X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Picks (5/21/21): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Stephen Curry - NBA DFS Picks, Daily Fantasy Basketball

Stan Son highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 5/21/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

The play-in tournament concludes tonight with the Grizzlies and Warriors battling it out for the final spot (8th seed) in the Western Conference playoffs.

Tomorrow, we get back to some normalcy with a four-game slate, but for today it's another set of showdown/single-game contests. including a 100k to first place in the $7.77 NBA Shot Machine tournament on FanDuel.

Here are my favorite plays from tonight's game for the FanDuel single-game slate that locks at 9 PM EST.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Memphis Grizzlies (+4) at Golden State Warriors (220.5 total)

The Warriors are 3rd in pace while the Grizzlies are 8th so there should be plenty of possessions and opportunities to accumulate those fantasy goodies. These teams just played on Sunday with the Warriors 113-101 victors at home. Memphis was 20-16 on the road while Golden State was 25-11 at home during the season.

In the other two meetings during the regular season, Stephen Curry did not play. Speaking of Curry, he went for 66.9 FD points on Sunday and should be in the MVP slot, as he has the highest floor/ceiling combo on the slate. The usage rate over the last five games has been 35, 50, 32, 40, and 48. No one in this game is approaching a usage rate in the same area code.

Jonas Valanciunas is coming off a 23-point, 23-rebound game with three blocks against the Spurs on Wednesday, good for a whopping 61.1 FD points. In the prior five games, he went for 51.7, 45.1, 51.2, 57.7, and 45.2 FD points so Wednesday's game wasn't an outlier. He's been on quite the heater and the 51.7-game was against these same Warriors. An argument can be made for utilizing him in the MVP slot as the ownership percentage will be much lower. That said, on the season, the Warriors did neutralize the FPPM to centers by 15.61% below the league average so it will be interesting to see how this matchup plays out. Was Sunday's game an aberration for Valanciunas or will this heater continue?

I'm not really considering anyone else for the MVP slot outside of Curry and Valanciunas as they will likely be the two highest raw point producers. As a matter of fact, it's Curry for MVP with Valanciunas in the Star slot.

Constructing the rest of the lineup seemed pretty straightforward. My value player is Kevon Looney, who will be needed to neutralize the beef of Valanciunas. He averaged 0.78 FD points per minute during the season but against the Grizzlies on Sunday, he played 31 minutes, and minutes are half the battle. Yo, Joe! Now, he's a super low usage player and scored in double figures just three times all season. He's all about the rebounds and you're praying for some defensive stats. Am I enamored with this play? No, but he's the only one below $10,000 who I feel comfortable will play over 30 minutes.

Jaren Jackson and Andrew Wiggins filled out the lineup. Jackson just needs to stay healthy and out of foul trouble. In the 12 games he's played since being activated, he's finished with five fouls in six of those contests. Jackson contributes the defensive stats and stretches the floor for Morant and Valanciunas. He averaged 1.26 FD points per minute during the regular season and put up 26.8 in 30 minutes against the Spurs and 38.4 FD points in 31 minutes against the Warriors.

Wiggins garners a 23 percent usage rate. He confounds because there are times when he's an unstoppable offensive force. Then there are other times when he just hangs out on the perimeter checking out the crowd or settling for low-percentage shots. He averages 0.96 FD points and has played 39, 37, and 40 minutes over the last three games. More than likely, he's going to score in the mid-to-high 30 FD range but he has gone above 40 13 times this season with a high of 65.6, so there is upside.

There are two players I'd replace Curry and Valanciunas for in order to get leverage and be different.

Wiggins is one while the other player is Ja Morant. He averages 1.08 FD points per minute and will likely score in the 30s. The usage rate is in the 28 percent range and he's popped off for some monster games this season - 61.8, 61.5, 71.6, and 67.9 FD points.  Now, the Warriors are 5th in defensive efficiency and negate the FPPM to point guards by 2.66% below the league average. In the three regular-season meetings, he put up 16.4, 29.6, and 32.1 FD points.

That said, anything can happen in one game. If those two go nuclear, it would be at the expense of Curry and Valanciunas.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups