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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on May 29, 2021. Mike Marteny provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have the largest NBA day since the playoff opener with four games on the docket today. It's a full day of NBA! Don't you just love these? First up, we have the Bucks trying to complete the sweep in Miami. Then we head out west for a must-win game for the Blazers in Portland. Then back east to Washington where the Wizards are trying to avoid a 0-3 hole. We cap it off in Memphis with Game 3 of a series that split in Utah.
Will Barton and Donte DiVincenzo will join P.J. Dozier and Jamal Murray on the sidelines. Giannis is expected to play. Both Tobias Harris and Russ rolled ankles in the last game. Harris is expected to play, and I would be very surprised if Westbrook didn't. That doesn't mean I'm using him at this exorbitant price on a bum ankle. It just means I'll bet he plays.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 5/29/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
DraftKings DFS Guards
Damian Lillard - PG, vs. Denver ($9,600)
Lillard's low mark in the three games of this series is 53 DraftKings points. The other two were 59 and 68.5 DraftKings points. Why is this even a debate? Dame isn't only the best per-dollar high-priced play on the slate, he might be the best overall play on the slate. Giannis is nursing a sore groin up 3-0. Do you really think the Bucks will push him?
Ben Simmons - PG, at Washington ($7,600)
As expected, it was another 50+ DraftKings point game for Simmons in Game 2. What was unexpected was the 22 actual points in that one. Simmons contributes in every statistical category. The sky is the limit for him against a team like Washington that doesn't do a good job at preventing anything. Lock and load with Simmons. His price is at least $2,000 too low.
Mike Conley - PG, at Memphis ($6,800)
How we choose at PG is going to decide this slate. PG is absolutely loaded. Sure, we can try to cram all three of these top guys in there, but you have to take some major risks across the board to do so. Despite Dame playing out of his mind, the soft pricing of Simmons and Conley makes a Lillard fade very enticing. Conly has 101.5 DraftKings points over the first two games of this series. Donovan Mitchell is still knocking the rust off and Ja seems uninterested in guarding Conley. He's the riskiest of the three, but Simmons and Conley have been the guys winnings slates so far with well over 7x value. Can he do it again?
Facundo Campazzo - PG/SG, at Portland ($6,000)
Has guard roulette finally ended in Denver? Campazzo has 96.5 DraftKings points in the first three games of this series. DraftKings was quick on the trigger with pricing up Campazzo, but he nearly hit 40 DraftKings points in Game 3, and that was despite a poor night from the floor. He contributed everywhere on the court and seemed to be a lot more comfortable with the team as a whole. If Campazzo is taking off, look out. He took over games in the EuroLeague from time to time as well.
Bonus Guards: Ja Morant ($8,300), Jrue Holiday ($7,500), Monte Morris ($4,500), Bryn Forbes ($3,600)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Bradley Beal - SG/SF, vs. Philadelphia ($9,000)
Beal has been a much larger factor in this series than Westbrook, and that was before Westbrook rolled his ankle. Beal has 101 DraftKings points in the first two games of this series, so he is doing exactly what the Wizards need and expect from him. You can't put this on Westbrook either. It's not like he has been a non-factor. For all of his faults, Simmons is an excellent defender and the lack of an inside presence is sinking the Wizards. Beal is making sure they are going down fighting. He's one of the few on this team that is worth the price.
Kyle Anderson - SF/PF, vs. Utah ($6,100)
There is a lot of volatility in output around Anderson, but he keeps putting up numbers right where you would expect. Right between 30 and 38 DraftKings points. He doesn't offer much in the way of upside, but I can argue that Anderson is one of the more reliable cash options around. Forward is pretty thin tonight even with Beal and Powell eligible there. Something can be said for putting a sure thing in your lineup if you can afford it.
Royce O'Neale - SF/PF, at Memphis ($4,600)
Royce is one of the most boring DFS plays on the planet, but he is priced right. The only difference between Game 1 and Game 2 was how many of O'Neale's shots fell. That extra 11 real points turned him from a 3x value guy to a 6x value guy. It's no coincidence that Utah won Game 2. Royce is a much more valuable real player than DFS player, but in theory, his floor is excellent for the price.
Bonus Forwards: Tobias Harris ($7,100), Bojan Bogdanovic ($6,300), Norman Powell ($5,500), Carmelo Anthony ($4,100)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, at Portland ($10,400)
You know, the feeling that Michael Porter Jr. might be Robin in place of Jamal Murray was nice while it lasted. It certainly hasn't carried over into the playoffs. That has turned Jokic back into a usage monster and a guy that has between 56 and 60 DraftKings points in every game of this series. Center is deeper on this slate than most, but Jokic's floor makes him the elite play if you can afford it.
Rudy Gobert - C, at Memphis ($7,700)
Gobert is another boring DFS player. Maybe it's just Utah. They are such a well-rounded team that very few of them make awesome DFS options. In this series Conley is the only one that seems to be the exception. Still, Gobert has done a bang-up job on Jonas defensively and still found time to put up 86.5 DraftKings points of his own. Gobert's work in Game 2 make me think they're going to make sure he remains involved in the offense tonight. I'm cautiously optimistic for DFS purposes.
Daniel Gafford - C, vs. Philadelphia ($4,200)
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if Washington is ready to quit wasting court time on Alex Len and Robin Lopez. Gafford consistently outplays both of them in less minutes. Gafford has 48 DraftKings points in 40 minutes in this series. That leaves him as a serviceable value play, albeit with nearly zero upside. And you have to waste a center slot on it. Ouch.
Bonus Centers: Jonas Valanciunas ($7,900), Jusuf Nurkic ($6,900), Bobby Portis ($4,000)
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