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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on May 5, 2023. Mike Marteny provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Cinco de Mayo brings us many taco specials, but it also brings the return of a multi-game NBA slate! Those are getting rarer as the list of championship contenders is down to eight.
The Celtics head to Philly after punishing the 76ers in Game 2 to tie the series up. The Nuggets head to the Valley of the Sun(s) up 2-0 with a couple of nice games in Denver under their belts.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel slate beginning at 7:30 pm ET on 5/5/23. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck RotoBallers!
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Devin Booker - PG/SG, PHX vs. DEN ($9,500 DK, $10,000 FD)
The Suns may be down 2-0, but you can't blame the play of Booker. He has 63 points, nine rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks, and a steal in the first two games of the series, all while shooting exactly 50% from the floor and hitting 10-of-11 from the foul line.
It appears as though Booker and KD can both be good DFS assets regardless of the outcome of the game. Both put up solid numbers in Game 2, a game in which the Suns scored just 87 points. Unlike the A.D./LeBron situation in L.A., Booker and Durant seem to feed off of each other.
Jamal Murray - PG, DEN at PHX ($7,900 DK, $9,000 FD)
My reason for liking Murray is that he was a horrid 3-for-15 on the floor in Game 2, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. Murray isn't always the most efficient guy on the court, but it has been a long time since he was that bad. The last time he came close to that ineptitude was against the Bulls two months ago. Considering how Murray was rolling before Game 2 and the fact that Chris Paul is out spells DFS success for Murray.
Cameron Payne - PG/SG, PHX vs. DEN ($4,800 DK, $5,000 FD)
Payne played his most minutes since the end of March in Game 2, but he wasn't all that effective. He hit just one of his seven shots and only notched one assist (with four fouls) in 17 minutes. Tonight should be better for Payne since he is expected to take the court with the starters. We saw him put up some effective numbers with Paul and/or Booker out at times this season. Payne is the kind of value that doesn't come along often on a playoff slate.
Others to consider: Malcolm Brogdon ($5,400 DK, $5,900 FD); Damion Lee ($4,000 DK, $3,900 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum - SF/PF, BOS at PHI ($9,700 DK, $10,500 FD)
Tatum delivered one of the worst (if not THE worst) playoff games of his career in Game 2, but it had little to do with him. The Celtics buried the Sixers early and the staff rested their starters for long stretches of the game. Don't expect Philly to just get bowled over again. Embiid is still struggling with a sore knee, but he is practicing in full now. I expect this to be more like Game 1, where Tatum cleared 60 fantasy points. If CP3 wasn't out, Tatum would be my favorite play on the whole slate. Now it's Booker by a hair.
Tobias Harris - SF/PF, PHI vs. BOS ($6,200 DK, $7,000 FD)
Harris still played 33 minutes in the blowout loss in Game 2. That makes him relatively safe for fantasy purposes. Philly is still going to play him even if they fall behind. Haris put up a solid stat line, but he was blanked in assists, blocks, and steals. He didn't just turn into Bojan Bogdanovic overnight. This is an aberration. The last time that happened in a game in which Harris played more than 15 minutes was November 23. Expect an even better line from Harris tonight.
Al Horford - PF/C, BOS at PHI ($5,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
Horford's defensive chops make him a nice asset in DFS contests, especially given his history against Embiid. Horford is one of the few that has managed to give the newly-minted MVP some trouble in his career. Again, I expect this game to be more like Game 1 than Game 2, which would mean a closely contested game. That would also mean a return to normal outputs for the Celtics' starting five.
Others to consider: Kevin Durant ($9,800 DK, $9,900 FD); Aaron Gordon ($6,000 DK, $5,800 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - DEN at PHX ($10,900 DK, $11,500 FD)
Jokic had a good game in Game 1 and dominated in Game 2. He scored 39 of Denver's 97 points to go with his 16 rebounds and five assists. I still love Booker's upside with CP3 out, but I am absolutely running that back with Jokic in one lineup. Even though Game 2 was very low-scoring, most players still had fantasy success. Jokic took advantage of an off night by Jamal Murray to literally carry his team to victory.
Others to consider: Deandre Ayton ($6,500 DK, $6,700 FD); Robert Williams III ($4,600 DK, $5,200 FD)
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