Game 2 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals arrives on Thursday night, as the Cleveland Cavaliers look to even the series against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. After New York protected home court in Game 1, the Cavaliers enter this matchup with extra urgency, creating an intriguing DFS environment with heavy minutes expected from both sides.
Our Showdown picks and strategy have been pretty on point the last two slates. Want winning plays and advice, as well as strategy to help you in DraftKings tourneys? I’ve got you covered, as I’ll touch on my favorite Captain picks, GPP pivots, values, and more. Let’s build.
Best DraftKings Showdown Captain Picks for Game 2
- Evan Mobley ($9k)
- KAT ($10k)
- Jalen Brunson ($10.4k)
- Donovan Mitchell ($9.8k)
These are the top spends of the slate and in turn, they’re also the best options to put in the Captain slot. Our lineup tool has Mobley grading out as the best overall play on the slate, as he’s $1k cheaper than almost everyone else listed here, but projects better.
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Mobley looks good, as he posted a strong 44-point fantasy outing in game one. I thought he’d struggle in this matchup, but he proved me wrong. That doesn’t mean he won’t tonight, but sometimes you need to admit defeat and move along. Our system loves Mobley, so I’m rolling with him.
KAT and Brunson get another game at home and both are very playable. I said going into game one that I prefer Brunson given this matchup and he smashed with 58 fantasy points. KAT is obviously still a good play, but I once again like Brunson more.
Spida has been on fire. He dropped 53 fantasy points on the Knicks in game one and he’s now put up 50+ fantasy points in four of his last six playoff games. Cleveland collapsed in game one but they can’t lose this game and this matchup still sets up favorable for Mitchell. I like him a lot tonight.
GPP Picks for Cavs vs. Knicks Game 2
- James Harden ($9.4k)
- Josh Hart ($8.4k)
- OG Anunoby ($8k)
Harden is the top GPP pick for me in NBA DFS contests tonight. He’s a pivot off of chalky Mobley, he’s a pivot off of Spida, and he’s cheaper than the Knicks studs. None of that guarantees he crushes, but we know he has a high ceiling, while his perimeter-based game can work for him considering how New York plays defense.
Harden is the ultimate GPP Captain play, and I’ll be over-weight on him in the Flex as well.
Hart and OG are similar plays. They did not log heavy minutes in game one and neither crushed, but they’re way cheaper than their Knicks counterparts up top, and they provide leverage on all the top spends. If the minutes are there, we know Hart’s do-it-all skill-set can nuke the slate, while OG can crush if he’s getting easy buckets inside.
Top Value Plays for Thursday
- Dennis Schroder ($3.2k)
- Sam Merrill ($4k)
- Landry Shamet ($2.6k)
I also like Max Strus again, so there’s that. But if you want to save a lot more cash, we can sprinkle these values into the Captain slot, or aggressively be over-weight on them in the Flex.
Merrill was my top value last time out, and that worked out OK as he dropped 19 fantasy points in almost 30 minutes. The actual output wasn’t what we hoped for, but the minutes+New York’s tendency to allow three-point attempts is a happy marriage. I love Merrill again tonight.
Schroder is a fine pivot if Merrill is super chalky. He’s also going to get 15-20 minutes, and could always get more if he can, ya know, make a damn shot. He’s been positively putrid, but this is a price/matchup we are playing here.
New York’s value is pretty poopy. Mitch Robinson and Miles McBride exist, but neither feel great at their respective prices. Shamet doesn’t, either, but he played 17 minutes last game. If he’s going to get 15-20 minutes at this price, he’s viable in Showdown contests.
Cavs vs Knicks Game 2 Showdown Strategy
I am leaning into the Cavs. NBA playoff series tend to be reactive, assuming the teams are close. We saw it last night when the Thunder battled back to even the series at 1-1.
When trying to project these, you need to ask yourself if you think these teams are close and/or if you think the series will be competitive. If yes, then it makes sense for the game one loser to answer back and tie the series up. Otherwise we get to a 2-0 hole and it’s pretty much over.
I think Cleveland either wins or really makes the Knicks work for it here. They had them on the ropes and blew it last game. Perhaps that was their last gasp, but I am leaning into their strong perimeter ceiling, and how New York tends to let teams shoot from deep.
That has me really into Mobley/Spida as the top CPT picks, and also digging Harden as a Captain in tournaments. Merrill and Schroder are cheap ways for us to tap into the Cavs and load up the Flex spot, too.
That doesn’t mean you can’t Captain Knicks guys – namely Brunson and KAT – but that is my top strategy and approach for this slate.
Don’t just use my Showdown picks and strategy, though. Make sure you’re also utilizing our lineup tool to combine projections and sims to give you the best lineups possible.
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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