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We are down to four teams left standing in the quest for the Larry O'Brien Trophy awarded to the NBA Champion every season. Tonight features Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Nuggets and the Lakers. The big, bad Warriors were eliminated by the Lakers, so we will have a new champion this season!
Showdowns are a little different. On DraftKings, you have a "captain" that scores 1.5x points but is also 1.5x the price. On FanDuel, there are no price multipliers, but points still are for several slots. The MVP slot scores double the points. The Star scores 1.5x points. The pro slot scores 1.2x points. There are also two utility slots that score the normal point value. Are you ready?
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/16/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before the lineup locks at 8:30 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Captain/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN ($19,200 DK; $17,500 FD)
Jokic is the poster child for why MVP voting should be done after the playoffs. He notched three triple-doubles in six games against the Suns and blew past 70 fantasy points in five of the six games. The low mark was still a good 55.5 DraftKings points in Game 1. Considering that Jokic averaged 60 fantasy points per game against the Lakers in four meetings this year, he's the guy that can get you the most points via multiplier. I really want the double points on FanDuel when he dumps another 60 on the Lakers.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($11,400 DK; $10,500 FD)
Denver's metrics pointed toward a strong defense of much of the season, but no one believed it until they looked great against the Suns. A quick look at LeBron and A.D. tells you that they were well below their season averages in fantasy points against the Nuggets. Are you going to bang your head against that wall again? Booker was the guy that really had it going against Denver, so I'm going with the Lakers' most prominent perimeter shooter in Reaves. Every Laker is a risk in the captain slot, but using Reaves will allow you to put other high-priced players in there. Jokic chews up much of your salary on DK, making it nearly impossible to surround him with starters, let alone impact players.
Also consider: Bruce Brown ($7,800 DK, $9,000 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James, LAL ($11,200 DK; $15,500 FD)
We just watched Jokic abuse Deandre Ayton so badly for six games that even his backup, Jock Landale, was getting playing time just to give Ayton a reprieve from such abuse. The Nuggets now face another team in the Lakers that sacrificed depth for superstars. If the Nuggets choose to handle the Lakers the same way as the Suns, we'll see a good series from both LeBron and either Reaves or Russell. It will be Davis that suffers in this matchup, and the numbers from the Lakers in the regular season against Denver also point to LeBron being the star you want for the Lakers.
Jamal Murray, DEN ($9,200 DK; $13,000 FD)
Murray was also listed as questionable with the same illness for Game 6 against Phoenix on Thursday, so there's no reason to believe that he will miss this game. Murray put up 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the clincher against Phoenix five days ago. Expect Murray to be good to go in this one. Murray averaged 39.1 DraftKings points per game in just 32.4 minutes per game against the Lakers this season. Given that success and his strong series against Phoenix, I can't think of a good reason not to use Murray. The price isn't even a deterrent.
Others to consider: D'Angelo Russell ($7,200 DK; $11,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Value Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Michael Porter Jr., DEN ($7,000 DK; $10,000 FD)
Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. Porter came crashing back to earth after a strong middle of the series against Phoenix. However, Porter still scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game. The difference was that he didn't put up any blocks, assists, or steals. How common is that? Not at all. The last game in which he only had points and rebounds was April 2. Due to that anomaly, I'll jump back on tonight. The fact that Porter was solid in both of his games against the Lakers this year doesn't hurt either.
Lonnie Walker IV, LAL ($4,200 DK; $7,000 FD)
Walker was a bargain darling in the Golden State series, but with that comes exceptional risk. He played 28 minutes in the Game 5 loss, but only scored four points. Walker got back on track with 13 points in Game 6, but he only played 14 minutes due to foul trouble and had no peripheral stats. Still, I don't trust any other value plays and Walker makes a ton of stuff fit. If you can find a work around to avoid Walker you can differentiate your lineups, but if he goes off like he did in Games 3 and 4, you're sunk.
Others to consider: Jarred Vanderbilt ($2,600 DK, $7,000 FD)
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