NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (5/7/25)

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Zach's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on May 7, 2025.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! After a fairly chalky first round, road teams are having a minute in the second round! All four second-round series saw the underdog road team steal Game 1, and the Pacers went up 2-0 on the Cavaliers with another win on Tuesday night. The Celtics and Thunder will hope to avoid that same deficit as they look to bounce back and level their series at 1-1 with a win in Game 2.

These articles focus on the best plays, typically more suited for cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate. 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 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 and FanDuel on 5/7/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EDT on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Today's NBA DFS Core Picks

You can build around these guys, offering a mix of floor and upside for both cash games and tournaments.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC - PG ($9.6K DK, $10.8K FD)

The Thunder and Celtics will need their stars to step up to avoid facing a 0-2 deficit heading into Game 3 on the road. Gilgeous-Alexander has been outstanding all season and has continued his impressive production in the playoffs. Despite the Game 1 loss, SGA had 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, 65 FanDuel points, and 65.5 DraftKings points in his 40 minutes.

🇨🇦 Represent The Canadians 🇨🇦

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | vs. Denver - Game 1

33 POINTS
10 REBOUNDS
8 ASSISTS
2 STEALS pic.twitter.com/S4qHVDOEuw

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) May 6, 2025

After a slow start in the first game of the playoffs, SGA has at least 49 DraftKings points in each game. He also thrived in his head-to-head matchups with the Nuggets all season, averaging 54.6 DraftKings points in the five games he played against them during the regular season and playoffs.

Of the two games, this is expected to be the higher-scoring contest, and the Thunder have the highest implied team total by a wide margin.

Jayson Tatum, BOS - SF/PF ($9.2K DK, $10K FD)

The other star that needs to step up for his team in a "must-win" is Jayson Tatum of the defending champion Celtics. Like SGA, Tatum has carried over his high-level production into the playoffs. He is averaging 58.6 DraftKings points per game in the postseason and is averaging 40 minutes per contest. He did miss a game in the first round with a wrist injury, but has looked healthy since returning.

He did struggle with his three-point shot in Game 1 like the rest of the Celtics, going just 4-for-15 from long range. He still had 23 points and 16 rebounds for 59 DraftKings points and 55.2 FanDuel points.

Others To Consider: Jalen Brunson, NYK - PG

Today's NBA DFS Pivots

These players might fly under the radar, but have the ceiling to match the chalkier options.

Nikola Jokic, DEN - C ($11K DK, $11.7K FD)

Jokic is so much more expensive than the other superstars on the slate that he's hard to build around under your salary cap. However, it's hard to argue against him as a centerpiece since he consistently delivers incredible stat lines like in Game 1.

NIKOLA JOKIĆ WAS SPECTACULAR IN GAME 1 🤯🔥

🃏 42 PTS (26 in 2H)
🃏 22 REB
🃏 6 AST
🃏 2 BLK

Only the fourth player to record 40/20/5 in the playoffs in NBA history! pic.twitter.com/fABhE9ZIbw

— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025

With that monster stat line, he earned 79.4 FanDuel points and 83.5 DraftKings points. He did have a few lower-output games towards the end of the series against the Clippers, but he has averaged 72.9 DraftKings points in his five matchups with the Thunder.

Is he hard to build around? Yes! Is he worth it? Usually! You have to get creative with stacking in some value plays who get good minutes and have a solid ceiling.

Aaron Gordon, DEN - PF/C (DK Only) ($5.8K DK, $6.5K FD)

Gordon's playoff brilliance hasn't been limited to his two game-winning shots. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in his five games by averaging over 35 DraftKings points per game. He had a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double in Game 1 that earned him 43.5 DraftKings points, and it was his best production of the postseason even before he drained the three-pointer for the win.

AARON GORDON 3 FOR THE WIN!!!@nuggets take Game 1 in a THRILLER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fxV2ReRPZA

— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025

Gordon plays his role next to Jokic in the frontcourt to perfection, which sometimes means big games when the other team focuses on shutting Jokic down. I can also mean quieter games, though, since he isn't the primary scoring option. He's not nearly as reliable as the more expensive stars for the four teams in action, but he has proven he has enough upside to be a great GPP pivot.

Others To Consider: Mikal Bridges, NYK - SG/SF, Kristaps Porzingis, BOS - C/PF (FD Only), Jalen Williams, OKC - SF/PF

Want more NBA DFS tools and exclusive content? Check out our premium daily content from proven winner Jamie Calandro! Grab an NBA season pass and get access to our daily projections, optimizer, Jamie's personal picks, props, advice, and VIP chat rooms. Use promo code ZTsports at checkout to save 10 percent

Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

These are the guys who are your salary savers. Priced $5.5k or less, they project to be some of the best per-dollar plays on the slate.

Alex Caruso, OKC - SG/PG (DK Only)/SF (FD Only) ($4.3K DK, $5.3K FD)

Caruso had 20 points in Game 1 and posted a massive value total of 45.75 DraftKings points and 49.2 FanDuel points. He always adds exceptional non-scoring contributions, but if he scores like this, he'll be a must-play at this bargain.

Even if his scoring slows down a bit, the fact that he played so many meaningful minutes should be enough to make him one of the best value plays of the day.

Russell Westbrook, DEN – PG ($5K DK, $5.2K FD)

Westbrook had 18 points in Game 1 but only chipped in two assists and two rebounds, which is unusual for the backup point guard. Against the Clippers in the last round, he had at least five boards and five assists in each of the series' previous two games and had over 35 DraftKings points in each contest.

If his non-scoring numbers return to normal, he will get plenty of minutes in interim coach David Adelman's rotation and will be a great value with a high ceiling.

Payton Pritchard, BOS – PG/SG ($4.2K DK, $4.1K FD)

The Celtics and Knicks have dramatically shortened their rotations, leaving very few value plays in the Eastern Conference series on Wednesday's slate. Even the Sixth Man of the Year played just 24 minutes in Game 1 and chipped in 18.75 DraftKings points.

Pritchard can do much more when called upon to step up, and he had over 20 DraftKings points in both Game 1 and Game 2 against the Magic. His role isn't certain even as the first player off the bench for Boston, but his ceiling if he gets going or if the game gets lopsided is extremely high. He's best used in GPP lineups, where his boom-or-bust style is a better fit, but there aren't many salary-saving options in this matchup, so do most of your value shopping from the Nuggets-Thunder matchup.

Others to Consider: Jrue Holiday, BOS - PG/SG, Cason Wallace, OKC - PG/SG, Al Horford, BOS - PF/C

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: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Nikola Jokic
• My favorite value play: Alex Caruso

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis