RADIO
Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! The season has flown by, and we only have a week and a half of regular-season games to go. It feels like yesterday that we were gearing up for a massive Christmas-Day slate, and we had no idea how the 2020-21 campaign would play out. Phoenix is rising, the Jazz is humming, and the 76ers are finally peaking after the process. So I'm grateful for another seven games of great NBA action as the regular season comes to a close.
The Washington-Toronto contest should be a fantastic matchup for DFS. The Wizards have been leading the league all year in pace, and now they have a league-leading 120.1 offensive rating over their last 10 games. It's been a massive turnaround for Westbrook, Beal, and the rest of the crew, and I'm going to make sure to have several pieces of this game in my lineups.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/6/21. 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.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook - PG, WAS at TOR ($11,000)
$11,000 for one player seems like an absurd amount of your salary cap to commit to one player, but Westbrook is still worth it. Over the last six games, the 2017 MVP is averaging 70.4 fantasy points per game thanks to his eye-popping averages. In 38.5 minutes, Westbrook has 23.3 points, 14.8 assists, 14.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. He's coming off back-to-back 80-point fantasy games, and not even the Raptor's fourth-best defense against point guards can stop him from coming close to another night like that. Even if he busts, he will return five times his value because he's scored at least 55 DraftKings points in 15 of his last 17 contests.
Bogdan Bogdanovic - PG/SG, ATL at IND ($7,300)
The Hawks have become extremely successful under Nate McMillan's leadership. It's resulted in a slower pace of play, but tonight's game against the Pacers will allow the Hawks to fly up and down the court. It will result in a massive opportunity for Bogdan Bogdanovich to continue his current run of form. Over his last 10 games, the Serbian is averaging 21.1 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 three-pointers, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals. He's topped 35 DK points in eight of those contests, and the high-flying nature of tonight's Eastern Conference matchup should give him the chance to reach that mark once again.
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Dorian Finney-Smith - SF/PF, DAL vs. BKN ($5,300)
Here we go again: Dallas is going through the wringer when it comes to the NBA schedule. Regardless, the Mavs have got to get some bodies on the floor, and Finney-Smith's fantasy value is rising as a result. He's played 32 minutes in nine of his last 10 games, and he's shown that he can bring it for DFS purposes. From Apr. 24 to May 1, he scored 30 fantasy points in four straight games. If he can get back to that type of production on Thursday, he will be well worth his $5,300 price tag.
Desmond Bane - SG/SF, MEM at DET ($3,600)
On Monday, Bane erupted for a career-high 42 DraftKings points thanks to 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, and four three-pointers against the Knicks. The rookie produced an encore last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves to tally another 33 fantasy points. His teammate, Grayson Allen, left last night's game with an abdominal strain, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the former-Duke guard missed tonight's contest in Detroit. Allen's absence will open an avenue for Bane to produce a third-straight fantastic fantasy performance in a row against a Pistons defense ranked 28th in the league versus shooting guards over their last 15 games.
DraftKings DFS Centers
P.J. Washington - PF/C, CHA vs. CHI ($6,600)
Washington (personal) missed the Hornet's last game, but he will be back on the court tonight. The sophomore big man hasn't taken a step forward in his second year after a promising rookie campaign, but he's trending in the right direction over his last 10 games. Since Apr. 11, 3J (seriously, the basketball reference page is a nickname goldmine) is averaging 18 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 3.1 three-pointers in 32.1 minutes per night. His numbers have produced at least 30 fantasy points in seven of those 10 games, and he went off for his second-best DFS performance of the year against Boston on Apr. 25. Gordon Hayward (foot) and Miles Bridges (medical protocols) will both miss tonight's game, and the runway should be clear for Washington to take off in DFS.
Isaiah Stewart - C, DET vs. MEM ($6,500)
I'm at a loss for words when it comes to what's happening in Detroit. They are resting almost everyone over the age of 26, and they still can't give Stewart more than 30 minutes per game. Regardless if he's in foul trouble or not, the rookie should be getting as much time on the court as he can handle. He's played at least 30 minutes only five times this year, and the results show why it should be happening more often. The rookie averages 15.2 points, 13 rebounds, and a 133 offensive rating when he eclipses the 30-minute benchmark. Please play him more, Detroit! Especially against a Grizzlies unit coming in as the second-worst defense to centers in the last 15 games.
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