With Stephen Curry sidelined due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em is extremely intriguing. The Warriors face a significant challenge in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Timberwolves. The series heads to the West Coast, with Golden State hoping to repeat Game 1’s success and adjust to Game 2’s failures. Pricing for the Showdown is slightly different from the main slate, so applying each recommendation to the correct game format is imperative, as players may be a start/sit in one but a sit/start in the other. Let’s delve into Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em for Warriors vs. Timberwolves.
Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Lock of the Game
Gary Payton II
$2,000
Flex Ownership: 30% – 40%
Captain Ownership: 3 – 8%
In Game 1, Payton scored eight points, five rebounds, and four assists over 26 minutes, showcasing his defensive prowess and energy. That minute allocation paid off as the Warriors took the game on the road. Game 2’s blowout affected his playing time as the Warriors backed off key players late. Payton did not see the floor in the 4th quarter of Game 2.
The home team needs his defensive prowess against superstar Anthony Edwards if they don’t want a repeat of Game Two. His lack of playing time from the last game helps us for two reasons. First, his price dropped from $4,400. The second, it will bring down his ownership % thanks to recency bias (the tendency for the field to undervalue players coming off a bad game). Lock him in.
Start ‘Em
Buddy Hield
$5,400
Flex Ownership: 40% – 50%
Captain Ownership: 6% – 11%
Buddy becomes the Warriors’ go-to guy from the perimeter without Curry. In game one, he went 5-of-8 from deep for a sweet 24 real points and 43 fantasy points. In game two, he cooled off a bit, going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc for 15 points and 23.3 fantasy points. Averaging 8.5 3s per game is the upside we need to take down a GPP. His 6.8% usage increase without Curry makes him a perfect mid-tier play. He played 40 and 29 minutes to start the series, and we can safely assume he falls into the 32 – 40 minute range, barring a blowout.
Jonathan Kuminga
$5,200
Flex Ownership: 30% – 40%
Captain Ownership: 3 – 8%
Kuminga is now a beneficiary of Curry’s injury, even though he was practically out of the rotation in most of the Houston Rockets series—he didn’t even see the floor in four out of seven games. His slashing game style makes him a weapon in transition and isolation sets. He dropped 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Game 2 and should be an offensive chess piece yet again. His .97 DK points per minute for this series project well if he continues to shoot well and stays on the floor enough. There is an easy chance he breaks 5x value at this price point.
Sit ‘Em
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
$4,200
Flex Ownership: 10% – 15%
Captain Ownership: 1% – 3%
In the 2025 playoffs (seven games), NAW has averaged 7.1 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 rebounds over 19.9 minutes. He went nuclear in Game 2, but that was an outlier. Shooting 7-of-13 (4-of-6 from 3) is unsustainable for a guard known for his defensive abilities. This trend works great for us to fade here. His price increased by $1,000, and recency bias will make his ownership higher than it should be. With the price increase and more people playing him, let’s zig while they zag.
Quinten Post
$2,400
Flex Ownership: 5% – 10%
Captain Ownership: 0% – 5%
Post has seen limited action in his first year of playoff action. He averages 14.3 minutes, 4.1 points, and 2.6 rebounds. It’s even worse in the last two games vs. Minnesota, where he only played six and three minutes. With the Warriors’ major adjustments without Curry, he does not have the ceiling potential because he lacks minutes.
Fade of the Game
Tracye Jackson-Davis
$3,600
Flex Ownership: 5% – 10%
Captain Ownership: 0% – 5%
If you like a one-game sample size, you love Jackson-Davis’ Game Two performance. He scored 15 points on 100% shooting. Cool, I don’t see a repeat. He’s averaged 3.8 points, 2.3 rebound,s and 7.2 minutes per game. These stats are insufficient for me to throw him back into my lineup. I’ll let the field chase the box score and watch in disappointment as he returns to his regular post-season role.
