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The top NBA DFS daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings on May 12, 2024. Use Kyle's NBA DFS sleepers picks for building optimal DFS rosters to win big.
It's almost time for Game 3 in two unexpectedly tied 1-1 matchups. The Thunder-Mavericks matchup will tip off the slate at 3:30 PM EST, and that game should be an exciting one to target as it has the higher implied total and projected pace. Doncic is battling through multiple injuries to keep the Mavericks competitive, while SGA seems out to prove that he should've been MVP. The Celtics will battle the Cavaliers in Cleveland, and we'll see what they have in store after they took a hit and dropped Game 2 at home.
The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan, with the best players and spots circled before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate until lineups lock!
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/11/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 3:30 PM EST on FanDuel and DraftKings.
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Today's NBA DFS Core Plays
Let's first look at our premium projections to see who we want to target for our top spend-ups tonight.
Luka Doncic is playing basketball this afternoon. He will be the primary focus in my lineups, regardless of how popular he will be. While he hasn't had the monster 70+ DK point game we know he's capable of this postseason, he has come close a few times, as he has produced at least 62 DK points in three of his last five games. He's battling injuries, but I'm not in the business of fading the player with the highest ceiling projection on the slate (by about 10 DK points). We'll have to rotate uncomfortable players into lineups to fit him in, but that's the route I'm taking today.
It's possible to play Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Doncic in lineups today, and I'd advise doing so. SGA finished with 67 DK points in the Game 2 loss against Dallas, and this afternoon's matchup again profiles as a high-tempo, high-scoring affair. The Mavericks struggled against PGs all year as they allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position over their last 30 games of the regular season. SGA will need to continue playing hero ball for the Thunder to compete and win against the Mavs, and that's what will happen.
I'm OK with rotating Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell in as spend-ups, but it won't be my preferred route today with Doncic and SGA on the table. Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown have been putting up too many lineup-killing games, so I'm not getting to them. Evan Mobley is a mid-range option I'm interested in, though. He has stepped up his game recently as Jarrett Allen remains out, scoring at least 40 DK points in each of his last three games while popping for 49 DK points on Thursday.
Top Core Plays:
- Luka Doncic ($11,400 DK; $11,600 FD)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($9,600 DK; $10,800 FD)
- Jayson Tatum ($9,300 DK; $9,700 FD)
- Evan Mobley ($7,600 DK; $8,300 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Plays
Using the same premium NBA projections, let's see what players are popping as the best values tonight.
In the optimizer, Jrue Holiday is ranked as the top value play on the board, but I'm not taking it. The vet put up 15 DK points on 4/2/3 splits over 35 minutes - those are P.J. Tucker-type numbers. He's still priced like he's playing well, and I won't prioritize him as a value option tonight. I will look to the Cavs guards instead, assuming Allen continues to sit out. Darius Garland hasn't shot well this series, finishing with underwhelming totals of 28.25 and 31.75 DK points over the first two games. His price is more palatable now, though, and the Cavs will need him to step up and complement Mitchell if they want to have any shot at staying competitive in this series against Boston.
Caris LeVert is frustratingly inconsistent, but we must embrace the volatility in NBA DFS. He has a relatively high ceiling for a player at his price, as there are games where he jacks up 15+ shots and takes over usage. That happened in Game 2 when he shot 9-for-17 and finished with 31.5 DK points. I'm expecting a similar result tonight, and there's potential for him to explode for more.
Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are uncomfortable necessities if we play Luka and/or SGA in lineups. Wallace is the better option as he's locked into slightly more minutes, but Joe is slightly cheaper and should also be mixed in. Daniel Gafford and Al Horford are two mid-range bigs I will be prioritizing as well, but I'll give the lean to Gafford due to the higher upside he brings to the table.
Top Value Plays:
- Darius Garland ($6,100 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Daniel Gafford ($5,300 DK; $5,700 FD)
- Caris LeVert ($4,600 DK; $5,200 FD)
- Cason Wallace ($3,300 DK; $3,800 FD)
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Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
- Irving, Mitchell, and Jaylen Brown are high-priced options I will not use today, and it's solely a matter of opportunity cost. Getting to them means we can't get to Luka or SGA, and that's not something I'm interested in doing.
- P.J. Washington. His price increased after he went nuclear for 58.75 DK points in Game 2, and I suspect the field will be flocking to chase that performance. I'm not falling for it.
My Favorite NBA DFS Lineup Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite overall play: Luka Doncic
- My favorite CASH play: Luka Doncic
- My favorite GPP play(s): Darius Garland / Evan Mobley / Caris LeVert
- My favorite value play(s): Darius Garland
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