DraftKings Salary: $9,200
On the other side of the action, we have Damian Lillard, who this past weekend posted his third consecutive game with at least 50 DraftKings points. Lillard has taken at least 20 shots and scored 29 or more real-life points in each of those games and should continue to be aggressive in looking for his shot tonight. Without Nurkic, the pressure will be on Lillard and C.J. McCollum to keep Portland in this game.
No player has benefited more from the absence of Nurkic this season than Lillard, who has seen a 0.12-point increase in his DraftKings points per minute as well as a 9.6% usage bump sans Nurkic. In 283 minutes with Nurkic off the floor this season, Lillard has maintained a 41.1% usage rate.
The risk of a blowout is certainly there, but the potential for another huge game from Lillard is a distinct possibility, as well. Pairing him and Durant makes a lot of sense in tournaments, as well, because if this game remains close enough for them to both get their full allotment of minutes, they both should exceed value.