Today’s DFS Delivery brought to you by Santino Caccone (@Santino Caccone on Twitter)

A new week but a similar story in the NBA DFS world, with another showdown slate. We have ourselves a Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals, where the Suns have a commanding series lead.

This series has been a fun watch, and very competitive, but the Suns have been able to close these games against an undermanned Clippers squad. Without Kawhi Leonard, and their major offseason acquisition, Serge Ibaka, the Clippers surprised us and took care of the Jazz and were able to get this far. Down 3-1 in the series, and traveling to Phoenix, it will be a tough ask to make a comeback.

Nevertheless, the Clippers have shown an abundance of resolve, and a knack for adjustments, when faced with adversity this postseason, so Game 5 should be another niche in a fantastic series. Keep an eye out for any pregame news that might pop up as Ty Lue, has been switching things up, when needed, all playoffs.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the slate and get a sense of where my head is at leading into what could be a series clinching contest.

Game by Game Analysis

Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns – 218 Total (Suns -5.5) – 9:00 PM EST

Clippers – Paul George ($11,800), Ivica Zubac ($6,800), Terance Mann ($5,800), and Patrick Beverley ($3,200) and Rajon Rondo ($2,400)

Suns – Deandre Ayton ($9,200), Cam Johnson ($4,000) and Dario Saric ($1,800)

Player Tiers

Expensive Tier

Paul George ($11,800) – George is coming in as the highest guy on the slate, by a bigger margin than in previous games. Have no fear. In a do-or-die Game 5, the Clippers are going to need their lone superstar to give them everything he has left in the tank. We can expect Goerge’s usage to be massive, and if it comes with any sort of efficiency, then he will be in for a slate-leading night.

Deandre Ayton ($9,200) – Ayton has been the difference-maker in this series, as he has forced the Clippers away from the small-ball lineups that were instrumental in the first couple of rounds. He is a skilled offensive big-man, and has been a force on the glass all series. We can expect both of those to continue, even with the price increase from the previous game.

Mid-Tier

Ivica Zubac ($6,800) – It took until Game 5, but DraftKings has finally caught on to the price theft we had been getting from Big Zu. Now at nearly 7K, he costs a pretty penny, but one that his production has regularly matched this series. Do not let the price tag scare you from going back here. Zubac is playing a boatload of minutes as the team is light on any big Center options.

Value

Cam Johnson ($4,000)- Johnson had his worst game in the series in the last one, as did most guys with such a low-scoring game. It was his first game with under 24 minutes, and in scoring in single digits all series. With a slight price decrease, and that game behind us, we can go back to the well in this one and look for similar production from earlier in the series.

Rajon Rondo ($2,400)- After playing a grand total of eight minutes in the previous two games, this is certainly a ‘monitor the pregame news’ situation, but something is telling me Rondo is in for more playing time in this one. Ty Lue has been making adjustments all playoffs, and the multi-time champion Rondo is no stranger to big stages. Patrick Beverley is the safer option of the two, but for the less faint-of-heart, taking a chance on Rondo in tournaments could be a worthwhile risk.