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 (5/27/23): NBA DFS Lineups

Jayson Tatum - NBA DFS Picks, Daily Fantasy Basketball, NBA Injury News

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 5/27/23. 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

Jayson Tatum - ($20,100 DK Captain, $17,500 FD)

I know this is the "easy pick," but I don't care, nor should you. Tatum is the logical choice to be the highest priority Captain/MVP in lineups tonight due to his consistently high-level play and a ceiling that only Jimmy Butler can come close to approaching. He's averaging 50.7 DK points per game in these Eastern Conference Finals, but he has two games with at least 62.75 DK points, and there has only been one other 60+ DK point game in this entire matchup (Jimmy Butler - Game 1). Tatum is one of the NBA's young superstars, and he will continue to dominate usage and production for this team as they continue their quest to complete the 3-0 series comeback.

Jimmy Butler - ($19,800 DK Captain, $17,000 FD)

Butler is the next choice for the Captain/MVP slot, and the reasoning behind it parallels why I like Tatum as the top priority tonight. Butler's status as the high-usage alpha on the team means we can generally count on consistent production and the occasional ceiling performance, and that's exactly how this series has gone for the enigmatic star. He has put up a few subpar games (30.75 DK points in Game 5, 38 DK points in Game 3), but he also has a 63.25 DK point game and two more games with at least 51 DK points in this series. He only took ten shots and six free throws in Game 5, which are well below his season and playoff averages. Expect Butler to come out hungry and firing up shots tonight; if we get a motivated Butler, we'll want him in the multiplier spots.

Marcus Smart - ($12,000 DK Captain)

I'll preface this by saying I would only consider getting to Smart on DraftKings, because we want the players with a path to the top fantasy score of the night in the multiplier spots on FanDuel. DraftKings scales the salaries for the Captain slot, which means we can afford to use a mid-tier salary player there and get more studs in our lineups. Smart has averaged 30.7 DK points per game in this series, exceeding 38 DK points in Game 1 and Game 5. He can score and rack up rebounds, assists, and (most importantly) steals, and he's a catalyst for a Boston team trying to make history. He had five steals last game and two steals in Game 4 - if he can keep that up, he's a player we need to consider at Captain.

Others to consider (FanDuel): STAR/PRO slots only - Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Grant Williams, Al Horford

Others to consider (DraftKings): Bam Adebayo, Jaylyn Brown, Derrick White, Grant Williams, Al Horford

 

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

Al Horford - ($7,000 DK, $10,500 FD) DraftKings preferred

It feels like we all want Robert Williams (aka "Time Lord") to be a thing, but the Celtics have other ideas as they've heavily leaned on their veteran big man throughout the playoffs and in this series. He had lineup-killing clunker performances in Game 2 and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals but has come up big with 30.25 and 31.25 DK points in Game 4 and Game 5 as the Celtics have looked to claw their way back into the series. His all-around game is critical against a fundamentally sound, well-coached Heat team, and I think the Celtics will continue pushing Horford to his playing time limits in Game 6.

Haywood Highsmith - ($2,000 DK) If Gabe Vincent is inactive

Highsmith's playing time explosion in Game 5 was as unexpected as anything that has occurred in these playoffs, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. He had averaged 7.4 minutes per game and recorded four DNP-Coaches Decisions before Game 5, but he saw a whopping 36 minutes with Gabe Vincent out, and he made the most of them as he put up 24.5 DK points. He was efficient, too, shooting 6-for-9 from the field while contributing two rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Highsmith is well worth the gamble at his price tag tonight, provided we see Vincent again ruled inactive.

Grant Williams - ($3,200 DK, $7,000 FD)

I'm not a fan of playing Grant Williams, but we have to take advantage of solid value wherever we can on Showdown slates, and he projects well with the minutes he's seeing in this series. After not playing in Game 1, Williams has averaged 28 minutes per game in the Eastern Conference Finals. He has generally been underwhelming with those minutes, though he did explode for 30.5 DK points in Game 4. If we can get a median performance out of him in the 20-25 DK points range, he will be someone we will need in lineups tonight.

Others to consider (FanDuel): Robert Williams, Max Strus, Malcolm Brogdon, Kyle Lowry, Derrick White, Caleb Martin

Others to consider (DraftKings): Derrick White, Kevin Love, Cody Zeller, Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, Robert Williams, Marcus Smart

 



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

Garrett Mitchell17 mins ago

Unlikely To Be Activated
Carlos Correa23 mins ago

Could Return This Weekend
Adam Wainwright36 mins ago

Done For The Season
Christian Watson48 mins ago

Not Medically Cleared
Aaron Jones1 hour ago

Limited Again Tuesday
Saquon Barkley1 hour ago

Making Progress From Ankle Sprain
Luis Robert Jr.1 hour ago

Season Over Due To MCL Sprain
Ketel Marte2 hours ago

Feeling Better, Returns Against White Sox
Yandy Díaz2 hours ago

No Yandy Diaz For Rays
Randy Arozarena2 hours ago

Out For Rays On Tuesday
Torey Krug2 hours ago

Expects To Be Ready For Season Opener
Matt McLain2 hours ago

Out For Rest Of The Season
Filip Chytil2 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Artemi Panarin2 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Logan Couture2 hours ago

Unlikely To Play Opening Night
Easton Cowan3 hours ago

Impresses In Preseason Debut
NJ3 hours ago

Cory Schneider Announces Retirement From Hockey
Ilya Mikheyev3 hours ago

Leaves Practice Early Tuesday
Christian Watson5 hours ago

Plans To Play Against Lions
David Montgomery5 hours ago

Lions Optimistic About David Montgomery's Week 4 Status
Luis Robert Jr.7 hours ago

