NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: May 21
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton averaged 48 DK fantasy points per game in the final six games of the East semifinals.
We’re down to only four teams remaining! I love it when we have 5 to 10 games on a standard Wednesday for NBA DFS picks, but we’re only going to have one game every day for the next two weeks. We’re kickstarting the Eastern Conference matchup between Indiana and Boston here, with the Celtics looking like massive favorites to get to the NBA Finals. They weren’t exactly convincing in the last round, and it’ll be interesting to see how they look against the Pacers!
Core Plays
Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $11,200 DraftKings, $16,000 FanDuel
Tatum hasn’t been the most dominant player in this postseason, but there are not many better options for 40-50 fantasy points. The All-Star has scored at least 39 DraftKings points in 42 of his last 44 games, posting a 49-point average in that span. He really turned it on at the end of the Cleveland series, scoring at least 61 DK points in the final three games. That should bode well against Indiana, with the Pacers ranked 28th in total defense while playing at the fastest pace in the league. That was clear when JT scored at least 53 DK points in all four of their regular season matchups.
Cash Game Considerations
Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND): $9,600 DraftKings, $14,500 FanDuel
Haliburton wasn’t the same player in the second half of the season, but this guy was an All-Star starter for a reason. He averaged over 50 DraftKings points per game before that midseason hamstring injury and finished with 46 DK points per game. We saw flashes of that early season form in the last series, with Hali averaging 48 DK points per game in the final six outings of the Knicks series. We also saw Haliburton record a triple-double against Boston earlier in the year, scoring 67 DK points in that masterpiece.
Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $7,200 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
Horford doesn’t have the most significant upside, but he’s tough to fade with the role he’s looking at. The former All-Star is starting right now, scoring 59 DraftKings points in the Cleveland finale. We don’t expect lines like that, but all you need is 30 fantasy points for Horford to be of immense value. That looks likely since Horford averaged 33 DK points per game when starting for Kristaps Porzingis during the regular season.
GPP Targets
Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – BOS): $7,000 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
Holiday can be frustrating to roster, but we love his opportunity right now. The former NBA champ is seeing an increased role with Porzingis sidelined, scoring at least 39 fantasy points in two of his last three outings. He’s also scored at least 27 fantasy points in five of his last seven fixtures and is being asked to do more with KP out. He also had some massive games against that fast-paced Pacers team during the regular season, scoring 38 and 40 DK points in their two most recent meetings.
TJ McConnell (PG – IND): $6,000 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
McConnell doesn’t play many minutes, but he’s a monster whenever he’s out there. McConnell has scored at least 25 DraftKings points in six of his last eight outings despite never playing over 24 minutes in any of those! He averaged 29 DK points per game across 21 minutes while showcasing a 45-point upside. That’s precisely what you’re looking for from a GPP option, especially since he had at least 31 fantasy points in two of his four matchups with Boston.
Value Plays
Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $8,000 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
White has been one of Boston’s best players in this postseason run. The defensive stud has scored at least 37 DraftKings points in four of his last seven outings, averaging 35 DK points per game in that span. That’s quite the total from such an affordable player, but it directly correlates with an injury to KP. His elite hustle should be beneficial against the fastest team in the NBA, with White scoring at least 29 fantasy points in four of their five matchups this season.
Andrew Nembhard (PG/SG – IND): $5,400 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Nembhard is an inconsistent player, but he’s too cheap right now. This guy is locked into 30-35 minutes as the starting shooting guard in Indiana, scoring 35 and 36 DK points in the final two games of the Knicks series. That ability is hard to overlook for such an affordable player, especially since he scored at least 29 fantasy points in four of the six games against Milwaukee. Not to mention, Nembhard had 28 fantasy points in his last matchup with the Celtics.
Advantageous Pricing
- Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $7,200 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
- Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $8,000 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
- Ben Sheppard (SF/PF – IND): $2,400 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
