If you're excited about the NBA Finals, but not excited for the season DFS to come to an end, you're not alone. The NBA Finals represents the last chance for daily fantasy players to play NBA contests until October. Obviously, since there are only two teams left standing, all contests available are in single game or "showdown" format. FanDuel is offering a variety of contests, including a 63,000+ person contest with one million dollars in total payouts.

To win one of these contests, participants will have to find unique ways to differentiate their five-man roster. With only five roster spots from a combined two teams, the odds that any given lineup is duplicated are extremely high. The good news is that this series offers a plethora of risky---but potentially rewarding---opportunities to be contrarian and give yourself a unique path to winning. If a safer path with a higher floor and lower ceiling is what you desire, you may not have to be especially contrarian. However, you then will likely have to tolerate a tie with hundreds of people, which will significantly lower your upside. 

To find an edge with a contrarian style, there are two initial steps to take. The first is to break down the matchup and the inevitable chess match between both coaches. Staying alert, informed, and ahead of the curve on potential changes to a team's rotation can be the difference between a decent night and a fanta$tic night. This article breaks down and examines under the radar matchups and game theory strategies that could be helpful to DFS players participating in FanDuel contests. 

The Setup

FanDuel's marquee contest for game one of The NBA Finals can be found in their NBA contest lobby under the title '$1M Thu NBA King James VIII (200K to 1st, CLE @ GS)'. As mentioned above, if you're shooting for the very top in this contest, you have to have some sort of unique element to your lineup. 

The single-game contests use a five-man roster, with the top three spots having multipliers. This goes without saying that you want to have your top three slots reserved for who you determine to be the highest scorers in the game, fantasy wise. With obvious stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry, the problem is more about budgeting (you only get 60,000) and less about determining who the high scorers will be. 

FanDuel	Single Game Roster Construction
Salary Cap	$60,000 ($12,000 per player)
'MVP'	2X FanDuel points
'STAR'	1.5X FanDuel points
'PRO'	1.2X FanDuel points
'Utility'	Normal FanDuel points
'Utility'	Normal FanDuel points

The Superstars

LeBron James ($18,888):

LeBron James might be the most obvious play of all-time. He is the heart and soul of the Cavs and they depend on him for everything. The FanDuel contest is even named after him. There is no reason you won't play him. Or is there? A case for fading The King can be made if your theory is that Golden State absolutely obliterates the Cavs in game one. If this were to unfold, and the Cavs lost by a sum as large as 30, it's extremely reasonable to think that LeBron might not crack 50 FanDuel points. While this outcome is less likely than not, it's something to keep in mind as a potential way to be contrarian. More often than not it is the risky and contrarian combination that wins tournaments for DFS players.

If you're wondering why he has such a peculiar price tag, it's to commemorate his 8th consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, which is also referenced in the contest name. 

Kevin Durant ($16,500): 

We saw last year what Kevin Durant can do in this matchup. With Jeff Green projected to be his primary defender, KD should be able to eat throughout this series. The question is, where will he rank among players in FanDuel points in game one? 2nd? 1st? 3rd? 4th? Kevin Durant is my favorite overall play on this slate. For much of the Western Conference Finals, KD didn't seemed to lack his killer instinct at times. Once game 7 rolled around, he seemed to remember who he was and exactly what he was capable of as both he and Steph Curry exploded, for a combined 120.3 FanDuel points. 

I expect Durant to carry that momentum into the NBA Finals; KD always seems to get up to play against LeBron James. The Warriors haven't looked like themselves at times this year and they often didn't bring their best effort with them from game to game. However, the NBA Finals will bring out the best in them. This is exactly what Durant and Golden State have been waiting for all season; this is exactly why they haven't always given 100% effort 100% of the time. The Warriors knew they would be in this position to end the season. I believe they saved their best for last. 

Steph Curry ($15,500):

The 'Baby-Faced Assassin' steps into the same situation as Durant: one in which he can dominate. While it is reasonable to think Curry has a bad game in this series, the likelihood of him having multiple bad games is very low. I'm initially projecting Curry for a 46-54 FDP in game one. 