Season Could Be Over
Max Scherzer7 hours ago

Takes Another Step Forward
Rasmus Dahlin11 hours ago

Pleased To Link Up With Connor Clifton
Kailer Yamamoto11 hours ago

Posts Pair Of Power-Play Goals
Jakob Chychrun11 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Win Over Toronto
Sean Couturier12 hours ago

Plays His First Game Since 2021
Jordan Eberle12 hours ago

Hopes To Remain In Seattle
Jakob Pelletier12 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Kyren Williams15 hours ago

' Production Capped By Poor Play-Calling
Tutu Atwell16 hours ago

Makes The Most Of Week 3 Defeat
Brandon Crawford19 hours ago

Expects To Play In Season Finale Sunday
Ja'Marr Chase19 hours ago

Wrecks Rams, Closes Buy-Low Window
Patrick Sandoval19 hours ago

Exits Early Monday With Right Oblique Tightness
Jon Gray19 hours ago

Exits Early Monday With Right-Wrist Tightness
Joe Burrow19 hours ago

Guts Out Calf Issue In Close Victory
A.J. Brown20 hours ago

Explodes For 131 Yards Against Tampa Bay
D'Andre Swift21 hours ago

Gashes Buccaneers For 138 Total Yards
Mike Evans21 hours ago

Snags Touchdown In Loss
Minnesota Timberwolves21 hours ago

Trevor Keels Signs With Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors21 hours ago

Rodney McGruder Joins Warriors
Atlanta Hawks21 hours ago

Chris Silva Joins Hawks On Exhibit-10 Deal
Julius Randle22 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Training Camp
Joe Burrow24 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Puka Nacua1 day ago

Active Against Bengals
Alvin Kamara1 day ago

Reinstated From Suspension
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Seen At Monday's Practice
Deebo Samuel1 day ago

Held Out Of Monday's Practice
David Montgomery1 day ago

Listed As Limited
Christian Watson1 day ago

Listed As DNP Monday
Jaylen Waddle1 day ago

Still In Concussion Protocol
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Optimism Surrounding Joe Burrow's Monday Night Status
Garrett Mitchell1 day ago

Could Return Tuesday
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Suffers Knee Injury To Cut Main Event Short
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Mateusz Gamrot Victorious After Rafael Fiziev Suffers Knee Injury
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

Dominated In TKO Loss
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Drops To 1-3 In The UFC
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Bryan Battle Submits AJ Fletcher For Second Straight Finishing Win
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Speeding Penalty Costs Him Big At Texas
Francisco Alvarez1 day ago

Dealing With Finger Contusion
Ketel Marte1 day ago

Absent From Lineup On Monday
Mike Trout1 day ago

Season Is Over
William Byron1 day ago

Earns Sixth Win Of Season At Texas
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Secures Third Straight Top-Five Finish At Texas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Late Wreck Ruins Tyler Reddick's Race At Texas
Chase Briscoe1 day ago

Delivers Big Value At Texas
Kyle Busch1 day ago

Championship Hopes Take Big Hit After Texas Wreck
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Overcomes Throttle Issue To Finish Second At Texas
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace "Gave it Away" At Texas, Finishes Third
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Has Another Strong Points Day At Texas
Kyle Larson1 day ago

On Playoff Hot Seat After Wrecking At Texas
Adam Fantilli1 day ago

Registers Two Assists In Preseason Debut
Trevor Van Riemsdyk1 day ago

Trevor van Riemsdyk Sustains Apparent Hand Injury
Travis Konecny1 day ago

"Banged Up"
Andrei Vasilevskiy1 day ago

Battling Minor Injuries
Mika Zibanejad1 day ago

Suffers An Upper-Body Injury
Kyle Palmieri1 day ago

Set For Re-Evaluation This Week
Deandre Ayton2 days ago

To Portland A Possibility?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Bulls, Raptors Expressing Interest In Damian Lillard
Tim Hardaway2 days ago

Pacers Reportedly Not Interested In Tim Hardaway Jr.
Buddy Hield2 days ago

To Dallas?
Francisco Alvarez2 days ago

Removed Early On Sunday
Luis Robert Jr.2 days ago

Replaced During Sunday's Game
Yandy Díaz2 days ago

Yandy Diaz Leaves Early Sunday
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Submitted Early At UFC Vegas 79
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Extends Win Streak To Two
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Scores One-Sided TKO Win At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Falls Short Against Another Top-10 Opponent
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Returns To Win Column At UFC Vegas 79
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Feels Good About His Car at Texas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

a Very Strong Option at Texas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Pegged as Favorite to Win at Texas
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Looks Impressive Again at Texas
Zane Smith3 days ago

Slow In Practice and Qualifying at Texas
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

in Downgraded Equipment for Texas
Luis Arraez3 days ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr3 days ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano3 days ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Clayton Keller3 days ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom3 days ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
3 days ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green3 days ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart3 days ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham3 days ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan3 days ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris3 days ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
Jaden McDaniels4 days ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics4 days ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina4 days ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum4 days ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Damian Lillard4 days ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell4 days ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
4 days ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Mateusz Gamrot4 days ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher4 days ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Ricardo Ramos5 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain5 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez5 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige5 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell5 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss

RANKINGS

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