NBA Finals Preview: Best Fantasy Players, Schedule, Predictions and More

The long NBA season is nearly over. What’s left is a fun NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

Before the series kicks off, let’s preview the matchup, along with discussing some of the better fantasy options.

Finals Schedule

After several days with no NBA action, the Finals kick off Thursday, June 6. Boston will host the contest, and also serve as the host for game two.

Game one of the series is set to tip at 8:30 p.m. ET, with game two on June 9 at 8 p.m.

The series will then shift to Dallas for games three and four. Game three is set for an 8:30 p.m. tip on June 12, with game four scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on June 14.

Should the series be extended past that point, Boston will host game five at 8:30 p.m. on June 17. Dallas would host game six at 8:30 p.m. on June 20. If the series makes it to seven games, Boston would host that contest at 8 p.m. on June 23.

Regular Season Matchups

Boston won both of the regular season battles between the teams.

On Jan. 22, the Celtics won 119-110 in Dallas. The teams met again in Boston on March 1, with the Celtics prevailing 138-110.

In its first win, Boston shot 46.6% from the floor and 32.6% from 3-point land. The Celtics were 22-of-33 from the free-throw line and turned the ball over just six times.

In game two, Boston shot 55.3% overall and 48.8% from deep. The Celtics made all 13 of their free throws and turned the ball over nine times.

In the Mavericks’ first loss to the Celtics, Dallas shot 44.3% overall and 35% from 3-point land. The Mavs were 10-of-14 from the line and had 10 turnovers.

In game two, Dallas shot 46.8% overall and just 26.5% from deep. The Mavericks were 13-of-18 from the line and had seven turnovers.

Boston’s Top Fantasy Players

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led the Celtics in the postseason from a scoring perspective. Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are also averaging over 10 points per game. Al Horford is just under 10 points (9.9), but a lot of that has come with Porzingis out with an injury.

Tatum also leads the team in rebounding, with Horford behind him. Brown, Holiday and Porzingis are all at five boards or more per playoff game.

Tatum also leads the team in assists. Holiday and White are the next highest in assists.

Holiday, Porzingis, Brown and Tatum all average more than a steal per playoff game. Porzingis and White are each over a block per game. Brown and Tatum are the only Celtics averaging more than two turnovers per game.

In two games against Dallas this season, Tatum is averaging 35.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game. He is the team’s top fantasy option according to FantasySP projections.

Brown has also been good against Dallas, averaging 29.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1 block and 0.5 steals. 

In one game against the Mavs, Porzingis had 24 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block. He’s actually projected as the better fantasy option over Brown, but it’s also worth noting that this is Prozingis’ first game since April 29.

In two games, Holiday is averaging 14 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1 steal and block against the Mavs.

Horford is at 11.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 0.5 steals, while White has 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals and blocks.

Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser are the other two Celtics who played in both games against the Mavs. Pritchard averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.5 steals and blocks, while Hauser had 2.5 points and rebounds and 0.5 assists.

Luke Kornet is averaging 11.8 minutes across 10 postseason games, but most of those minutes could dry up with Porzingis back in the mix. Xavier Tillman Sr. is another option, but only averaged 8.3 minutes across six games. 

Dallas’ Top Fantasy Players

Unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic leads the Mavericks in scoring this postseason. Kyrie Irving is also over 20 points a game, but P.J. Washington is the only other Mav with over 10 points per contest. Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II are all at eight or nine points per game.

Doncic also leads the team in rebounding, with Lively in second and Washington in third. Gafford is at nearly six boards a game.

Doncic leads the way in assists as well, with Irving the only other Dallas player over five assists. Doncic also leads the way in steals, with Irving not too far behind him - Washington and Josh Green average just less than a steal per game. Gafford, Lively and Jones all average more than a block per game.

Doncic is averaging nearly four turnovers per game, while Irving is at 2.5 per ballgame.

In the two games against Boston this regular season, Doncic powered Dallas with averages of 35 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists and 1 steal. It should come as no surprise that Doncic is the top fantasy option for this game and series.

Irving averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1 steal per game in the two matchups. He checks in behind Tatum on the overall fantasy projection list.

Washington averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block against the Celtics this season.

Tim Hardaway Jr., who is playing just 13 minutes per game across 10 postseason contests, averaged 15 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists against Boston.

Lively added 10.5 points, 6 boards, 1.5 blocks and 1 steal and assist per game. Green was at 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Maxi Kleber is averaging 17.4 minutes across eight postseason contests. He averaged 22.9 minutes, but only 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist and block against Boston in the two games this season.

Jones averaged 16.3 minutes against Boston this season. He also tallied 3 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound and 0.5 steals per game.

Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy have both played in all but a couple of the Dallas postseason games, but are both under seven minutes a game, so they aren’t likely to be big contributors in the Finals. 

One thing to note is that Gafford only played in one game against Boston, and only played six minutes in that contest. He’ll likely replace a lot of the numbers that Hardaway put up.

Finals Predictions

As for the FantasySP projections for game one of the Finals, I’m pretty much on board with everything. The little switch I’d make is swapping the places of Porzingis and Brown, just because I don’t think Porzingis will be able to step right in and outperform Brown.

Over the course of the series though, I believe Porzingis could end up being the better fantasy option than Brown, mostly because of his rebounding presence.

And finally, for how I see the series going, I like Dallas to take the series in six.

A lot of times, the team with the top player finds a way to prevail in the end. Boston is a much better team all around, but I believe Doncic will carry the Mavericks to the title. Add in that Irving has played and won on this stage before and could be the second-best player on the court behind Doncic some nights, and I think the Mavericks end the season on top of the league. 

To win in six, I like Dallas to steal one of the first two games in Boston, win both matchups in Dallas and then finish things off with a home win in game six.