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We have another four-game NBA weekend slate for the playoffs today. No teams face elimination tonight, but the Hawks, Lakers, Nets, and Mavericks can all take a commanding third game in the series. All but the Nets are trying to do so at home.
Time Lord will be joining Cam Reddish and Mitchell Robinson on the sidelines, but there are some other key statuses to watch heading for tipoff. Luka is dealing with a pain in the neck that is extending down his arm. That's the one we really need to watch. A.D. says he's playing. Since it's the playoffs, I believe him. Kemba Walker, Chris Paul, and Serge Ibaka are all battling injuries as well, so we have a lot to watch for.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 5/30/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
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Luka Doncic - PG/SF, vs. Clippers ($11,100)
Doncic has been Clippers kryptonite this year. He has 204.5 DraftKings points in the first three games of this series and has averaged a whopping 65.9 in the six games against the Clippers this year. In the world of NBA where very few things are sure anymore, I'm locking in Luka at the top of every line and building from there for the rest of this series. Unless Luka physically can't move, I'm betting he plays.
Paul George - SG, at Dallas ($8,600)
Honestly, I thought this series was a good matchup for George, but he hasn't played all that well against Dallas this year. That has changed thus far in the playoffs. George had a solid Game 1, but he had 101.25 DraftKings points in Games 2 and 3. The Clippers aren't going away quietly, not that we thought they would. If Luka is held out, I may move off of this since the Clippers wont run the stars more than they need to. If Luka is a go though, I don't see how you don't run him back without at least one of PG or Kawhi.
Derrick Rose - PG/SG, vs. Atlanta ($6,800)
We are now to the point where the price on Rose makes you think about it a little. Just a little though. He put up 47.5 DraftKings points in Game 3 in a losing effort. Rose carried a lot of offensive burden in that one as the Hawks have done a nice job on Randle in this series. We know Rose can handle the extra scoring load. He has always been an elite scorer. Now he just does it in different ways.
Cameron Payne - PG, at Lakers ($5,400)
Chris Paul's shoulder is really bothering him. He gave his best in Game 3, but I can't help but wonder if the team wouldn't have been better off just using Payne. Payne has 75 DraftKings points in 60 minutes over the last two games. He is outplaying Paul right now because of the shoulder. This is a game that the Suns desperately need. I expect Paul to give it a go, but I'm also guessing that Payne is more effective once again.
Bonus Guards: James Harden ($10,500), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($6,600), Marcus Smart ($6,300), Reggie Jackson ($4,400)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kevin Durant - SF/PF, at Boston ($9,900)
The prices have finally adjusted some on DraftKings, but Durant still isn't priced for a ceiling game. His floor in the series has been 52.5 DraftKings points. K.D. came up huge in the Game 3 loss for DFS purposes with 62.25 DraftKings points. With the uncertainty surrounding Luka today, I'm all for riding Durant if you're going to be busy and not able to check your line all day. Durant is a sure thing right now. That's a luxury we don't always have at this price point.
Kawhi Leonard - SF, at Dallas ($9,200)
There was some correction on the price of Kawhi here, but he hasn't had less than 56 DraftKings points in any of the three games in this series. He's still a hell of a bargain at this price. DraftKings is making it very tempting to fade Luka today, especially with Durant and Leonard putting up big numbers at less than five figures. Fading Luka is terrifying, but I can see the advantage in doing so. If Luka does sit, I'm still using Kawhi in this game. The price is still low enough.
Maxi Kleber - PF/C, vs. Clippers ($4,100)
Kleber lands here because he's the only consistent value at forward today, even with a four game slate. We can't count on Blake, THJ, RJ, Hunter or Batum to get us 20. We can count on Kleber for that. We have enough suitable value plays at guard that I will pay down there if I can. It's treacherous at forward. Maxi is the only truly safe space. He just doesn't provide any upside.
Bonus Forwards: Jayson Tatum ($9,800), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5,500), Joe Harris ($5,200), Jae Crowder ($4,800)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Deandre Ayton - C, at Lakers ($6,700)
This has been a nice series for Ayton with 122.25 DraftKings points in the three games so far. He has no real upside, but he is putting together strong stat lines that we can count on. I don't doubt that A.D. plays. I also don't doubt that we see an "Anthony Davis is headed to the locker room" Tweet from FantasyLabs before the first half is through. Ayton is the sure thing even if he doesn't have a ton of upside.
Tristan Thompson - C, vs. Brooklyn ($5,200)
With Time Lord out, Thompson is the best value on the entire slate. He has 93.5 DraftKings points over the first three games of this series, which is good for 6x value. With Williams out of the picture, we could see Thompson go over the 30 minute threshold, so his ceiling is even higher today. No matter what your lineup looks like, it feels incomplete without Thompson today.
Nerlens Noel - C, vs. Atlanta ($4,500)
Noel is a per-minute monster and always has been. Whether he comes off the bench or not, so long as his minutes are over 20, he's outdoing Taj Gibson for DFS purposes. That's where we're at now. Noel is healthy enough to give five good 4-5 minute bursts per game. He's a solid play at this price, but has no real upside if the Knicks wont run him 30 minutes.
Bonus Centers: Anthony Davis ($9,500), Clint Capela ($7,700), Andre Drummond ($5,600)
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