X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings and FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (5/21/23): NBA DFS Lineups

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 5/21/23. 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.

 

DraftKings and FanDuel Captains/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Bam Adebayo - ($14,100 DK Captain)

Butler had the signature "moment" in the Heat's stunning Game 2 victory, but Adebayo had the better fantasy output as he produced 57.75 DK points over 38 minutes. He narrowly missed a triple-double, but his 22/17/9 line is even more impressive, considering he was battling foul trouble all game and finished with five fouls. Boston seems to prefer having the moving-in-molasses Al Horford in the game over Robert Williams, which significantly benefits Adebayo as the veteran is much less of a threat on the glass and offers much less defensive resistance. The C's could shake up their rotations as they find themselves down 0-2 and now on the road, but Adebayo has proven enough (and is still cheap enough) to be prioritized in the Captain slot tonight. I will say that I like other players more in the "MVP" slot on FanDuel, as that site differs in how they keep pricing flat in the multiplier slots (see the opening blurb for a breakdown of the scoring between platforms).

Jayson Tatum - ($18,300 DK Captain, $17,000 FD)

Tatum is my pick for the "MVP" slot on FanDuel and my second-favorite captain on DraftKings. After a disappointing Game 1, where he shot 9-for-17 and only mustered 40.75 DK points, Tatum took charge and put up a monster 62.75 DK point effort in Game 2. It was his fourth game with at least 30 points over his last five contests, and there's no doubt that he'll be looking to establish himself early and often in what amounts to a "must-win" game for Boston. The Celtics have too much on the line for Tatum to fall flat in this spot, and I'm confident he answers the call and goes off in this one.

Jimmy Butler - ($18,000 DK Captain, $17,500 FD)

Butler is a close second to Tatum at "MVP" on FanDuel, and I think you can use them interchangeably, depending on your roster construction. Butler put up 54.5 DK points in Game 2 and 63.25 DK points in Game 1, and he has been a model of consistency throughout these playoffs. He went full Michael Jordan mode after being provoked by Grant Williams late in Game 2, responding to the heated exchange with clutch bucket after clutch bucket to notch a win and a 2-0 series lead. He'll continue to have a massive usage rate when he's out on the floor as the Heat heavily depend on their leader, and it doesn't seem like the Celtics have anything close to an answer for what the Heat are bringing to the table in this series.

Others to consider (FanDuel): STAR/PRO slots only - Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent

Others to consider (DraftKings): Robert Williams, Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon

 

Want more NBA DFS tools and content? Our NBA Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our NBA analysts. Check out this big win from RotoBaller premium member Bsuperak on FanDuel using our Premium tools - join in on the winning!

 

DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Robert Williams III - ($5,000 DK, $8,500 FD)

I'm still searching for the answer to "why," but the Celtics stuck to their guns by playing Horford for 29 minutes while Butler, Adebayo, and company crushed them on the boards down the stretch. I don't think Boston will make the same mistake again tonight with the season on the line. Time Lord has averaged 0.96 FPTS/min in this series, and it's evident that they need to play him more to combat Miami's effectiveness on the offensive glass.

Caleb Martin - ($6,200 DK)

Martin is far too expensive on FanDuel, but he remains cheap enough on DraftKings to gamble on his recent form. He has played 30 and 32 minutes and turned that into 32 and 35 DK points in this series, far exceeding salary-based expectations on both occasions. He's shooting a ton in the continued absence of Tyler Herro, and with all the defensive attention on Butler and Adebayo, Martin is free to do whatever he wants and pick his shooting spots. Don't sleep on his defensive abilities, as he has averaged 2.5 "stocks" per game in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Kevin Love - ($3,400 DK, $6,500 FD)

I'm not sure if I want to dip this low on salary, but if I need to fit the studs, Love is my top option. He has played just 15-16 minutes per game over his last four games, and that hasn't translated to much fantasy production at all, but if the Celtics are going to try to go bigger (i.e. play Robert Williams more), there's a good chance we see a minutes boost from Love as a response. Love needs to hit a few shots and pull down a handful of boards to pay off value at his salary, and he's more than capable of doing so.

