RADIO
We've got a 10-game slate for Friday. Two teams (CHA, CHI, DAL, and LAL) are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
There is one game at 7:00 pm (NO @ PHI), one game at 7:30 pm (BOS @ CHI), three games at 8:00 pm (MIN @ MIA, HOU @ MIL, and ORL @ CHA), one game at 8:30 pm (CLE @ DAL), one game at 9:00 pm (DEN @ UTA), and the late-night hammerS at 10:00 pm are NY @ PHO, SA @ SAC, and LAL @ POR.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/07/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
FanDuel DFS Guards
Dejounte Murray, PG - at SAC ($7,800)
Murray has put up two stinkers in a row - 13.1 and 28.7 FD points. Both games were against the Jazz, though, who are 3rd in defensive efficiency. In addition, both games were blowouts and Murray only played 19 minutes in one of them. I'm getting right back on the horse for tonight as the Kings are up. They are 12th in pace and dead-last in defensive efficiency. Against point guards, they boost the FPPM by 4.31% above league average. Prior to this recent stretch against UTA, Murray went for 46.6, 50.5, and 60.9 FD points.
DJ Augustin, PG - at MIL ($3,500)
Augustin hasn't played since April 12th and he was a DNP-CD on Wednesday when he was reactivated. With that said, Coach Silas may have no choice but to play Augustin because only two players are not on the injured list for the Rockets. On the season, Augustin has averaged 0.98 DKFP per minute, so if he gets the run, he should more than pay off his salary expectation.
DeMar DeRozan, SG - at SAC ($8,600)
The Kings play fast and eschew defense. There's more to the story, though. Derrick White is out for the year so more usage and opportunities have been flowing to DeRozand and Murray. In the last two games between these teams, White attempted 17 and 11 shots and the final scores of those games were 132-115 and 120-106. Like Murray, Murray struggled a bit against the Jazz, putting up 14.7 and 44.2 FD points. Prior to that, though, he went for 61, 37.8, 52.4, and 50.4 FD points.
Ben McLemore, SG - at POR ($3,500)
The Lakers are going to be short-handed today. No Anthony Davis. No LeBron James. No Dennis Schroder. No Talen Horton-Tuckert. McLemore should see a big uptick in minutes from the 17 he was averaging since becoming a Laker. He's averaging 0.76 DKFP per minute and the Trail Blazers are 29th in defensive efficiency so he could find his offensive groove.
Also consider: Kemba Walker ($7,600), Delon Wright ($7,000), Devin Booker ($8,200), Armoni Brooks ($3,800)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Anthony Edwards, SF - at MIA ($8,800)
I hate the matchup, as the Heat are 27th in pace and 7th in defensive efficiency. Against shooting guards, they neutralize the FPPM by 8.15% below the league average. That said, there's no denying the usage and I hate the other options at small forward more. So far, I haven't liked any of the pay-up options at guard or forward. So many injuries and bad matchups. Ok, back to Edwards. He's coming off a 62.7 FD game. Prior to that, he went for 45.8, 36.5, and 44.8. The usage rate has been 27, 33, 26, and 32, and he's attempting over 20 shots per game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF - at POR ($4,400)
Caldwell-Pope is primarily a spot-up shooter but he plays over 30 minutes per game and he's going to be needed for some offensive production due to all the injuries. He has scored over 20 real points four times this season. From an FD perspective, he's gone over 30 five times with a high of 42.
Jayson Tatum, PF - at CHI ($10,100)
Jaylen Brown is out for this one. With him off the court, Tatum sees a 4.3% usage bump to 35.4. Kemba Walker actually sees the largest increase of 5% to 31.3. Anyways, Tatum has been on quite the heater recently. He's gone for 51.9, 39.9, 80.1, and 56.6 FD points in the last four games. In two prior meetings with the Bulls, he went for 40.6 and 37.3 FD points. Brown played in both those contests.
James Johnson, PF - at PHI ($3,500)
Brandon Ingram is out for this one so Johnson will likely make his fifth start since joining the Pelicans. In those games, he's averaged 28.6 minutes, 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and two blocks per game. That's translated to 28.6, 34.8, 47.9, 17.4, and 22.2 FD points. The matchup isn't a good one as the 76ers are 2nd in defensive efficiency but minutes are minutes and he should get plenty. On the season, he's averaging 0.86 FD points per minute.
Also consider: Khris Middleton ($8,400), Kyle Kuzma ($5,500), Zion Williamson ($9,600), Bobby Portis ($5,400)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic, C - at UTA ($11,200)
Jokic averages a ridiculous 1.58 FD points per minute. He literally does it all and, over the last five games, he's gone over 60 FD points three times. In two prior meetings with the Jazz, Jokic went for 74.9 and 68.3 FD points. He's kind of good at this basketball thing and the usage rate has been over 36 in the last three games.
Mo Bamba, C - at CHA ($6,900)
Wendell Carter Jr. has already been ruled out for this one. In the last two games with WCJ out, Bamba has played 30 and 28 minutes. He's gone for 56.5 and 44 FD points. We shouldn't expect another 50-burger but it's well within the range of outcomes, as he should see another 30 minutes of run.
Also consider: Joel Embiid ($10,500), Dwight Powell ($5,000)
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