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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on May 17, 2019. Daniel Benjamin provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Tonight is Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals and this contest could determine whether this is a short or long series. The Milwaukee Bucks scored the final 10 points in Game 1 to take the contest and a 1-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks outscored the Raptors 32-17 in the final stanza overall as Brook Lopez tallied 13 of his playoff career-high 29 points in the period. Toronto is 3-15 in Game 1s all time, but they are 8-9 in Game 2s.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/17/19. Since there is only one game tonight, the picks will be a five-player showdown selection which includes a captain pick that accumulates 1.5x the points at a 1.5x the cost.
You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups too early. Find me @ZoneDeeSports on Twitter.
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Captain Pick
Marc Gasol: TOR ($8,700)
The veteran center has made a huge impact this postseason despite struggling shooting the ball. Gasol has really hit the boards hard the last two games and swatted away multiple shots in three straight contests. Plus, At $5,800 (non-captain price), he is the cheapest that he has been over the last 10 games.
Gasol is coming off a solid 12-rebound, five-assist, and two-block effort despite contributing just six points in Game 1. If he can start knocking down shots, the 11th-year pro could have a huge game. The 7-foot-1 big man has compiled 8.4 points along with 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1,4 triples, and, 1.1 blocks this postseason. He averaged 21.5 points in two regular-season season games against the Bucks.
Milwaukee is allowing 18.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.6 triples to opposing centers during the playoffs. The Bucks gave up the 11th most points to opposing five-men this season.
The other four players
Giannis Antetokounmpo: MIL ($11,800)
Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard ($11,200) are the top two players in the series and there is really not much to say about either one. The Greek Freak did it all in Game 1. finishing with a monster stat line with 24 points along with 14 caroms, six assists, three blocks, and two steals. He also attempted 12 free throws as he vigorously attacked the rim. Antetokounmpo has accumulated six double-doubles and tallied at least 20 points in nine of his 10 playoff games this year.
Pascal Siakam: TOR ($9,200)
The 6-foot-9 power forward is perhaps the most important player (excluding Leonard) in this series for the Raptors. Siakam, who is coming off a disappointing performance in Game 1, came into his own this season. He can impact the game by scoring the ball and hitting the boards, as well as on the defensive end. The New Mexico State product is averaging 20.3 points, 7.2 caroms, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals over 13 playoff contests this season. Siakam has compiled three double-doubles and eight contests of at least 20 points during the postseason.
Siakam has also performed well against Milwaukee. In five games this year versus the Bucks, he has produced 22.4 points along with 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 36 percent from long distance.
Danny Green: TOR ($5,200)
Green is not a huge factor offensively, although he has tallied double-figures in five of his 13 postseason contests. While the 31-year-old's offensive production is basically tied to his three-point shooting, where he is averaging 1.8 treys at a 35.8 percent clip, he is still a strong defender and will likely come up with strong defensive stats (particularly rebounds). Green has came away with at least one steal in five straight games and eight of his last 10 playoff games.
George Hill: MIL ($3,400)
Hill is a cheap option whose offensive production has been up-and-down during the postseason. He is coming off a Game 1 performance where he failed to score as he missed all six of his shots from the field. It marked the first time in five games that the veteran point guard failed to score in double figures.
Still, Hill finished with 17.25 DK fantasy points as he came up with four steals, four assists, and one block. Overall, he has scored 10 or more points on six occasions and tallied at least 18 fantasy points in eight playoff games.
