DraftKings points in four of his last six, and Robinson is scoring 1.1 DraftKings PPM this season. The Spurs tend to have a natural center on the floor at all times, so Robinson should see near 20 minutes tonight, making him one of the best cheap targets for this Showdown slate.
- Tyler Kolek ($3,600 CPT, $2,400 FLEX) – Kolek lacks real upside, but the backup guard has a solid chance of scoring double-digit DraftKings points vs. this Spurs team that has struggled to contain guards at times this season. Kolek is supplying 0.9 DraftKings PPM this season, and he has cracked double-digit DraftKings points in three of his last five games, including 15.2 DraftKings points vs. the Magic in the semifinals, in which Kolek led the Knicks in plus/minus at +18.
Pictured: Jalen Brunson
Photo Credit: Imagn
