Welcome to the SuperDraft NBA DFS Starting Five! I’m here to give my starting five plays — two guards, two forwards, and a center — for the main slate for Thursday, Sept. 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. EST.
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NBA DFS Picks: SuperDraft Starting Five
JAMAL MURRAY (1.4X MULTIPLIER)
The Nuggets head into Game 1 against the Clippers as 9-point underdogs, so if they’re going to have any chance today, expect huge performances from Murray and Nikola Jokic. Murray comes into this series red-hot, shooting 55% from the field and 53% from 3-point land in their seven-game opening series against the Jazz. As good as the Clippers are, they can be exposed on the perimeter, especially if defensive pest Patrick Beverley still isn’t good to go. So with Murray’s 30.5% usage rate so far in the playoffs and a massive 1.4x multiplier, Murray is easily the best SuperDraft play on the board today.
KEMBA WALKER (1.45X MULTIPLIER)
If you’ve read any of my Celtics breakdowns on SuperDraft so far this year, this name should come as no surprise. Walker went cold in Game 2, going 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-8 from 3. Kyle Lowry is historically a plus-defender, but Walker still has a path at this 1.45x SuperDraft multiplier to be the highest-scoring guard on the slate if the shot starts to fall again. With a 25.9% usage rate in Boston’s six playoff games so far, there will be ample opportunity to avenge his poor Game 2 performance, and I expect him to do just that.
PASCAL SIAKAM (1.25X MULTIPLIER)
I will chase a monster Siakam game into the sun at this point. The Raptors are in a desperate spot today, down 0-2 to Boston and in need of push offensively from one of their studs. Siakam’s a big body who can back down smaller Celtics defenders in post and either finish or kick to open shooters when he gets doubled. We’ve seen this time and time again in the Raptors’ six playoff games — he’s seen a 3% jump in assist percentage (19.4%) as a result — so if the Raptors guards can finally convert some shots from distance, the floor should open up for Siakam to feast. He also received 43 minutes of run in Game 2, so if he can simply revert back to the point-per-minute fantasy producer he was in the regular season, you’ve got a smash forward play at a 1.25x multiplier.
KAWHI LEONARD (1.05X MULTIPLIER)
Leonard has been every bit the postseason monster in 2020 that he was for the Raptors in 2019. He’s been a source of constant production for this Clippers team, averaging over 32 points and 10 boards in their opening-round series against the Mavericks. I expect little answer for his size and strength from this Nuggets unit, who will have to experiment with both Torrey Craig and Jerami Grant to find out who can contain him best in this series. Unfortunately, I see neither of them having a chance. I predict Leonard will run wild in this one at this 1.05x SuperDraft multiplier (a small little bonus over the minimum 1x of Jayson Tatum), making him my pick for most raw fantasy points on the slate.
NIKOLA JOKIC (1.1X MULTIPLIER)
I spent some good time trying to find any reason to fade the Jokic chalk at center today, but I couldn’t do it. Even in a poor shooting game, Jokic can rack up fantasy points in so many other ways that elevate his floor, making it indefensible to recommend Serge Ibaka at only a 1.4x multiplier over him again today. And as good as Ivica Zubac has been on the defensive end in these playoffs so far, he’s no Rudy Gobert, the multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year Jokic stuck it to in the first round. Expect the Nuggets’ star center to usurp the 28.6% usage he had in the first round and put up a big stat line in today’s Game 1.
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