This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EDT and consists of the single-game showdown contest for Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and Lakers. This could be the last DFS basketball contest of the season, as LA can close out the series with a win after grabbing a 3-1 lead Tuesday.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Bam Adebayo returned from a neck injury in Game 4 and scored 15 points in 33 minutes after missing Games 2 and 3. He didn't appear to suffer any setbacks and should take on his customary workload for the Heat tonight.
Goran Dragic tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in the first half of Game 1. While he tried to take part in pregame warmups before Game 4, the Heat point guard is considered doubtful for Game 5.
Elite Players
LeBron James ($12,400) represents the safest choice for your Captain spot. He came 1.0 fantasy point shy of Anthony Davis' game-high total in Game 1 and was soundly outplayed by Jimmy Butler in Game 3. LeBron was still the leading fantasy scorer in Games 2 and 4, and he's the only player to top 50 fantasy points in each of this series' first four games. In fact, nobody else has even topped 40.
Anthony Davis ($11,800) got into foul trouble in Game 3, but he's averaging 29.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG in the other three contests. Those numbers are impressive, but Davis doesn't provide the same well-rounded production James and Butler do and make him the least appealing of this slate's top three players.
After a quiet Game 1, Jimmy Butler ($10,800) has been the best player in the series. He's averaging 29.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 11.7 APG over the past three games and posting 56.5, 83.25 and 56.0 fantasy points in those contests. Still noticeably cheaper than James and Davis, Butler should provide the best value among elite players and is also a strong your candidate for your Captain spot.
Bam Adebayo ($9,800) only attempted eight field goals in his Game 4 return and posted 15 points, seven rebounds and an assist. Those numbers were far below Adebayo's averages of 16.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 5.0 APG, as he's likely far from being 100 percent. Expect Bam to have the ball in his hands less than usual, making it difficult for him to play up to his lofty valuation.
Tyler Herro ($9,000) enjoyed his best effort of the series in Game 4 with 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Even that performance only netted 36.25 fantasy points, and it will be challenging for Herro to provide adequate value relative to his valuation with his salary jumping by $1,000. He's averaging 17.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.8 APG and 28.9 fantasy points in this series.
Expected Chalk
Duncan Robinson ($7,000) is tricky to rely on because he gets more run when his shot is falling, thus raising his ceiling and lowering his floor. That being said, he's coming off consecutive strong performances. After averaging just 4.5 PPG and 11.5 fantasy points while shooting 2-10 from 3-point range in Games 1 and 2, Robinson has upped his production to 15.0 PPG and 29.5 fantasy points while going 6-16 from deep over the last two. Not coincidentally, his playing time has climbed from an average of 25 minutes across the first two to 36 in the last two.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,600) has been the most reliable member of the Lakers' supporting cast in this series, scoring at least 22 fantasy points in three of the first four games while pouring in double-digit points three times and playing between 29 and 32 minutes every game.
Rajon Rondo ($6,200) is more of a high-risk, high-reward option compared to KCP, as his output has ranged from 16.75 to 38.5 fantasy points in this series. Rondo's averaging 24.75 fantasy points against the Heat compared to Caldwell-Pope's 21.75, so the veteran point guard's rightfully a little more expensive. Most of Rondo's value in this series has come from rebounds (5.5 RPG) and assists (6.0 APG), but he's capable of significantly outplaying his valuation when his shot is dropping. That was the case when he scored 16 points and 38.5 fantasy points in Game 2, but is only averaging 4.3 PPG in this series' other three matchups.
Key Values
Kendrick Nunn ($4,000) has disappeared after a strong start to this series, averaging just 5.0 PPG on 4-14 shooting in 23 minutes in the last two games after scoring 15.5 PPG on 11-18 shooting in 25 minutes per contest during Games 1 and 2. Considering the rookie Heat guard averages 13.7 PPG, he's primed to bounce back and deliver strong value at his reasonable $4,000 valuation.
Markieff Morris ($3,600) has earned a much larger role as this series has progressed, playing 25 minutes in Game 3 and 30 in Game 4 after just 18 and 16 in Games 1 and 2, respectively. His scoring production has doubled from 7.0 PPG in the first two games to 14.0 over the last two, and should have no problem outplaying the $3,600 salary if his extended run continues tonight.
