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After a thrilling and much closer than expected Game 1 of the ECF, it's the Western Conference's turn Wednesday night as the Mavericks and Timberwolves look to continue their impressive postseason runs. The lineup construction is a little bit different than your typical DFS slate, as these include a 1.5x multiplier Captain's spot on DK that carries elevated salaries for each player, and MVP (2x), STAR (1.5x), and PRO (1.2x) spots on FanDuel where player's salaries are the same regardless of roster spot.
The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always really important to have a game plan and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/22/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 8:30 p.m. EDT on FanDuel and DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Today's NBA DFS Core Picks (Captain/MVP/STAR)
The clear-cut top two candidates to fill the top multiplier spot on each site, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, are naturally going to cost you a pretty penny and require some creativity from you elsewhere in your lineup. However, each could naturally pay massive dividends if they put together one of their top-end performances.
Doncic is averaging well over 50 non-multiplier points on each site during the postseason and he averaged 36.5 points (on 50.9 percent shooting) and 10.5 assists across two regular-season contests versus the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Edwards is averaging over 45 fantasy points per postseason contest on either side and is shooting 50.2 percent during the playoffs. He notably drained 45.5 percent of his three-point attempts versus Dallas in four regular-season meetings.
Karl-Anthony Towns is an ideal candidate for the STAR spot on FD, but a case could certainly be made for him at the top multiplier spot on either site given his upside. The big man is shooting 51.9 percent, including 45.5 percent from distance, over his last nine playoff games while exceeding 40 fantasy points on four occasions during that span.
Escaping the Dorture featuring Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/1AKbJwp93O
— 🍈 MunkFruit (@Munkfruit) May 14, 2024
Top Captain's Spot/MVP Plays:
- Luka Doncic, DAL at MIN - PG ($19.8K DK; $17K FD)
- Anthony Edwards, MIN vs. DAL - SG/SF ($17.1K DK; $15.5K FD)
- Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. DAL - PF/C ($13.8K DK; $13.5K FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks (Utility/PRO)
There's no questioning the fact Kyrie Irving has the upside of a player worthy of the Captain, MVP or STAR spot, but his recent performance within the context of this Luka-centric attack deems him a bit more appropriate for the PRO or Utility spots. Kyrie has been under 30 fantasy points in three straight playoff games, and he's been over 40 just once in the last six contests.
P.J. Washington's somewhat volatile production does make him a bit of a wild card, but he's certainly worth a spot at his very reasonable salaries after exceeding 30 fantasy points on four occasions this postseason, including one tally of 58.8 DK/55.2 FD points. The T-Wolves have also surrendered 51.4 percent shooting, including 44.3 percent from three-point range, to power forwards during the playoffs.
Rudy Gobert typically sports a floor of about 30 fantasy points on either site, certainly an extremely valuable trait on any small slate. He's recorded double-digit rebounds on six occasions during the postseason as well, along with multiple blocks on four occasions. He was effective against Dallas during the regular season, putting up 13.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per contest over four games.
Timberwolves fans acting like they’re gonna lock up Kyrie Irving. Yall forget what happened last time?? AND THIS WAS PRE TRADE😭 Quit acting like you’re the celtics😭 WE WANT THAT SMOKE‼️WE GOOD IN THE WEST‼️MAVS IN 4‼️
(🎥 @kyriecenterig)pic.twitter.com/vovwUovLmb
— Kyrie’s Tribesman🤞🏾 (@NevaMiss24) May 20, 2024
Top Utility/PRO Plays:
- Kyrie Irving, DAL at MIN - PG/SG ($9.8K DK; $13K FD)
- P.J. Washington, DAL at MIN - PF/C ($8.4K DK; $11.5K FD)
- Rudy Gobert, MIN vs. DAL - C ($8K DK; $12.5K FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
With rotations typically so tight at this point of the postseason, there aren't many avoids as there usually isn't much of a reason to stray from the tried and true to begin with. However, it does bear mentioning that the likes of Jaden McDaniels, Derrick Jones Jr. and Daniel Gafford carry very reasonable salaries but also have a fair amount of game-to-game volatility associated with their production.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite overall play on the slate: Luka Doncic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Luka Doncic
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Anthony Edwards
- My favorite value play: P.J. Washington
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