Monday, June 28, brings the first potential elimination game for the Western Conference Finals. Will Paul George and the Clippers steal one on the road tonight? Let’s look at the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Don’t forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS home page for more great written daily fantasy basketball content, including the FREE NBA Deep Dive — the most in-depth article in the industry.
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Monday, June 28
Yahoo Play of the Day — Paul George: Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 54.38 | DraftKings: 58.34
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 99.8%| FanDuel 99.7% | DraftKings 91.4%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $42 | FanDuel $15,000 | DraftKings $11,800
Tonight will be the 18th game for the Clippers in the last 37 days. In these games Paul George has averaged nearly 41 minutes, and the last six have been without Kawhi Leonard. In the six games without Leonard, George is averaging 29.2 points, 11 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.8 combined blocks/steals.
Chris Paul: Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 42.49 | DraftKings: 43.73
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 65.5% | FanDuel 59.1% | DraftKings 51.4%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $32 | FanDuel $14,000 | DraftKings $10,600
While Deandre Ayton had a phenomenal Game 4 with 19 points, 22 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and a steal, Chris Paul gets the slight edge. Even if this game devolves into a rock fight like Saturday’s game, the ball is going to be in Paul’s hands on nearly every Suns possession. The safety of his assists and rebounds give a nice floor, and the upside comes from his scoring. Paul is not afraid to call his own number in big moments and crucial games, and he has taken 22, 19 and 19 field-goal attempts in his last three games. The risk with Ayton is that, while he is getting 13 or 14 shots per game this series, he still is averaging just 10.8 in 14 playoff games.
Good Value
Ivica Zubac: Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 29.06 | DraftKings: 29.51
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 70.5% | FanDuel 23.7% | DraftKings 54.3%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $16 | FanDuel $12,000 | DraftKings $6,800
The salary is finally rising, but there is still room for attainable upside if Ivica Zubac sees 40 minutes again. While coach Monty Williams is going to have Paul, Devin Booker and Ayton targeting Zubac in the pick-and-roll, even that may not send him to the sidelines. Zubac is all but assured of a double-double and makes for an excellent foundational piece in all formats tonight.
Reggie Jackson: Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 30.49 | DraftKings: 32.32
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 40.5% | FanDuel 21.4% | DraftKings 35.4%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $20 | FanDuel $12,500 | DraftKings $8,600
In Game 4 Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 24 field-goal attempts, and he is averaging 18.8 for the series. With Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum dinged up and Rajon Rondo overmatched, plus the horrendous defense of Luke Kennard, Jackson by default is now the secondary scoring option after George. Along with George and Zubac, Jackson was the third member of the Clippers to play 40-plus minutes on Saturday, and that looks like it will be the case again as the series moves back to Phoenix.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
Los Angeles Clippers
- Patrick Beverley, $10: With Rondo going from 17 minutes to 7.5 and then not playing on Saturday, it looks like Beverley should again be in line for 30 or 34 minutes. Though he may not do much with them, at least he is on the court and can round up a few steals and assists with a couple of buckets. That is a bargain for his minimum salary.
- Luke Kennard, $10: Kennard topped 18 minutes for a second straight game, and this seems to be his new rotation with Batum and Morris dinged up. While he will be entirely dependent on scoring for his fantasy production, Kennard is a viable NBA DFS pick in all formats at the minimum salary on Yahoo.
- Terance Mann, $14: It is hard to trust Mann, who is almost entirely dependent on scoring for his fantasy production, but with Morris and Batum not at full health, Mann may be in line for 30 or 32 minutes for a third straight game. The fouls are concerning but far from a deal breaker.
Phoenix Suns
- Cameron Johnson, $10: Johnson’s second half run is entirely predicated on Jae Crowder’s effectiveness and foul situation. If neither of those come into play, Johnson will be capped in the 14- to 17-minute range. It was interesting to see that Torrey Craig only played a few seconds as a situational substitution late in the fourth quarter.
- Dario Saric, $10: Ayton was having himself a game on Saturday and played all but seven minutes. If that happens again, it will curb the opportunities for Saric down to nearly nothing. Tread lightly in main lineups.
- Cameron Payne, $15: Payne is far from a bargain, though he is one of three reserves who will at least see minutes. His only path to fantasy success is if something happens to Paul or Booker.
Final Thoughts on the Monday, June 28 NBA DFS Slate
Have realistic expectations on the single-game slates, and while the giant tournaments are fun, the smaller-field contests can be lucrative with fewer lineup duplications. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
