NBA Showdown plays for Celtics-Heat Game 5

The Boston Celtics will look to keep their season alive Friday against the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and as always we’re here to break down the game for DFS showdowns.

After taking over the game and scoring 37 points, rookie guard Tyler Herro brought the Heat within one game of reaching the NBA finals. Being down 3-1, the Celtics enter the game as 3.5-point favorites (according to DraftKings Sportsbook), so Vegas is expecting another close game ripe with fantasy production.

Just like Wednesday’s slate, the showdown slate Friday presents us with an array of trustworthy DFS options that each carry their own merit, which means ownership could be somewhat spread out like we saw on Wednesday.

With the showdown format being vastly different between FanDuel and DraftKings, as you get the opportunity to roster three players that get a score-boost on FanDuel, while DraftKings only gives a boost to your MVP spot.

This article will be organized based on FanDuel’s formatting/multipliers, but I will also include my player rankings for DraftKings at the end of the article. I will include who I expect to be the top raw producers, as well as the top point-per-dollar options that make for good Captain plays given the 1.5x salary multiplier on DraftKings in that said captain spot.

MVP (viable Captains on DraftKings as well)

Jayson Tatum (FanDuel: $16,000, DraftKings: $10,600): After a dreadful first half Wednesday where he was held scoreless, Tatum exploded in the second half by scoring 28 points and reminding us that he has the highest ceiling in the series. His price remains flat at $16,000 on FanDuel and given his team-leading usage rate in what is now an elimination game, he’s as close to a lock as you can get.

Bam Adebayo ($15,500, $9,800): The rationale that applies to Tatum can basically be applied to Adebayo, as the offense will continue to funnel through him as long as the Heat look to put this series away. He’s recorded three straight double-doubles and has seen at least 37 minutes in three of the last four games. He’s also recorded at least two steals in three straight games, giving him an extra bonus on FanDuel.

Star

Fitting the above players in your lineups should be a priority, with one in the MVP and another in the Star spot.

Jimmy Butler ($14,500, $9,400): Butler had a great game from an offensive standpoint in Game 4, posting 24 points while also contributing nine rebounds. He still has the second-highest usage rate on the team in the playoffs (24.3%) and while he hasn’t demonstrated the ceiling that Adebayo and Tatum have, he’s one of the safest options on the board.

Jaylen Brown ($12,500, $9,200): Brown once again proved that the return of Gordon Hayward would not limit his production, as he played another 40 minutes Wednesday and posted 21 points, nine rebounds and a pair of assists. He should continue to see as much run as possible given the nature of the game and he makes for a sneaky Star/MVP play to leverage the field, especially considering the fact that his price went down $500 on FanDuel.

Tyler Herro ($11,000, $7,800): After I raved about him Wednesday in the Showdown breakdown, Herro went out to drop a career-high 37 points on 14-21 shooting (5-10 from three) and a team-high 28.9% usage rate, while adding six rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes. He should continue to come off the bench and his price refuses to catch up to his production, making him an ultra-strong Captain play on DraftKings once again.

Pro

Similar to the above note, all of the above players are viable in the Pro slot if you are not using them in the MVP or Star slot, given the fact that their upside is far higher than any other option on the slate.

Kemba Walker ($11,500, $8,800): Walker once again shot below 50% from the field Wednesday and took a backseat to both Tatum and Brown, which is severely capping his ceiling. He’s capable of taking over a game in a heartbeat, keeping him in the conversation for the Pro spot on FanDuel, but he’s best-left as a utility option on DraftKings and doesn’t come in as strong of a play as Goran Dragic, mentioned below.

Goran Dragic ($10,500, $8,200): Dragic predictably bounced back Wednesday, posting 37.3 DraftKings points on the back of 22 points, five boards and three assists, while sporting a 25.5% usage rate in 39 minutes. He should continue to get as much run as he can handle and considering the other options on the slate, could continue to come in a bit underowned for the floor/ceiling combination he provides.

UTIL (in order of preference)

Marcus Smart ($10,000, $7,200): He’s been the epitome of consistent and carries a massive ceiling given his peripheral contribution. He’s a stronger play on FanDuel where he’s priced significantly lower than the other options and makes for a great contrarian play on DraftKings if fading someone else in the $7,000-$8,000 range.

Jae Crowder ($9,500, $5,600): After an abysmal shooting performance Wednesday, Crowder's price came down $400 on DraftKings. He should still see over 30 minutes of action and he continues to chuck up a ton of shots from beyond the arc, making him a stable value play once again that could come in at lower ownership due to recency bias.

Gordon Hayward ($11,000, $7,200)

Duncan Robinson ($8,500, $4,600)

Daniel Theis ($8,000, $5,400)

Andre Iguodala ($6,500, $3,200): He randomly saw 27 minutes of action Wednesday and the rotation seemed to work, so who’s to say Erik Spoelstra is going to change it up? Obviously, the floor is incredibly low given his lack of minutes between Games 1-3, but his salary opens up a massive amount of opportunity in large-field GPPs on both sites.

Brad Wanamaker ($7,500, $2,800)

Enes Kanter ($6,000, $2,400), Robert Williams ($6,500, $2,600): Your guess is as good as mine regarding who is going to get the incremental 10-13 backup center minutes for the Celtics. If following Stevens’ trend, it’s likely to be Williams, who saw 12 minutes Wednesday, after Kanter was the backup of choice in Games 2 and 3. Both provide enough salary relief to warrant consideration, but you’re throwing a complete dart. Williams is the safer bet here.

DraftKings rankings

Overall rankings

Captain rankings (studs)

Captain rankings (value)

If interested in jamming in as many studs as possible, the best strategy would be to punt the captain spot. It carries more risk, but if you get a decent game out of them, you’ll be jumping the field.

Tyler Herro — this feels like a no-brainer. After coming in anywhere between 7-11% owned in the Captain spot Wednesday, that number should double at the least Friday.
Jae Crowder
Gordon Hayward
Marcus Smart
Duncan Robinson
Daniel Theis