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Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! As we enter the Conference Finals, there are only one-game contests available for the remainder of the NBA DFS season. On DraftKings, they're called Showdowns, and on FanDuel, they go by Single Game contests. There are some scoring differences as well.
| DFS Scoring (Showdown/Single Game) | ||
| Player Type | DraftKings | FanDuel |
| Captain/MVP | 1 player, Price = 1.5x, Points = 1.5x | 1 player, Price = 1x, Points = 2x |
| Star | N/A | 1 player, Price = 1x, Points = 1.5x |
| Pro | N/A | 1 player, Price = 1x, Points = 1.2x |
| Utility | 5 players, Price = 1x, Points = 1x | 2 players, Price = 1x, Points = 1x |
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/17/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock at 8:30 pm EST.
Tonight, we tip off the Eastern Conference Finals as the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat meet for the second time in three years. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Captain/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum ($18,000 DraftKings; $15,500 FanDuel)
Miami Heat fans don't want to hear this, but Jayson Tatum is the best player in this series. He dispatched Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in back-to-back rounds and is looking for revenge. Miami beat Boston in the bubble playoffs in 2020 before falling to the Lakers in six. Since then, Tatum has only grown as a player and is a legitimate top-10 talent in the league. During these playoffs, the three-time All-Star is producing 28.3 points on 21.4 shots per game, with 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 3.5 three-pointers, and 2.3 stocks (steals+blocks) across 11 games. He's the most expensive player for a reason and is worth the Captain/MVP spot on both sites.
Bam Adebayo ($12,600 DK; $12,000 FD)
Here are some things Bam Adebayo didn't have to do in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs: guard Giannis Antetokounmpo for seven straight games. I think the Celtics will be worn out from their epic series against the Bucks. As a result, the door is open for the Heat to jump on them fast and early and have them wave the white flag in the first game. Remember, Boston just finished their series 48 hours ago and had to win back-to-back games just to make this round. I fancy Bam as a great contrarian captain going against a tired Boston defense with a game plan to expose their weak interior defense.
Others to consider: Jimmy Butler ($16,200 DK; $15,000 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jaylen Brown ($9,200 DK; $13,000 FD)
It's safe to say Jaylen Brown had an up-and-down second round. However, if you find some cheap values to fill out your roster, he's extremely affordable to fit in with his teammate, Tatum. If you think the Celtics will win this game, I'm excited by the idea of doubling down on the Boston duo and stacking them heavily. Brown's scored at least 35 DraftKings points in eight of the 11 playoff games, and if the Heat focus their attention on Tatum, then Brown will have the green light to get Boston on the board in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Victor Oladipo ($6,200 DK; $9,500 FD)
Formula 1 went to Miami for the first time two weeks ago, and it feels like an appropriate analogy for Victor Oladipo. Much like an F1 car, if Oladipo is set up perfectly, he can win the race. However, if just one thing goes awry, he could crash into turn 1. That's the risk you take rostering Oladipo in a one-game contest. I would stay away in cash games, but he's undoubtedly in the player pool for tournaments because of Kyle Lowry's absence. He scored at least 13 points in three of the final five games against Philadelphia but will also face a tougher matchup against Boston's perimeter defense.
Others to consider: Marcus Smart ($7,600 DK; $11,500 FD), Tyler Herro ($6,600 DK; $10,500 FD) Grant Williams ($5,000 DK; $9,000 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Value Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Payton Pritchard ($3,600 DK; $7,500 FD)
Daniel Theis ($1,800 DK; $7,000 FD)
Duncan Robinson ($1,000 DK; $7,000 FD)
We're throwing things at a wall when it comes to the value plays in this series. In Game 7 versus the Bucks, Pritchard came to play and gave Boston 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and four threes in 17 minutes. If the Celtics want to steal Game 1 against a well-rested Heat unit, they'll need a similar effort from Pritchard on Tuesday.
As for Theis and Robinson, these are two guys who need to hit a couple of shots and grab a rebound to return exceptional value on their price points. However, considering Robinson averaged 2.9 made threes a night in the regular season, I'm more than willing to take a flyer on the potential hot shooting spell off the bench for the 28-year-old.
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