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We have another three-game playoff slate Thursday night, and even though that still offers us a limited player pool to work with, it’s exponentially better than a two-game ledger, which truly tightens things up.
All three games have plenty of intrigue attached and should all be closely contested affairs. The Heat is highly likely to be hellbent on a major bounce-back effort on its home floor to avoid falling into an 0-3 series hole, while both the Suns and Trail Blazers will strive to answer Game 2 losses with victories that would afford them 2-1 series leads.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/27/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Damian Lillard, PG – vs. DEN ($10,500)
Lillard has exploded for 53.9 and 61.8 FD points over the first two games of the series, and the All-Star point guard will undoubtedly once again sport massive usage on his home floor, where he averaged 28.4 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal during the regular season. The Nuggets are ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to point guards (26.8 percent), and given they’ve yet to prove they can slow Lillard down, he’s once again in play despite the bump in salary.
Devin Booker, SG – at LAL ($8,300)
Booker has gotten the best of the Lakers in each of the first two games of the series, racking up 34 and 31 points in those contests. The sharpshooter is averaging 37.1 FD points over his last 14 games overall, a stretch during which he’s shot 48.9 percent. The Lakers were tough against shooting guards during the regular season, but given Booker’s success thus far and the fact his salary has remained fairly stable, he’s certainly worthy of consideration for either cash or tournaments.
Dennis Schroder, PG – vs. PHO ($6,100)
Schroder entered the postseason with some momentum and has kept it, and he’s now averaged 28.4 FD points over the last four contests. The veteran point guard is still struggling with efficiency – he’s shot just 43.8 percent over that span – but he’s encouragingly taken double-digit shot attempts in three of the games in the sample. The Suns were stingy against point guards all season, but with Chris Paul ailing due to his shoulder injury and Schroder already having demonstrated his ability to put together multiple productive performances against Phoenix, he’s a very viable mid-salary play.
Also consider: Jrue Holiday ($8,500); Goran Dragic ($5,900); Donte DiVincenzo ($5,300)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF- at MIA ($11,100)
Antetokounmpo has been virtually unstoppable over the first two games of the series, lighting up the Heat for 28.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals across the first pair of contests. Giannis hasn’t even been close to his most efficient during that sample – he’s shooting just 44.0 percent, including an absolutely abysmal 10.0 percent from distance – so there’s actually room for him to improve on the average of 61.8 FD points he’s put up thus far. It’s also worth noting defending power forwards is far from the Heat’s strong suit, as they’re allowing the eighth-highest offensive efficiency (25.9 percent) to the position and 53.4 FD point per contest to the position over the last seven, including the two playoff tilts.
Jimmy Butler, SF – vs. MIL ($9,100)
Butler, like many of his teammates, fell far below his usual standards in the Game 2 rout, posting just 10 points over 32 minutes on his way to a modest 23.4 FD points. Butler had much better fantasy production in Game 1 (44.0 FD points), but he shot just 4-for-22 from the floor in that contest and has a 25.0 percent success rate from the floor in the first two games of the series. The Bucks are actually ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency surrendered to threes (23.0 percent) and Butler, who shot a career-best 49.7 percent this season, is naturally a much better offensive contributor than what he’s demonstrated, making him very viable for cash or tournaments despite his struggles.
Aaron Gordon, PF – at POR ($5,600)
With an average of 26.1 FD points over the first two games of the series and a salary that remains unchanged from Monday, Gordon is certainly in play once again as an appealing cost-savings option at one forward spot Thursday. The veteran has averaged a solid 12.5 shot attempts over the first two games against Portland and shot 66.7 percent from behind the arc. The Blazers are a vulnerable team to power forwards, giving up the sixth-highest offensive efficiency (26.3 percent) to the position and 46.6 FD points per contest to fours in the last 15.
Also consider: Anthony Davis ($10,400); LeBron James ($10,300); Michael Porter Jr. ($7,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic – at POR ($10,700)
Jokic has unsurprisingly excelled over the first two games of the series, averaging 53.9 FD points on 36.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 61.7 percent, including 45.5 percent from three-point range. The floor-spacing big man hasn’t had much trouble with Jusuf Nurkic down low, and considering the Blazers ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed this season, his ability to pile on points was to be expected and should continue without much resistance. Jokic has already put up a whopping 47 attempts in the first pair of contests against the Blazers, and with Game 3 likely to be more competitive given it’s unfolding at Moda Center, he should be in for another massive workload.
Deandre Ayton – at LAL ($7,500)
Ayton has been one of the pleasant surprises for a Suns squad that’s struggled for scoring against the Lakers on the first unit outside of Devin Booker, as he’s averaged 21.5 points on 12.0 shot attempts per contest in the first two games of the series. The big man has also pulled down double-digit boards in each of those games for an average of 38.4 FD points overall, and it’s worth noting he also posted a 41.6 FD-point tally versus L.A. during the regular season. The defending champs were mostly tough against centers this season, but they are yielding 54.9 FD points per game to fives over the last seven.
Andre Drummond – vs. PHO ($6,900)
Drummond has been getting his blows in down low against Ayton in his own right, as he’s averaged 31.6 FD points over Games 1 and 2 and has come within just one rebound of consecutive double-doubles. Despite LeBron James and Anthony Davis being available without restrictions, Drummond has averaged a respectable 9.0 shot attempts per contest during that span as well, and Phoenix ranked right in the middle of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to centers this season and has given up just under 53 FD points per game to fives of the last 15 contests.
Also consider: Jusuf Nurkic ($8,000)
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