FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Picks (5/25/21): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

May 25, 2021

Mike Marteny highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 5/25/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

We have three Game 2's going on tonight with two in the West and one in the East. Dallas is trying to steal a second one in L.A. Phoenix is trying to go up 2-0 on the Lakers at home. The Nets are trying to take both home games against Boston.

There isn't much to watch in the way of injuries here. Chris Paul is expected to be available. Jaylen Brown is still out. The only questionable tag that we really have to keep an eye on is Maxi Kleber. We weren't really going to play him against the Clippers anyway, were we?

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/25/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward, and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle, and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.

FanDuel DFS Guards

Luka Doncic, PG – at Clippers ($10,300)

Luka picked up a triple-double against the Clippers in Game 1, resulting in 65.5 FanDuel points. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Luka played well against the Clippers in every game this season. Tonight should be no different. We just have to hope he doesn't sustain a shoulder injury from carrying this team. Most of the rest of Dallas is dead weight, especially in DFS. Win or lose, we are going to see a good total out of Luka.

Devin Booker, SG – vs. Lakers ($8,200)

Booker's first playoff game was one of the ages. He played 45 of the 48 minutes and racked up 51.45 FanDuel points. He almost doubled LeBron's real points output and tied Chris Paul for the team lead in assists. Booker may not have quite the stat line here, especially if Paul is able to finish the game. However, he showed how high the ceiling is and the Lakers couldn't guard him even though they were solid on the perimeter all season. The Lakers may adjust, but even if Booker scores 10-15 points less, he'll still hit value for the price.

Rajon Rondo, PG – vs. Dallas ($5,000)

Rondo only played 23 minutes in Game 1, but he still came away with 26.8 FanDuel points. Rondo has been the most effective point guard for the Clippers, but he doesn't get a ton of run with the first team. Rondo had at least one of everything in his 23 minutes of court time, highlighting why we play him in DFS. He contributes across the board, which gives him a high floor. That's nice to have in a value play.

Also consider: James Harden ($10,800), Chris Paul ($7,600), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5,100), Jalen Brunson ($4,800)

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FanDuel DFS Forwards

Kawhi Leonard, SF – vs. Dallas ($9,400)

Paul George did well in Game 1, but it was Kawhi that put on the real show. He put up 57.5 FanDuel points in the opening game of the playoffs for the Clippers in a losing effort. You can't blame Kawhi for the loss. The inability to stop Luka was the main thing, but the Clippers still looked like the better team. This is especially true if George can continue having games like he did in Game 1. I'm not chasing him though. This is Kawhi's team, and he's much cheaper than LeBron and K.D. with the same ceiling.

Serge Ibaka, PF – vs. Dallas ($5,200)

Ibaka is a better play on DraftKings, but he continues to put up big numbers in very few minutes. I tend to think the Clippers give Ibaka more run considering his 24.8 FanDuel points in just 12 minutes. That's right.....the Clippers only ran Ibaka for 12 minutes in the loss. I'm guessing that they realize the error of their ways and realize just how valuable Ibaka can be and let him play at least 20 minutes tonight. He hasn't since his return from injury, but still has at least 24 FanDuel points in every game.

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF – vs. Clippers ($4,400)

DFS plays a lot of minutes for a very low price. He doesn't always to a lot with those minutes, but the 18 real points in Game 1 is a welcome sight. We could see DFS more involved in the offense again if Kleber misses this game as well. Either way, DFS stepped up to help Luka here against the Clippers. He's playing around 35 minutes per game at this price, so he's worth a flier as a value play.

Also consider: Kevin Durant ($10,400), Anthony Davis ($10,100), Nicolas Batum ($4,300), Dario Saric ($3,900)

FanDuel DFS Centers 

Deandre Ayton – vs. Lakers ($7,200)

Ayton had a big double-double in Game 1 with 21 points and 16 rebounds. How long can the Lakers operate without using A.D. at the five? Drummond couldn't handle Ayton. Maybe Marc Gasol could, but they didn't try that either. I'm okay with an Ayton fade since I think this is the one area that the Lakers can adjust to an rectify right away. Still, Ayton showed that he is capable of strong games if he puts forth the effort.

Robert Williams – at Brooklyn ($5,800)

Williams torched the Nets in Game 1 with 53.3 FanDuel points in just 22 minutes! Is he going to block nine shots again? Probably not, but Time Lord was huge on the defensive end and was an efficient scorer. Boston isn't likely to increase his minutes by a whole lot, but it likely wont matter. Williams is very underpriced here. He's one of the very few that is.

Also consider: Andre Drummond ($6,600), Tristan Thompson ($4,400)

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis