While stars like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the headliners for the 2024 NBA Finals, they have to share the court with six other players. That foursome also can't comprise the entirety of your NBA DFS lineups, and that's where role players come in. Boston's role players showed up in Game 1 with veterans Jrue Holiday and Al Horford each having at least 10 points and seven rebounds. However, Dallas' did not, but that doesn't mean they should be avoided entirely as NBA DFS picks for Game 2 on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Mavs' center combo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II combined for only 10 points and eight boards. But the Mavs won't be going small with 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis on the other side, so Dallas' duo will need to make the most of its court time. Should you pluck either, or both, from Sunday's NBA DFS player pool now that they've gotten the first NBA Finals game jitters out of the way? Before making your NBA DFS picks for Game 2 of Mavericks vs. Celtics, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor's approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
In Game 1, Kaylor highlighted Mavericks point guard Doncic as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Doncic had 30 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and an assist, returning 49.5 points on DraftKings and 45.5 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Kaylor has turned his attention to Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks.You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Sunday, June 9
For Game 2 on Sunday, one of Kaylor's top NBA DFS picks is Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis. After not playing a game in over five weeks due to injury, Porzingis looked like the freshest player on the court in Game 1. He had 20 points in 21 minutes while adding six rebounds and three blocks. It tied for the third-most points in his postseason career, and he clearly fed off the home crowd, which is something he's done all year. In the regular season, Porzingis shot 53% from the field and 42% from the 3-point line in Boston, compared to 50% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc on the road.
Porzingis also gets energized whenever he faces the Mavericks, who traded him away in 2022 in what was essentially a salary dump. In his three games against the Mavs since then, he's scored at least 20 in each, averaging 22.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks over those contests. With Porzingis showing just how effective he can be in limited playing time in Game 1, he could see much more than 21 minutes in Game 2, giving him an even higher Fantasy ceiling.
Another part of Kaylor's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. In his NBA Finals debut, Doncic didn't disappoint with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and a pair of steals. He became just the ninth player in NBA history with at least 30 rebounds and 10 boards in his NBA Finals debut and the first since Tim Duncan in 1999. While he had just one assist, that was due more to Dallas' shooting struggles. The Mavs shot 39.6% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc.
The Mavericks ranked in the top 10 in both offensive efficiency and points per game in the regular season, so back-to-back offensive struggles are unlikely. What is likely is another standout performance for Doncic, who has a habit of doing so after a Mavs postseason loss. Following their five playoff defeats this year, the five-time All-Star is averaging 32.6 points on 53% shooting.See Kaylor's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Sunday, June 9
Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Sunday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and get the rest of Kaylor's picks, here.
Who is DFS pro Jimmie Kaylor putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Game 2 of Mavs vs. Celtics? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has a Millionaire Maker win on his resume, and find out.