Others to consider (FanDuel): Gabe Vincent, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Max Strus

Others to consider (DraftKings): Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, Kyle Lowry

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Fried25 mins ago

Looks Good Thursday, Still Managing Finger Injury
Jusuf Nurkic2 hours ago

Heading To Phoenix?
Damian Lillard2 hours ago

Could Be Moved Before Training Camp
Junior Caminero2 hours ago

Rays Calling Up Junior Caminero
Ricardo Ramos3 hours ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain3 hours ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez3 hours ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige3 hours ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell3 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss
Jakobi Meyers4 hours ago

Gets In Full Practice Session
Justice Hill4 hours ago

Still Missing From Practice
DK Metcalf5 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Puka Nacua5 hours ago

Rams To Be Careful With Puka Nacua
VEG5 hours ago

Daniil Miromanov Ruled Out Long-Term
Christian Watson5 hours ago

Hasn't Suffered A Setback
Chris Wideman5 hours ago

Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Mason McTavish5 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Oliver Kylington5 hours ago

Absent From Flames Camp
Amari Cooper5 hours ago

Returns To Practice Thursday
Kenneth Gainwell5 hours ago

Puts In Limited Practice
Ilya Mikheyev5 hours ago

Not At Canucks Camp For Personal Reasons
DeVonta Smith5 hours ago

On The Week 3 Injury Report
Saquon Barkley6 hours ago

Dealing With High-Ankle Sprain?
Valeri Nichushkin6 hours ago

Back For Avalanche
Brandon Aiyuk6 hours ago

Officially Inactive For TNF
Ryan Hartman6 hours ago

Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
Ryan McLeod6 hours ago

Suffers Soft-Tissue Tweak
Joe Burrow6 hours ago

Doesn't Practice Thursday
Brandon Lowe6 hours ago

Leaves Thursday’s Game Early
Max Pacioretty6 hours ago

Still Not Skating, Out Indefinitely To Begin Season
Sam Gagner6 hours ago

Not Expected To Play In Preseason
Robin Lehner7 hours ago

To Remain On Long-Term Injured Reserve
Austin Ekeler7 hours ago

Still Missing From Practice
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.7 hours ago

Out Of Lineup, Nursing Knee Inflammation
Dallas Cowboys7 hours ago

Trevon Diggs Suffers Torn ACL At Practice
Logan Couture7 hours ago

Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
Marco Rossi7 hours ago

Adds 15 Pounds Of Muscle This Offseason
Willson Contreras7 hours ago

Done For 2023 After Hitting Injured List
Bryce Young7 hours ago

Not Expected To Play In Week 3
Brandon Aiyuk7 hours ago

Not Expected To Play Thursday
Isiah Pacheco10 hours ago

Back At Practice
Christian Watson10 hours ago

Downgraded On Thursday
Anthony Richardson10 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Aaron Jones11 hours ago

Returns To Practice Thursday
Jaylen Waddle11 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Joe Burrow11 hours ago

Limited In Thursday's Practice
Sandy Alcantara12 hours ago

To Make Rehab Start Thursday
Christian Yelich13 hours ago

On The Bench Thursday
Luke Raley13 hours ago

Will Miss Time With Neck Injury
CHI16 hours ago

Lukas Reichel Seen As "NHL-Ready"
Josh Norris16 hours ago

In Non-Contact Jersey After "Tweaking" Something
Tucker Poolman16 hours ago

Not Available For 2023-24 Season
William Nylander16 hours ago

Moving To Center In Training Camp
Jake Bean16 hours ago

Doubtful For Start Of Season
Cale Makar17 hours ago

Unavailable For Start Of Training Camp
Julio Rodríguez1 day ago

Julio Rodriguez Going For X-Rays After Hit By Pitch
Byron Buxton1 day ago

To Start Rehab Assignment Thursday
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1 day ago

