After an exciting weekend of Game 1 Playoff action, Monday presents a smaller set of just two games. Few options makes for an intriguing day on MomentRanks Play. Choosing the right Moments becomes more important on days like this.
There are still some big names going tonight, as we will see the Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trailblazers vs. Denver Nuggets. This means stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler and the ever-dangerous Duncan Robinson — who hit seven 3-pointers in Game 1 — are all available for your roster.
So how are you going to choose just five Top Shot Moments to represent a lineup? Or determine which play type gives a player the best upside on this slate?
First, I recommend understanding the updated scoring and bonuses for Play if you haven’t already, as a few things have changed since launch. Keep in mind: play type will dictate the Moment Boost if a player goes over their 10-game averages.
Make sure to also participate in the First Round Head-to-Head Playoff Contest that MomentRanks launched. The contest runs from May 22 to June 6. At the end of the first round, the GMs with the top 50 records across public head-to-heads will be rewarded with Packs or Moments — including Cool Cats Drop 1 packs to the top the top three!
Today, I have targeted a few core Moments and sleepers that might help your team separate from the pack if a player vastly exceeds his last 10-game (L10) averages. I aim to choose Moments on the cheaper side of the market so that everyone can partake.
Core Moments
Nikola Jokic — Series 2 Common /35,000 Assist ($11)
Jokic only managed one assist in Game 1, resulting in a 6.1 L10 APG heading into today’s action. I expect that Jokic looks to get more involved in the passing game after losing at home with such a low assist total. When he’s distributing the ball the Nuggets play their best ball, so look for Jokic to find passing lanes more tonight and unlock his assist boost.
Premium Pivot option: S1 Conference Semifinals Rare /275 3-Pointer ($945)
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Series 2 Common /35,000 Block ($9)
Playing the Greek Freak with a block is appealing here because his L10 avg is 0.7. Meaning a single block will yield his Moment Boost added to your total. Blocks are always a bit risky, but Giannis’ Moments get expensive quickly and the only other decently priced options are scoring Moments. At the end of the day I like the block to get you more bonus points so let’s take the risk, especially for the Daily Contest play.
Pivot option: S2 Common /40,000+ Dunk ($5)
Damian Lillard — Series 2 Common /18,000 Assist ($29)
Fewer games mean that the price of the Core Moments are going to be a little higher, but you’re going to want to have Lillard on an assist rather than his cheaper 3-pointer Moments. It is uncommon for Lillard to exceed the 4-5 3-pointer range in a single game, but he should be able to well surpass 8.5 assists again tonight. He had 13 on Saturday in Game 1, and double digit assists should be possible for Dame Dolla.
Pivot option: S2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($4)
Sleeper Moments
Jusuf Nurkic — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Block ($3)
Chasing blocks is one of the best ways to find sleepers. Nurkic has multiple 4-block games on the year and could return big points if he has a productive game. This is a true high-upside, high-risk flier that a team might need to come out on top in today’s Dingaling Invitational.
Khris Middleton — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($3)
I love getting Middleton into a lineup for a cheap price like this on the Assist Moment. Coming off a game-winning shot and generally effective scoring night in Game 1, I could see the Heat forcing Middleton to get rid of the ball more. If I am correct, I think we may have a nice sleeper play on our hands.
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.