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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on May 25, 2022. John Brubaker provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! The Conference Finals are here, and we have a one-game showdown slate tonight. The Celtics will head to Vice City to take on the Miami Heat. This series has been strange due to the players on both teams being in and out throughout the first four games, as well as seven guys being game-time decisions in tonight's game, but I'll do my best to navigate that, as well as provide updates throughout the day if necessary.
With that said, though, I as well as the rest of the RotoBaller team have been working around the clock to get you the best bets, props, and lineups for tonight's game as well as the rest of the playoffs.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/25/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock at 8:30 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Captain/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum ($16,200 DraftKings, $15,500 FanDuel)
After a rough Game 3 where he was held to just 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Tatum bounced back in Game 4, logging 31 points in 33 minutes along with eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. He's been the most consistent star player in this series, and that should continue tonight in what will be a pivotal Game 5. Marcus Smart will be a toss-up to play tonight, more on that later, but it will be up to Tatum and teammate Jaylen Brown to step it up if the Celtics want to head back to Boston with a chance to close out the season Friday night.
Al Horford ($11,700 DraftKings; $12,000 FD)
I'll be looking at Al Horford as my "value" captain/MVP play for tonight's slate. Outside of Tatum, Horford has been the most consistent player this series. After missing Game 1, Horford began to turn it up against the Heat, averaging 11.7 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. He's probably the "safest" cheap captain on the slate, particularly on DraftKings, and I wouldn't be surprised if ownership reflected that. With that said, I'll have a decent amount of Horford at the 1.5x spot across all my lineups.
Others to consider: Bam Adebayo, Payton Pritchard
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jimmy Butler ($9,000 DK; $15,000 FD)
On the other side of the court night, I have Jimmy Butler. Butler has been cold in Games 3 and 4, combining for just 14 points on 6-22 shooting across those two games. He'll look to channel back to his form in the first two games of the series, where he combined for 70 points on 23-37 shooting, as well as 15 rebounds and eight assists in those two games. It's clear that Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro aren't 100%, so it's likely we'll see heavy usage from Jimmy Buckets tonight.
Derrick White ($5,000 DK; $9,000 FD)
I mentioned earlier about Marcus Smart when talking about Jayson Tatum. While Smart is listed as a game-time decision as I'm writing this, I really don't think that he will play a ton of meaningful minutes tonight. With an ankle injury that was bad enough to hold him out of Game 3, I just can't imagine that his ankle magically healed over the last two days. That opens the door for Derrick White, who logged 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in Smart's absence on Monday night. Should Smart be ruled out tonight, I think both White and Payton Pritchard are valuable plays. More on that...
Others to consider: Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown
DraftKings and FanDuel Value Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Payton Pritchard ($5,400 DK; $7,500 FD)
Same thing different player with Pritchard. Pritchard has been a bit more consistent than White, at least on the scoring front, logging 11.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in the four games of this series. This includes an 18-point, five rebounds, and four assists performance back in Game 1 of the series. I personally prefer Pritchard to White tonight, regardless of Marcus Smart's status. While the minutes split may favor White, Pritchard has taken more shots per game as well as gathered more assists and rebounds per game, putting him in my favor tonight.
Caleb Martin ($1,800 DK; $7,000 FD)
My favorite punt play on tonight's slate, and it may just work well due to the uncertainty around Heat players tonight. Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, and Tyler Herro are all game-time decisions tonight, and while I think Strus is fine, should Lowry and Herro suit up, it's hard to think they'll be at 100%. We'll see if Martin can get it going like he did Monday night, where he logged 12 points, six rebounds, and an assist. If he can even play as much as 20 minutes in this one, he should pay off, particularly on DraftKings. He'll likely be chalky if one or both of Lowry and Herro end up sitting, but could be a sneaky tournament option even if both of them play.
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