It is the second night of Game 5 action, we have four crucial games coming up tonight. It’s going to be a great night to watch the NBA and a better night for MomentRanks Play — the daily fantasy Top Shot game where you can use your unique collection of Moments.
The Wizards have found new life after Joel Embiid faced an injury in Game 4, forcing a Game 5 tonight. Russell Westbrook shot pretty poorly in the win, but if he and Bradley Beal are able to put together a peak performance we could see Game 6.
My hometown Knicks are fighting for their lives as well, and I expect them to lock in and get the win on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden. I am expecting great games from both Julius Randle and Trae Young, and the trusty Clint Capela Block Moment is always in play.
We have a third 3-1 series for the Jazz and Grizzlies, and the betting market seems to think that the Jazz should win this without issue, with an expected Vegas spread at 9.5 points in favor of Utah. That should mean that Donovan Mitchell should be in consideration for your lineups as well as Ja Morant, as these two should both lead their teams in base score.
Finally, the game I think everyone is most excited to watch: the Mavericks and Clippers. This is the only tied series of the night and the Clippers have all the Momentum. Kawhi and Paul George seem to have figured out how to get through the Dallas defense and mitigate the damage of Luka Doncic. I’ll be debating using Moments of all three players.
When building a roster in MomentRanks Play, each Moment can unlock a Moment Boost by achieving over their last-ten game averages (L10) in the stat that corresponds to the featured play. This means choosing the correct Moment is crucial to your lineup’s success. So how are you supposed to know which is the best?
First, make sure to understand the updated scoring and bonuses for Play if you haven’t already. Keep in mind: play type will dictate the Moment Boost if a player goes over their 10-game averages. You can also watch a quick tutorial on Play scoring.
Let’s get into it.
Core Moments
Russell Westbrook — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Dunk ($4)
As I briefly mentioned, Westbrook shot pretty badly in Game 4 going just 3-of-19 from the field. He still managed to scrape together 19 points, and with his L10 points per game at 21.5, it is not a stretch to think that he could easily rack up a decent bonus score on the bounce-back. I always hesitate on scoring Moments due to the weaker boost multiplier, but in this scenario it is one of the most cost-effective and easy ways to use a fantasy stud.
Luka Doncic — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($9)
You probably do not need to be told to play this Moment. It is a given. 6.6 assist per game average in the last 10 for Luka means a juicy boost is likely awaiting us again. Lock it in.
Ben Simmons — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($4)
Ben managed only three assists in Game 4, but I think a bounce-back is coming and returning to the favorable scorekeeping of the home court might help us pad the assist total. Simmons is averaging 7.5 assists per game over the last ten contests, so if a double-digit night in the category is in store for him this might be a must start. Plus, with no Embiid, we could see Simmons have more scoring responsibility on his back tonight, improving his base score.
Trae Young — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3 Pointer ($4)
It is clear Trae loves playing the villain, he thrives off of the energy and I expect that gives him the confidence to be firing from deep tonight. With only 1.7 threes on average over the last ten games, this one has some very nice potential for a solid boost to help you find your way to an easy win in a H2H.
Sleeper Moments
Julius Randle — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Dunk ($3)
It pains me to call this a sleeper Moment, but it is. Julius has played so poorly that he doesn’t deserve consideration as a core Moment and I would imagine he is faded in most lineups tonight. I am here to tell you, go the other way. Take Randle to come out of his shell with his back up against the wall and notch a face-saving win for the Knicks. Every Randle Moment is a dunk or layup, so we have to use a scoring boost. Still worth it!
Rudy Gobert — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Block ($3)
I quickly touched on the trusty Capela Block Moment but fully think Gobert is the way to go tonight if you are searching for a block Bonus. He has 2.3 blocks per game in the last 10, but he can easily hit three blocks tonight in the elimination game against Memphis and has shown time and again to be the best rim defender in the game. I’ll take my chances here as my Block of the Day, as I think Capela could have a weaker base total and might not be as dominant away from home.
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.