Undergoes MRI Exam
Willson Contreras1 day ago

Leaves Early With Wrist Discomfort
Jasson Dominguez1 day ago

Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Eduardo Rodriguez1 day ago

Expected To Start Sunday
Jake Burger1 day ago

Removed With Injury
Riley Greene1 day ago

Should Be Fine To Start 2024
Brooklyn Nets1 day ago

Jordan Hall Signs With Nets
Xavier Moon1 day ago

Signs With Clippers
Aleksej Pokusevski1 day ago

To Miss Next Six Weeks
Buddy Hield1 day ago

Pacers Attempting To Trade Buddy Hield
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1 day ago

Scratched With Knee Discomfort
Starling Marte1 day ago

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Thursday
Mattias Ekholm1 day ago

Misses Start Of Training Camp With Hip Problem
MON1 day ago

Paul Byron Officially Retires From NHL
Christian Yelich1 day ago

On The Bench Again
Luis Arraez1 day ago

Out Again For Marlins
Alex Cobb1 day ago

Giants Put Alex Cobb On 15-Day Injured List
Tyrese Haliburton2 days ago

Enters Season With Improved Driving And Scoring Ability
Tyrese Maxey2 days ago

Expected To Become 25-Point Scorer In 2023-24
2 days ago

Bilal Coulibaly Rated Very Highly By Scouts Ahead Of Rookie Season
Bogdan Bogdanovic2 days ago

A "Player To Watch" In Trade Talks
Jalen Duren2 days ago

Reportedly The Favorite To Start At Center For Pistons
Malcolm Brogdon2 days ago

Angry With Celtics Following Trade Attempt
Damian Lillard3 days ago

Trade Rumors Starting To Pick Up
James Harden3 days ago

Clippers Move On From James Harden Trade
Zhaire Smith3 days ago

Signs Exhibit-10 Deal
Minnesota Timberwolves3 days ago

Daishen Nix To Join Timberwolves
Jose Alvarado3 days ago

Uncertain For Training Camp
Philadelphia 76ers3 days ago

Kelly Oubre Jr. Signs With 76ers
Alexa Grasso4 days ago

Retains Flyweight Title With Split Draw
Valentina Shevchenko4 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Jack Della Maddalena4 days ago

Pulls Out Close Decision Win At Noche UFC
Kevin Holland4 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Knocks Out Terrance Mitchell In 54 Seconds
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC
Kyle Nelson4 days ago

Pulls Off Another Upset Win
Christos Giagos4 days ago

Gets Submitted At Noche UFC
Daniel Zellhuber4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At Noche UFC
Terrence Mitchell4 days ago

Loses In Under A Minute
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Snatches Victory At Bristol
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Bounces Back With Fourth-Place Finish At Bristol
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Barely Makes Second Round In NASCAR Chase
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Avoids Elimination Saturday Night
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Puts Up Dominant Performance At Bristol
Neemias Queta5 days ago

Lands In Boston On Two-Way Deal
Joey Logano5 days ago

Defending Champion Joey Logano Eliminated From Playoffs After First Round
Ricky Stenhouse Jr5 days ago

. Eliminated From NASCAR Playoffs At Bristol
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Advances To The Round Of 12
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Leads 187 Laps At Bristol
Dallas Mavericks5 days ago

Markieff Morris Re-Signs With Mavericks
NASCAR6 days ago

Spire Motorsports Expanding To Three Cup Cars In 2024
Kyle Busch6 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Driver At Bristol
Kevin Harvick6 days ago

Not Happy With His Car At Bristol
Justin Haley6 days ago

Could Surprise At Bristol This Weekend
Daniel Suarez6 days ago

Consistently Mediocre At Bristol
Ross Chastain6 days ago

One Of The Slowest Playoff Cars In Qualifying At Bristol
Carson Hocevar6 days ago

Hoping To Maintain Momentum At Bristol
Corey Lajoie6 days ago

Starts 10th And Could Surprise People At Bristol
Todd Gilliland6 days ago

Hoping To Continue Good Luck At Bristol
Daniel Hemric6 days ago

To Get Another Shot In Cup Series With Kaulig Racing
Jordan Ford6 days ago

Kings Convert Jordan Ford To Two-Way Contract
NASCAR6 days ago

J.J. Yeley Starts 35th On Saturday Night At Bristol
Ty Dillon6 days ago

Starts Near The Rear For Bristol

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP