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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on May 18, 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 Mavericks will head to The Bay to take on the Golden State Warriors. This is an interesting series from a fantasy perspective because it seems that every "top" player in the series is a guard.
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 5/18/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock at 9:00 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers!
DraftKings and FanDuel Captain/MVP - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Luka Doncic ($20,100 DraftKings, $16,500 FanDuel)
After an incredible series capped off with a massive Game 7 victory of the Suns, "Luka Magic" will be back in action tonight. Luka's had a remarkable postseason thus far, coming into this series averaging 31.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He'll take on a Warriors team that he's had success against this season, averaging 31.5 points, nine rebounds, and 5.5 assists against Golden State this season. He clearly has the highest ceiling on the slate, and his salary on both sites reflects that. Nevertheless, he's my favorite play tonight.
Stephen Curry ($16,500 DK; $15,500 FD)
On the other side tonight we have Steph Curry. Steph is the obvious pivot off of Doncic, and while I normally wouldn't be playing the two most expensive players on a showdown slate at the captain/MVP spot in a majority of my lineups, this series will likely be the exception. While he's relatively struggled against the Mavericks this season, averaging 20 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds, we have to assume that the Warriors are going to need the most out of him in this series. He's averaging 26.9 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in the playoffs thus far, and should continue to improve as Golden State looks to get to their sixth NBA Finals in the last eight seasons.
Others to consider: Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Maxi Kleber
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DraftKings and FanDuel Utility Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Klay Thompson ($9,000 DK; $13,000 FD)
The second Warrior on my list tonight is Klay Thompson. Klay has begun to heat up for Golden State and is coming off a massive series closing 30-point performance against Memphis. He's averaging 20.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and two assists per game in the postseason so far. Thompson only played two games against Dallas this season, where he averaged just 15.5 points, four assists, and 2.5 rebounds. However, he played just 26 and 28 minutes in those two games and has been consistently playing over 30 minutes in the playoffs, averaging 35 minutes per game. He's my "third option" on this slate, but I do think he very well could end up being the highest-scoring player in tonight's game.
Andrew Wiggins ($7,800 DK; $11,000 FD)
I'll favor Jordan Poole slightly over Jalen Brunson tonight, despite Brunson having an awesome postseason to this point. Wiggins hasn't been a slouch either, logging 14.5 points, 6.9 rebounds (nice), and 1.2 assists in the playoffs thus far. These numbers are relatively on par with how Wiggins played against Dallas this season, averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and three assists in four games against the Mavericks. Blowouts notwithstanding, Wiggins has been playing 35+ minutes per game in these playoffs (averaging 31.6 mpg), and should see enough floor time to make something happen at a reasonable salary.
Others to consider: Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole
DraftKings and FanDuel Value Plays - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Reggie Bullock ($5,400 DK; $9,500 FD)
While this play is closer to the "mid-tier" than a straight-up value play, you can shift some things around and Bullock fits nicely in our lineups. The reason I'm on Bullock specifically is the minutes' factor. Bullock is playing a whopping 39.3 minutes per game in these playoffs. He's averaging 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He's played in four games against the Warriors this season, averaging 9.5 points, three rebounds, and 1.5 assists across those four games. However, in his last two games (2/27 and 3/3), Bullock played 34 and 42 minutes, respectively, and averaged 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, and two assists in those games. He's not expensive and should be on the floor for the majority of the game, so it's likely he'll be a chalky option tonight.
Jonathan Kuminga ($2,200 DK; $9,000 FD)
Jonathan Kuminga showed flashes of being really really good for the Warriors this season. It appears that Steve Kerr is opting not to shove him in the spotlight early on, though, as he's averaging just 11.2 minutes per game while playing in just nine of the Warriors' 11 postseason games thus far. In those nine games, Kuminga is averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game. I love Kuminga as my "punt" play tonight, and despite playing a maximum of just 18 minutes in four games against Dallas this season, averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. This includes a 22-point, five rebound performance in 18 minutes against the Mavs back on February 27th. It's unclear whether he'll get the minutes to hit value, but should be playing more than 15 minutes, and he offers solid value tonight and in this series moving forward.
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