RADIO
Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! It's the final Thursday of the regular season, and the NBA is giving us nine games to choose between as we fill our DFS lineups. I'm assuming it's the final Thursday because I have no idea if the Association is considering the play-in tournament as a regular-season deal or a pre-playoffs thing by itself. Regardless, while the 10 teams in each conference seem all but locked up (sorry, Chicago and Sacramento), there is still a lot at stake with the seeding. Over half the teams can still move up or down their respective conference standings and it assures they will bring their A-game to the court.
From the tip-off, I can tell you that I will have my fair share of players from the Milwaukee-Indiana and Denver-Minnesota. Both games feature some of the fastest-paced teams on the slate, plus the Bucks, Pacers, and Nuggets all have playoff implications on the line. A sleeper pick should be the Portland-Phoenix game. While they don't fly up and down the court like the Pacers or Timberwolves, they are highly efficient on the offensive end of the court. Over the last 10 games, they are one and two in offensive rating.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/13/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Ja Morant - PG, MEM vs. SAC ($8,200)
Unlike his competition across the court, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have a lot to play for down the stretch. As it currently stands, they are a half-game behind Golden State for the No. 8 spot in the play-in tournament. They need wins, and they need big performances from their stars. Enter Ja Morant. Over his last five games, the sophomore point guard is averaging 21.0 points, 8.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers. The Grizzlies are 4-1 over that stretch, and Morant produces 41.8 fantasy points per game. Tonight, the 2020 Rookie of the Year will see a King's backcourt defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to points guards over their last 15 games. With Ja's form and Sacramento's defense, DFS managers should expect a big night of production.
Malachi Flynn - PG, TOR at CHI ($5,700)
I want to say Malachi Flynn season is back, but I'm not entirely sure it ever left. The rookie guard will get all the opportunity he can handle against the Bulls because the Raptors have declared almost every veteran will not play tonight. In 11 starts this season, Flynn is averaging 31.8 minutes per night and accumulating 12.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers. Toronto doesn't have any reason to limit Flynn's playing time, and he's played at least 24 minutes in five of his last 10 contests. When he reaches that amount of playing time, the rookie is averaging 30.6 fantasy points per game.
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Michael Porter Jr. - SF/PF, DEN at MIN ($8,600)
I'm going right back to the MPJ well after he came through for us on Tuesday night. The Nuggets faced a middle-of-the-road team for pace in the Hornets (100.7 possessions per game) in that game. However, tonight, Porter Jr. and Denver will see the high-temp Timberwolves and their 104.2 possessions per game. It may not seem like a lot, but it could be the difference between the green line in your contests. Plus, MPJ is in the type of rhythm right now that the more chances he gets to score fantasy points, the better. Over his last three games, the forward is averaging 29.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 5.3 three-pointers in 35.6 minutes. The Nuggets need him to shoulder as much workload as he can take, and it's not affecting his efficiency either. In the same trio of matchups, Porter is shooting 61.1 percent from the floor and 55.2 percent behind the three-point line. Minnesota is the worst defense in the league against small forwards right now, and MPJ will get to another 40-point fantasy night with ease.
Jae Crowder - SF/PF, PHO vs. POR ($4,700)
Cameron Johnson (wrist) has missed the last four games, including the first half of the back-to-back set last night. His absence is allowing Crowder to return to fantasy relevance and provide good value for our DFS lineups. Over his previous three games, the veteran wing is averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 threes. Crowder has gone over the 30-point fantasy mark in two of those three matchups. As I mentioned earlier, the Suns and Trail Blazers are incredibly efficient on the offensive end of the ball, but Phoenix has the advantage of their defense. Portland is a bottom-six defense against small forward and power forwards, so Crowder will have a plus matchup wherever he lines up on the court.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN at MIN ($11,000)
Over the last 15 games, Minnesota has turned into the second toughest matchup for centers in DFS. However, no one can stop Nikola Jokic as he steamrolls his way to his first MVP award. The Serbian big man has been electric for Denver, season-long fantasy, and DFS all year long. He's played every game on the schedule, and he's provided the counting numbers each night. For the season, the soon-to-be MVP is averaging 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. The three-time All-Star has kept the Denver wagon rolling along despite a myriad of injuries to the roster. There's not any groundbreaking analysis coming out of this write-up. Jokic is incredible, and he's probably won you money at some point this season if you've been lucky enough to roster him. So roll him out again despite a tougher-than-it-looks matchup, and see what he can do for you on Thursday.
John Collins - PF/C, ATL vs. ORL ($6,700)
Collins is finishing the regular season strong with a lot of minutes and a lot of fantasy points to boot. He's hit the 30-point fantasy mark in three-straight games and is averaging 37.9 fantasy points per game over that stretch. Those numbers are thanks to him averaging 23.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.6 three-pointers per game. On Thursday, he'll meet a Magic team that has no interest in putting up a fight and ranks bottom-four against power forwards and centers in the last 15 games. It's certainly not the most eye-catching game on the slate, but it should provide a lower roster percentage for someone that can score seven or eight times his salary on any given night.
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