These three superstars are always in play because of their enormous upside and all-world talent. 

The Second Tier

Draymond Green ($13,500): 

Green heads into game one with a questionable tag due to a sprained ankle. It appears more likely than not he will play, but this injury obviously gives more of a reason than normal to possibly avoid Green. Because of his steal and block upside, Draymond is always in play, but it is worth monitoring the injury news, and proceeding with caution. 

Kevin Love ($12,000): 

Love was forced to leave early in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after he was inadvertently hit in the head by Boston's Jayson Tatum. Love was ultimately placed in the concussion protocol, which ruled him out of what was a victorious game 7 for the Cavs. Heading into the series with the Warriors, I am less concerned about if Love will play than I am with the fact that he has a bad individual matchup.

Golden State forwards Draymond Green and Kevin Durant are prototypical modern NBA switchable frontcourt players that present possible nightmares for Love. The length of Durant could really bother Love and prevent him shooting efficiently, while the versatility and tenacity of Green could represent an even tougher test for the Cleveland big man. Because of these concerns, I would rather fade Love and pivot to Klay Thompson, who is a full $1,000 cheaper. 

Klay Thompson ($11,000): 

In game 1 of last year's NBA Finals, Thompson put up 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He shot a very uncharacteristic 3-16 from the field, which didn't seem to matter as the Dubs won with ease. The Warriors raced out to a 2-0 series lead with consecutive blowouts at Oracle Arena---Golden State won 113-91 in game 1 and 132-113 in game 2.

Many people including myself expect the first two games of Part IV to have a similar result. There may be a tendency to assume this limits Thompson's upside but in reality, it's quite the opposite. Klay's minutes and rotations are as safe and guaranteed as any player in the entire league. Even in blowouts, Thompson always seems to get extended fourth-quarter run, with both the starters and bench unit. Further supporting (and also hurting) the second Splash Brother's GPP candidacy is his tendency to get hot quickly and seemingly out of nowhere. Thompson can score in bunches in no time at all---he has multiple remarkable individual scoring accomplishments.

Date	Accomplishment
January 23rd, 2015 vs. Kings	Thompson scores 52 points, including 37 in the 3rd quarter on 9-9 three-point shooting.
December 6th, 2016 vs. Pacers	Thompson scores 60 points while dribbling the ball only 11 times/holding the ball for only 90 seconds.

If the Cavs defense is even a step slow rotating on the perimeter, Thompson will be sure to make them pay for it. He is one of the best dead eye marksmen of all-time, and he has a plus matchup against the likes of JR Smith and Kyle Korver. The only reason to pause when rostering Klay Thompson in DFS, is that it can be very tricky and frustrating to pinpoint exactly which game(s) he will blow up in a series. It could very well be game 1, but it is also equally likely that we see Thompson at his best in game 2, or later in the series in Cleveland. At $11,000 with slate-breaking upside, he is definitely someone to consider for all roster spots: MVP, Star, Pro, and Utility. 

The X-Factors

If you want to construct your roster around three elite stars, you'll have to forgo the luxury of leaning on mid-tier players and instead get creative and risky with a 'stars and scrubs' roster build. Because three stars will take up so much of your salary cap, you'll have to consider guys like Jordan Bell or Nick Young (yuck) if you want to make it work. A case can be made for a plethora of lower priced players. With the stars being so obvious in this series, there will be a lot of roster overlap. It's not easy to say exactly who, but the chances are at least one of these low priced players becomes an X-Factor that helps differentiate lineups. How---and how much---you use these players will determine how successful your DFS experience is for game 1. 

Jeff Green ($7,000)

Jeff Green is a likely candidate to stay in the starting lineup, even when Kevin Love returns. His versatility on both ends of the floor is a huge plus for a Cavs roster that can certainly use all the athleticism it can get. In addition, Green is the best option for the Cavs to defend Kevin Durant. While many fans clamor for LeBron James to guard Durant, it seems unlikely to happen. Guarding Durant would likely be too tiring of a task for King James to do for long stretches. Jeff Green is definitely underpriced and makes for a fantastic value play in game 1. 

