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Happy Thursday, Rotoballers! Tonight promises some fantastic basketball with three series hanging in the balance. Milwaukee leads Miami 2-0 and could erase some playoff demons with a win in South Beach. Meanwhile, out West, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to exploit a depleted Phoenix team with a banged-up Chris Paul. Plus, Denver and Portland will look to capture a vital game three in a series that's already back and forth with momentum swings.
That contest between the Nuggets and the Trail Blazers should outperform the other two matchups by a significant margin for DFS. If we are kind, both defensive units are below average, and unlocking fantasy points will not be a problem for either offense. Vegas set the over/under at 228 points, just above the Bucks-Heat tilt. With only three games on the docket, it will be hard to fade any game, but the Suns-Lakers matchup has all the makings of a slow, slugfest-like playoff game.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/27/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Devin Booker - SG, PHO vs. LAL ($8,100)
Whether Chris Paul (shoulder) is healthy or not, the Suns will need Booker to bring his A-game if they want to leave the Staples Center with a much-needed win tonight. In the first two games of this series, the 24-year old brought it by averaging 32.5 points, 5.5 assists, and four rebounds while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor. He's only attempted 10 three-pointers in the series, so that limits his ultimate ceiling. However, if he can continue to create as he did in Game 1 (eight assists), plus get to the free-throw line as often as he is doing (22-for-23 from the charity stripe), Booker will have no problem getting his allocation of fantasy numbers in Game 3.
Tyler Herro - PG/SG, MIA vs. MIL ($5,500)
If the Heat wants to claw their way back into this series, they need to recapture some of the 2020 bubble magic from their surprising Finals run. Some of that magic needs to come in the form of Tyler Herro discovering his hot hand. The regular season wasn't the encore performance many expected, as many in the league expected him to make a leap after an excellent summer showing. Still, he produced 11 games with at least 40 DraftKings points in 56 games this season, and the last one came on May 11 against the Boston Celtics. Herro is more of a tournament play because of his volatility, but he could swing you over the green line if it all lines up for another 40-point showing.
Other options: Goran Dragic - PG ($5,100), Cameron Payne - PG ($4,800)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Khris Middleton - SG/SF, MIL at MIA ($8,000)
We've seen heavy-usage Middleton (22 shots in Game 1) and where-did-he-go Middleton (five shots in Game 2) this series, but tonight I will settle for somewhere in the middle. The Buck's secondary scoring option hit the crucial shot in their Game 1 win, and it capped off a night where he earned 48 fantasy points. His regular-season numbers took a slight dip in 2021, coming off a career year, but now, he's posted 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds in back-to-back seasons. Milwaukee plays at a break-neck pace, and it allows Middleton to get his numbers even with a superstar of Giannis Antetokounmpo's caliber on the court at the same time. Miami will throw a couple of adjustments at the Bucks tonight, and if they bottle up Antetokounmpo, Middleton will be the guy the Bucks rely on to get them a 3-0 series lead.
Michael Porter Jr. - SF/PF, DEN at POR ($7,100)
The Nuggets blew out the Trail Blazers in Game 2 to give themselves some life in this Western Conference matchup, but it wasn't on the shoulders of Michael Porter Jr. The young, sharpshooting forward hasn't had his "playoff moment" yet, but you can't keep him down for long. Even in the Game 1 loss, MPJ recorded 25 points and nine rebounds for 39.75 DraftKings points despite shooting 1-for-10 from behind the three-point line. I'm throwing my trust in MPJ for a pivotal Game 3 because, over their last 30 games, Portland allows the second-most fantasy points to small forwards, and I believe Porter will show he's got what it takes to thrive in the postseason tonight.
Other options: Aaron Gordon - SF/PF ($5,300), Jae Crowder - SF/PF ($4,400)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Bam Adebayo - C, MIA vs. MIL ($7,500)
It's DEFCON 1 for the Miami Heat right now. They nearly squeaked out a win in Game 1, and then the Bucks hammered them in a Game 2 loss. Bam Adebayo has been MIA for Miami in the series, and he needs to step it up. That's probably not the most ringing endorsement to get a player in your DFS lineup, but it's only like this because Adebayo has shown us just how special he can be on a given night.
In last year's playoffs, the big man averaged 17.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as the Heat made their run to the Finals. He is too talented to be kept down for long, and I fully expect him and Miami to turn up the intensity and produce their best performance of the series.
Paul Millsap - PF/C, DEN at POR ($3,900)
Millsap played a pivotal role in Monday's victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, as Denver tied up the series 1-1. In 15 minutes off the bench, the veteran forward tallied 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal for 30.25 fantasy points. If Head Coach Michael Malone has found a slight wrinkle to exploit the Trail Blazers frontcourt depth, it seems to be involving Millsap. While the four-time All-Star isn't the centerpiece of an offense anymore, Game 2 showed us he can still provide some excellent fantasy and real-life performances.
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