This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Sunday brings Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with the series tied at a game apiece. The Warriors were able to steal away home court advantage, but the Rockets will try to gain it back after blowing them out in Game 2. There is also another opportunity to win some money on DraftKings, so let's take a look at some players to consider as you craft your entry.
Expensive
James Harden, HOU ($13,500): Harden shot only 9-for-24 from the field in Game 2, including 3-for-15 from behind the arc. He's a volume scorer who finished the regular season with the highest usage rate in the league, so expect him to continue to put up plenty of shots. Even with his struggles, he scored 47 DraftKings points in that game. His price actually came down a bit too, making him an excellent option once again.
Kevin Durant, GS ($13,300): Durant provided excellent all-around production during the regular season, averaging 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. His scoring is up over the first two games with 37 and 38 points, respectively. However, he has only six rebounds and one assist combined. Luckily his increased scoring has helped make up for his deficiencies elsewhere, but it also shows his incredibly high ceiling if he can at least return to his season averages in rebounds and assists. Don't be afraid to pay up for him in this game.
Middle-priced
Klay Thompson, GS ($9,200): Thompson had his worst performance of the playoffs in Game 2, scoring just 18.5 DraftKings points. His shot was off, finishing 3-for-11 from the field. He was 2-for-4 from behind the arc, but the four attempts were also his fewest in a game this postseason. He still gets a ton of minutes and can put up points in a hurry, leaving him as a viable option at this price.
P.J. Tucker, HOU ($6,900): Tucker scored only 13.8 DraftKings points in Game 1, but came out firing and finished with 40.8 DraftKings points in Game 2. He scored 22 points in that game, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 5-for-6 from behind the arc. That will obviously not be an easy feat to replicate Sunday, but don't expect him to play as poorly as he did in Game 1 either. His price jumped up significantly, but it's still low enough to help with your budget.
Discount
Kevon Looney, GS ($4,100): If you want to load up on the expensive, high upside players, you'll also have to dig deep for some cheap options. Looney could be one of them, despite his lack of involvement offensively. He played only 11 minutes in the blowout loss in Game 2, but he did log 25 minutes in Game 1. Looney finished with 10 and 13.8 DraftKings points in the first two games, respectively, but he is an important part of the Warriors second unit.
Shaun Livingston, GS ($2,000): Like Looney, there isn't a ton of upside here with Livingston. He has scored 9.3 and 13.3 DraftKings points, respectively, in the first two games, but he did play at least 14 minutes in both contests. If you want to try and squeeze both Harden and Durant into your entry, Livingston at least has a secure role off the bench and can provide tremendous salary relief.