David West ($5,000)

Because of the differences in the Cavaliers and Rockets rotations, David West could carve out a role in this series that he didn't have in the Western Conference Finals. 8 to 12 minutes could prove to be enough for West to score enough points to make it worth it. It is quite possible West gets a layup, a couple jumpers, a few rebounds, and a block in garbage time or even at the end of the first and third quarters. This outcome is far from a certain thing, but it would be quite nice considering West's salary.

Quinn Cook ($5,000)

Cook's likeliest path to scoring is a blowout...which is somewhat likely. The floor is low. The ceiling is...to be determined? Cook is one of several players in this price range who are unknown risk/reward plays. 

Rodney Hood ($5,000), Patrick McCaw ($5,000), Zaza Pachulia ($5,000), Jose Calderon ($5,000)

Much like Quinn Cook, these four players could score zero just as easily as they could score five or ten. Their FanDuel points will largely depend on whether or not this game is a blowout---and if so, how big of a blowout is it?

Jordan Bell ($6,000), Nick Young ($6,000), JaVale McGee ($6,000), Jordan Clarkson ($6,000)

This four player tier is much more likely to make quantifiable contributions to the game than the previous tier. Jordan Bell represents the best play, because of his several factors. Bell has played well of late, and he has shown versatility as well as a high energy level. He can rack up blocks and steals quickly, which is something that McGee can also do if he receives playing time. Young and Clarkson are total shots in the dark as one never really knows how good of a performance to expect from either player from game to game. The two guards were teammates on the Lakers as recently as last season.

It is also worth noting that Andre Iguodala's absence forces the Warriors to rely on some combination of Bell, Kevon Looney, Young, and McCaw in his place.

JR Smith ($6500) & Kyle Korver ($7000)

Both players are capable of getting hot from beyond the arc, but Smith is more likely to finish with a higher minutes total. There are probably better plays than either Smith or Korver, but they are always in considering due to their shooting prowess. 

The Others: George Hill ($9500), Tristan Thompson ($9000), Larry Nance ($8500), Kevon Looney ($8000)

These players are definitely not the type to build your roster around. At $9500 on the road, Hill may very well be too expensive for my taste. It remains to be seen exactly how the Cavs use Larry Nance, if at all. Tristan Thompson and Kevon Looney don't necessarily excite me either. This gives me all the more reason to construct a top-heavy roster while taking chances on some players from the lower price tiers. 

Non-Factors

The following players are highly unlikely to even play a single second, meaning their floor and upside is essentially zero.

• Okaro White ($4000)
• London Perrantes ($4000)
• John Holland ($4000)
• Ante Zizic ($4000)
• Chris Boucher ($4000)
• Kendrick Perkins ($4000)
• Damian Jones ($4000)

If you've read this far, you get the secret sauce. Even though these players are almost guaranteed to score zero combined, there is a contrarian strategy that necessitates rostering a player like this. Since they are all priced at bare minimum salary, they enable you to roster the most top-heavy combination of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. If you're using this approach, you're assuming James, Durant, and Curry are the top three scorers in terms of FanDuel points. Next, there are two questions remain. Which order will these three superstars finish in? Is it worth taking a guaranteed zero from a player in order to squeeze in the top stars?

My Take

Kevin Durant is my favorite overall play on the slate. I am projecting him to keep up with and possibly outdo LeBron James in game 1. As the day goes on news will break and rotations will become clearer. By then, it will be easier to identify exactly which of the X-Factor/under the radar players have the most upside. Follow me on Twitter for up to the minute updates on all things NBA Finals.

No matter what you decide to do on this slate, remember to trust your gut while making roster decisions, and most importantly, remember to enjoy the NBA Finals. It may be the fourth straight year with the same matchup, but we are witnessing all-time greatness. Lastly, best of luck to everyone playing DFS during the NBA Finals.