RADIO
We only have one game tonight. We have the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks outlasted the injury-riddled Nets squad to get to the brink of the NBA Finals. The Hawks sent Philly into another offseason of not-so-quiet desperation. Most don't really expect the Bucks to be tested here, and why would they? The only game that the Hawks won against the Bucks in three tries was the one that Trae Young didn't play in. Go figure.
We will be in Showdown mode for DFS on DraftKings again 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 6/23/21. 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 (-7.5, 226.5 total)
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C (Captain: $18,600, Utility: $12,4o0)
Giannis was a bit of a disappointment against the Hawks this year, averaging a shade under 50 DraftKings points per game in the three games. However, he played just 32 minutes per game when he averaged 34 against everyone else. His numbers weren't really down, it was just the volume. Considering how well the Hawks have played to this point, it should be safe to assume that Giannis will be needed more in this series. He still has the highest ceiling in the game.
Khris Middleton - SG/SF (Captain: $15,000, Utility: $10,0o0)
Middleton had at least 40 DraftKings points in each of Games 3-7 of the Brooklyn series. You could argue that he was the most valuable player of that series and I really couldn't argue against it. The Hawks kept Middleton to a modest 36.9 DraftKings points per game this year, but with the way he's playing in the playoffs, I wouldn't bet on Atlanta keeping him under 40. Brooklyn barely did. Middleton cleared 50 in Games 3, 6, and 7. The $3,600 in savings from Giannis at captain is a huge deal if you're willing to punt the higher ceiling.
P.J. Tucker - SF/PF ($3,800)
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. There is some risk involved as Tucker, despite playing an average of 30 minutes per game in the Brooklyn series, was held to single-digit DraftKings points three times. Still, Tucker only played 16 minutes per game in the three games against the Hawks and still averaged 14.3 DraftKings points per game. Now that he's starting for Donte DiVincenzo, I see Tucker clearing 20 DraftKings points. That's a steal at this price.
Other options: Jrue Holiday ($9,400), Brook Lopez ($6,800)
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Atlanta Hawks (+7.5, 226.5 total)
John Collins - PF/C (Captain: $12,600, Utility: $8,4o0)
Young missed both April tilts with the Bucks. In the game that he did play against them, Young had one of the worst games of his career, scoring just 28 DraftKings points in almost 37 minutes of court time. That's because Jrue Holiday is a superb defender. If you thought Ben Simmons gave Young fits, just wait. Where was I? Oh yeah, explaining why Collins is the best play on the Atlanta team. Collins put up 115.5 DraftKings points in 102 minutes against the Bucks this year. Collins has been huge for the Hawks so far in the playoffs even when Young struggles. He will need to be again.
Clint Capela - C ($8,6o0)
Joel Embiid basically rendered Capela obsolete in the Philadelphia series, but he should have a larger role here. Capela put up 70 DraftKings points in 71 minutes in two games against the Bucks this year. His ceiling is rather low, which is why I have Collins as my only captain choice for Atlanta. I want to see how Young and Capela do against them in a playoff game before I run them out there at captain. I expect Capela to be around where he was in the series against the Knicks, which made him a solid but unspectacular option.
Danilo Gallinari - PF ($6,000)
Bogdan was huge against the Bucks in two games this year, but the Hawks were a different team then. Huerter was the guy putting up big numbers against Philly, not Bogdan. I'll avoid that whole situation by going with Gallinari. He provides much-needed bench scoring for the Hawks, and if Trae is shut down by Holiday again, the Hawks are going to need all the help they can get.
Other options: Kevin Huerter ($7,200), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($6,400)
