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Welcome to our daily NBA DFS picks and recommendations for the playoffs! The intensity and stakes are high as we navigate through the postseason, and I'm here to provide the insights and recommendations you need to gain a competitive edge and maximize your winnings. Each day, I'll share my top picks and analyze critical factors impacting player performance and game outcomes, such as injuries, player matchups, and team strategies. It's important to note that value plays tend to shrink in the playoffs, so we'll focus on finding high-value, consistent players with solid matchups. Get ready for the excitement and intensity of NBA playoff DFS, grab your coffee, and let's dominate the competition together.
Single-game slates are a whole different animal than the ones we typically work with. The difference is the way you set your lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings. On FanDuel, you play five players in a lineup, and you get multiplier bonuses for MVP (2x), STAR (1.5x), and PRO (1.2x) spots. The pricing stays uniform, and positions don't come into play. On DraftKings, you play six players in a lineup, and only one of them gets a multiplier bonus, the Captain (1.5x). The significant change with DraftKings is that they make you pony up 1.5x salary to select your Captain, which also plays into lineup construction. There's a strong chance that you will share lineups with other people tonight if you're just blindly using optimizers, which makes identifying the correct contrarian plays all the more critical on slates like these.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 5/20/23. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Captains/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - ($19,200 DK Captain, $17,500 FD)
What Jokic has been doing lately isn't getting nearly enough attention. Real-life impact aside, the two-time (should've been three-time) MVP has been putting up unfathomable fantasy numbers over the last ten games. He has put up at least 70 DK points in nine of his last ten games, with three games over 80 DK points in that span. The dude is putting up triple-doubles by the third quarter in his sleep. He had 70.25 DK points last game against the Lakers, and he could've had a much bigger night as he only shot 9-for-21 from the field. We don't need to worry about his minutes being limited as Vegas has the Lakers as 5.5-point favorites, so the game figures to stay competitive throughout. No argument exists for anyone outside Joker in tonight's Captain/MVP spot.
Anthony Davis - ($16,800 DK Captain, $16,000 FD)
If I were forced to pick another candidate to usurp Jokic's throne at the top tonight, I'd side with Anthony Davis. AD and LeBron have been consistently productive throughout these playoffs, but Davis has shown the higher ceiling as LeBron has started to *gasp* show some signs of decline in his 20th NBA season. Davis put up 69 DK points in Game 1 of this series and 75.25 DK points early on against the Warriors, so we know the type of ceiling he's capable of hitting. It's not on Jokic's level, and I won't be getting nearly as much of him in the Captain slot on DraftKings, but he's a viable pivot and someone I'd like to squeeze into the STAR/PRO slots on FanDuel if roster construction permits it.
Jamal Murray - ($14,700 DK Captain, $14,500 FD)
This guy has been on one. Murray is shooting 70% on 33 attempts from three over his last four games, which shouldn't be remotely possible. His 68 DK point effort in Game 2 against the Lakers was his top performance of the playoffs, as he scored 37 points with ten rebounds, five assists, and four steals. He's unlikely to repeat that performance, but we've seen him produce at least 50 DK points a handful of times in these playoffs, and his chances at another one are high against this Lakers squad. Remember, the Lakers allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards during the regular season, with most of the fantasy points coming from "points" and "three-pointers made." To say that's what Murray does best would probably be an understatement.
Others to consider (FanDuel): LeBron James STAR/PRO slots only - Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter
Others to consider (DraftKings): LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Aaron Gordon
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Michael Porter Jr. - ($7,200 DK, $11,00 FD)
If you can fit in MPJ, I'd recommend you do so. He has been a critical third cog in the wheel for this Denver team, and while it's a distant third cog, it can lead to fantasy production with all the defensive attention tuned to Jokic and Murray. Porter Jr. is hitting threes at a high rate and contributing enough in rebounds, assists, and stocks to remain a valuable DFS piece. He has scored at least 36 DK points in four of his last six games, and he's shooting 48% from three over his last four games.
Rui Hachimura - ($4,600 DK, $7,500 FD)
This price is way too low on DraftKings, and you could argue it's too low on FanDuel. The former Wizard has played a considerable role in the Lakers' playoff run as they have needed him to step up, and he has generally answered the call. It's not all rosy, as his minutes aren't set in stone, and his low usage rate can lead to some lineup-killing clunkers, but it's worth that risk at this price. He has played 28 and 30 minutes in this series, scoring 21 and 27 DK points, respectively. He's shooting 16-for-21 (76%) from the field, so it feels unlikely that the Lakers will go away from him as a minutes-hog tonight.
Aaron Gordon - ($7,000 DK, $8,500 FD)
Gordon has been a relative no-show over his last three games, as he has failed to reach the 20 DK points mark in each contest. It's not like he's shooting poorly, playing lousy defense, or getting into foul trouble, as he has played at least 35 minutes in each game of that stretch. But he hasn't been productive, which will cause people to shy away from him tonight. He produced 31 DK points just four games ago, though, and that's more of the level of production that we're used to seeing from the veteran forward. He averaged 30.9 DK points per game during the regular season, and since he's still seeing massive minutes, we have to assume his game will come around at some point.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Dennis Schroder, D'Angelo Russell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown
Others to consider (DraftKings): Dennis Schroder, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV
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