NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (5/21/25)

May 21, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Max's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on May 21, 2025.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! Tonight, the Eastern Conference Finals tip off as the New York Knicks host the Indiana Pacers after both teams pulled off the upsets in their previous series. The Pacers haven't played since last Tuesday, when they eliminated the top-seeded Cavaliers, and the Knicks also had four days off since finishing off the defending champion Celtics on Friday.

Let's dive into Game 1's DFS fantasy basketball 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 Captain's Pick, some flex guys to put in your utility spots, and a couple of value options to make the rest of the lineup work! 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 on 5/21/25. 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 Captain/MVP Picks

On both DraftKings and FanDuel, single-game lineups are built around one player who produced 1.5x the points in your lineup but costs 1.5x their salary. Selecting the right player to build around is crucial to finding success. Here are the guys I am building around at the Captain or MVP position this Wednesday:

Jalen Brunson, NYK - PG ($16.5K DK, $21.3K FD)

Brunson is an expensive play in this 1.5x slot, but he carries so much of the workload for the Knicks that he has to be the first choice. Brunson averaged 42.8 DraftKings points per game on a 30.2% usage rate during the regular season and has increased that to 46.9 DraftKings points per game on a 31.9% usage rate in the playoffs. He only needed 23 points, six rebounds, six assists, and 40 DraftKings points in 35 minutes to help the Knicks close out the Celtics in convincing fashion, but he had a high point of 66.25 DraftKings points by producing 39 points, five rebounds, and 12 assists across 40 minutes in Game 4.

Brunson is clearly the Knicks' go-to guy and a proven playoff performer. After winning the Jerry West Trophy as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, Brunson has also continued to dominate in the closing quarter of the Knicks' playoff games.

Jalen Brunson - NBA Playoffs 4th Q Scoring pic.twitter.com/Nqgl8YIqLw

— Tevin Juwan Brown (@_juwan) May 18, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK - C ($14.7 DK, $18.6 FD)

While he didn't have a signature ceiling game in the series against the Celtics, Towns was very consistent and productive. He has seven double-doubles in his last eight games and has averaged 39.7 DraftKings points per game on 19.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He posted a pair of big games against the Pistons and should be in a better matchup this round against the Pacers.

In the regular season, KAT destroyed the Pacers, averaging 30.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 54.0 DraftKings points in his three head-to-head matchups with Indiana. He had a massive 70.5 DraftKings points in their last meeting, and he could be set to thrive in this series. He isn't as safe a play as Brunson in your Captain's spot, but he has a better matchup and could be contrarian enough to carry your roster to the win.

Heee Heee!
Karl-Anthony Towns had 40 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL, 3 3PTS & these passes!

The postgame🤣 pic.twitter.com/cjweb18TJ1

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 12, 2025

Others To Consider: Tyrese Haliburton

Today's NBA DFS Utility

These players are ones you may want to add to your Utility spots.

Pascal Siakam, IND - PF ($8.6K DK, $10.6K FD)

Siakam always carries a huge workload for the Pacers, and in the playoffs, he is playing 32 minutes a game while averaging 33.9 DraftKings points and 33.3 FanDuel points per game. He thrived early in the Milwaukee series but struggled a bit against the strong interior defense of the Cavs in the second round. He still scored 21 points in each of the series' last two games, though, and he usually racks up good non-scoring production as well.

Spicy P will need to have a big series at both ends of the floor for the Pacers in this series, and he comes at a very reasonable salary in a Utility spot, especially on DraftKings.

Andrew Nembhard, IND - PG/SG ($7K DK, $6.8K FD)

Nembhard has been critical to the Pacers' playoff success and is remarkably affordable on both sites, given his playoff success. In the postseason, he is averaging 31.7 DraftKings points and 31.1 FanDuel points per game and is playing the second-most minutes on the team behind only Tyrese Haliburton. In his 10 postseason games, Nembhard is shooting a scalding 50 percent on three-point shots while producing 14.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 32.8 minutes per contest.

The 25-year-0ld from Gonzaga will have the spotlight on him on both ends of the floor as he looks to continue his offensive production while also being tasked with the unenviable job of trying to slow down Brunson. Nembhard's performance on both ends of the floor will go a long way to determining who wins the series, and getting him at this reasonable salary makes him an excellent play in a UTIL spot and even a Captain/MVP consideration if you're looking for a lower-cost play in that slot.

Others To Consider: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Myles Turner

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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

Aaron Nesmith, IND - SF/SG (DK only)/PF (FD only) ($6K DK, $6.2K FD)

Nesmith also plays a very involved role in the playoffs, averaging 29.5 minutes per game and contributing 29.4 DraftKings points and 28.6 FanDuel points per contest. He went off for 13 rebounds in the closeout game of the second round to post a monster double-double. He has over 38 DraftKings points in four of his last eight games and brings a high ceiling with his solid floor in Game 1.

Obi Toppin, IND - PF/C (DK only) ($3.6K DK, $2K FD)

Toppin is a legend in New York after starting his career with the Knicks and making a mark with his high-flying dunks. He did most of his work off the bench with New York before joining the Pacers in 2023. He had a strong regular season for Indiana, serving as their top big man off the bench and averaging 19.6 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he has been playing slightly fewer minutes but has still made a significant impact.

He had 20 points off the bench in Game 4 against the Cavs to earn 29.75 DraftKings points and 29 FanDuel points. He had at least 14 DraftKings points and 14 FanDuel points in each of the five games against Cleveland. He only faced the Knicks twice during the regular season, averaging 8.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. He is extremely cheap on both sites, but especially on FanDuel, he's a great salary saver that enables you to spend in other spots.

Others to Consider: Miles McBride, T.J. McConnell

As the NBA playoffs heat up, so do the opportunities to win more in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) on DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to leverage RotoBaller’s expert insights and tools throughout the day to gain an edge on the field.

Whether you're grinding out GPPs or locking in safe cash game picks, a smart NBA DFS strategy can make all the difference. Good luck tonight, and may your lineups crush!

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