NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (5/31/25)

May 31, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Koby's NBA DFS expert picks to build winning DFS lineups on May 31, 2025.

The NBA playoffs are back after a night off, with the Knicks and Pacers resuming the Eastern Conference Finals. It's Game 6 tonight in Indianapolis as the Pacers try to finish off the Knicks and advance to the NBA Finals. New York won't go quietly, though, and I expect a good game regardless of who wins tonight.

I will help you dive into the slate and hopefully bring in some more cash for the rest of the playoffs! This article will focus on the top guys to play at MVP, some flex guys to put in your utility spots, and a couple of value options to make the rest of the lineup work! I'll even toss in a few sample lineups to give you a few ideas of how I might be building my lineups tonight!

But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/31/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 8:00 p.m. EDT on DraftKings. 

Today's NBA DFS MVP/Captain Picks

These are the guys you want headlining your lineups at the MVP position (on FanDuel) or Captain position (on DraftKings). Note: FanDuel has now moved to the same type of dynamic pricing that DraftKings uses, where the MVP selection costs 1.5x their regular salary.

Jalen Brunson, NYK ($17.4K DK, $21.9K FD)

Brunson is the engine that makes this Knicks team go, and he's had just one subpar outing so far in this series when the Pacers limited him to just 23-2-1 back in Game 3.

Brunson has been good for 45 FD points or more in every other game and is averaging 43.4 FD points per game in the series. We just can't fade his shot volume as he's been taking 21 shots per game in the series and getting to the line an average of nine times per contest.

Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK  ($15.9K DK, $18.6K FD)

Towns has been ultra-reliable in terms of his output in this series as well, with his lone stinker coming in Game 2 when he only played 28 minutes and scored just 27 FD points.

He's my favorite option for the captain/MVP spot tonight as I think he will be slightly less popular than Brunson, and he offers just as high of a ceiling. We saw him go for 57 FD points in Game 1, and he's scored 24 actual points in three straight games with double-digit boards.

Brunson will have to play well for the Knicks tonight, but the real key to them pulling out a win and taking this series to a 7th game is likely the play of Towns. He will need to keep being aggressive on the offensive end and stay out of foul trouble.

Towns is just so appealing in this spot. He's just a stat-stuffing machine out there, whether you like his game or not, you really can't deny that.

Others To Consider: Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($16.8K DK, $21.6K FD), Pascal Siakam, IND ($13.8K DK, $15.9K FD)

Today's NBA DFS Utility

These players are ones you may want to add to your Utility spots to round out those lineups!

Pascal Siakam, IND - PF ($9.2K DK, $10.6K FD)

We saw Haliburton pop off for a huge number once in this series, but Siakam's production has been super steady and predictable for most of the games, and he's considerably cheaper than Hali. If you want to make some Brunson-Towns-Haliburton builds, that's fine, it's just going to force you into multiple punt plays, and you won't be able to fit many of these very good mid-tier plays into lineups.

Siakam had a cold shooting day in Game 5 but dropped 30 actual points in Game 4 and 39 in Game 2. His offense is so important to Indiana, as they don't have any other players who are big-time scorers. Remember, Haliburton would rather be a pass-first point guard when he can than a lead scorer.

Josh Hart, NYK ($8K DK, $7K FD)

Choosing between Hart and Anunoby as your third Knicks piece is a tough decision, and if you are making many different lineups, I would be splitting exposure. Hart has triple-double upside when he's going right, but his assist numbers are down this series with the offense flowing through Brunson and Towns on nearly every possession.

Hart is cheaper than Anunoby on FanDuel and is still a great rebounder at his position and a guy who can pile up hustle stats. Coach Thibs loves him and can play him 40+ minutes on any given night, giving him some nice upside at this price.

OG Anunoby, NYK ($7.8K DK, $7.8K FD)

Anunoby has had a really good series, averaging 32.9 FD points per game. On FanDuel, his price is justified based on his ability to pile up blocks and steals, which are worth three points apiece over there.

His offense can come and go, and he's not a very reliable outside shooter, but like the rest of the Knicks' starters, he should play heavy minutes tonight, and we've already seen him go for 40+ FD points once this series.

Others To Consider: Myles Turner, IND ($7.4K DK, $8K FD)

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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

Mitchell Robinson, NYK ($5K DK, $4K FD)

Mitch Rob is getting some serious minutes lately as the Knicks have taken advantage of his size and shot-blocking. He's even shared the floor with KAT, bumping KAT over to power forward, and he's making a real impact. I like him more on FD than DK with those prices and with blocks being worth more on FD.

T.J. McConnell, IND ($4K DK, $2.4K FD)

McConnell has played between 14 and 18 minutes in each game in this series. He's a player who can make a big impact in a short time on the court with his ability to rack up assists and steals. If he makes some shots, too, then he should easily hit value at this price tag.

Obi Toppin, IND ($3.6K DK, $1.6K FD)

Toppin has been an important piece of the second unit for the Pacers all season and into the postseason. He could be looking at more minutes tonight if Tony Bradley can't go, as the Pacers really don't want to put Thomas Bryant out there as a backup center.

Others to Consider: Bennedict Mathurin, IND ($4.4K DK, $1.8K FD)

Sample Lineups

FanDuel Sample Lineup

You have to fade one of the big four to make enough cap space to build a decent lineup, and tonight I think I am going to try to fade Haliburton in some builds. The Knicks are up against it and I think they can pull out a win, but even if they lose a close game, we should see Towns and Brunson play a ton of minutes.

DraftKings Sample Lineup

This is another Haliburton fade build, but I am playing for a Pacers win here with Siakam as a cheap captain who could go off, especially if Haliburton has just an "okay" game. Towns and Brunson are the lone Knicks, while I try to take advantage of the value provided by the top Pacers reserves, McConnell and Toppin.

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