In a traditional FanDuel NBA lineup, you have a $60,000 salary cap to roster nine players. The salary cap is the same in the single-game setup, but the lineup requirements are different.
You select five players of any position. One of your players will be your MVP, whose FanDuel points are multiplied by two. You also choose a STAR player (whose production is multiplied by 1.5) and a PRO (multiplied by 1.2). Two UTIL players round out the roster, and they don't receive a multiplier for their production.
This makes the five players you select essential in more than one way; you need to focus on slotting in the best plays in the multiplier slots rather than just nailing the best overall plays of the game.
Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.
| Team | Opp | O/U | Spread | Implied Total |
| PHI | BOS | 201 | 6.5 | 97.25 |
| BOS | PHI | 201 | -6.5 | 103.75 |
Player Breakdown
At The Top
Jayson Tatum ($17,500): In a lead offensive role with a 30.9% usage rate during Boston's Round 2 series, Tatum is ranked second among today's slate with a 47.9 fantasy projection. The Celtics' forward is producing 1.32 FanDuel points per minute against Philadelphia despite making 41.6% of his shot attempts.
Joel Embiid ($17,000): Philadelphia's MVP winner is Sunday's top option with a 53.2 fantasy expectation against a Boston defense allowing 41.7 real-life points in the paint. In 190 minutes this series, Embiid is recording 1.32 FanDuel points per minute and a 33.9% usage rate.
James Harden ($15,000): Since May 3rd, Harden's salary has decreased by 6.2% while averaging 1.16 FanDuel points per minute and a 24.8% usage rate. Philadelphia's guard ranks third in value with a 3.0 rating and a 45.1 fantasy projection.
In the Middle
Jaylen Brown ($13,500): Among Boston's starting lineup, Brown is third among his team in fantasy production (0.93 FanDuel points per minute) and second in usage (25.4%) during Round 2.
Tyrese Maxey ($12,000): Despite recent inconsistent offensive performances, the 76ers' young guard is fifth among today's slate with 32.4 expected FanDuel points. The 22-year old is recording 0.93 FanDuel points per minute and a 24.9% usage rate in 232 minutes this series.
Marcus Smart ($11,500): The Celtics' point guard has seen his salary increase by 21.0% since Game 2 after he produced 0.87 FanDuel points per minute and a 22.3% usage rate during this time period. In 110 minutes with Boston's expected starting five on the floor this season, Smart is third on his team in fantasy output (0.98 FanDuel points per minute).
Tobias Harris ($10,000): In 216 minutes during Round 2, Philadelphia's forward has produced 0.69 FanDuel points per minute and a 15.0% usage rate.
At the Bottom
Malcolm Brogdon ($9,500): Boston's sixth man is averaging 29.1 minutes per game versus Philadelphia this series while accounting for 0.93 FanDuel points per minute and a 24.0% usage percentage.
Al Horford ($9,000): Despite recording a low 12.7% usage rate, the Celtics' veteran has been extremely efficient against his former team, producing 0.95 FanDuel points per minute.
Robert Williams ($8,500): In a potential increased role after Williams was moved into Boston's starting five, "Time Lord' is first among today's slate in value with a 3.16 rating and a 26.9 fantasy projection. Boston's center is producing 1.15 FanDuel points per minute with Boston's first unit on the floor this season.
De'Anthony Melton ($7,500): After a 11.7% salary drop since May 3rd, Philadelphia's guard is fourth in value with a 2.86 rating and a 20.1 fantasy expectation. The 24-year old is recording 0.78 FanDuel points per minute and a 13.9% usage rate against Boston this postseason.