Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: May 2

FantasyPros breaks down the top DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy players for Thursday's 2-game playoff slate.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

May 2, 2024 4:44 PM

New York’s Jalen Brunson has scored at least 62 DraftKings fantasy points in the last three games.

We were supposed to have four games here, but Minnesota and Denver had other ideas. There was actually a chance to have a blank slate if Philly and Milwaukee lost on Tuesday, but those teams wanted to treat us to some Thursday action! Both of these series got interesting with those surprise results, with both of these being critical Game 6s. The statuses of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo could drastically alter this slate, but it should be fun to dissect!

Core Plays

Jalen Brunson (PG – NYK): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel

Brunson left it all on the line in the Game 5 defeat, playing some of the best basketball of his career in this series. The All-Star has scored at least 62 DraftKings points in the last three games, averaging 46 minutes and 32 shots a night. Any player who might play a full 48 minutes and attempt 30 shots needs to be rostered by everyone because a player with that type of role is guaranteed 50 fantasy points.

Khris Middleton (SF/PF – MIL): $8,700 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel

With Dame and Giannis both sidelined, Middleton has taken over. The former All-Star has scored at least 45 DraftKings points in four of his last five fixtures, generating a 49-point average in that span. In the last three games without those superstars, he’s played at least 39 minutes and taken 20 shots in all of those. We’ve never seen this efficiency stud with that sort of role, and he could be a $10K player with that sort of opportunity.

Cash Game Considerations

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $10,700 DraftKings, $11,900 FanDuel

Embiid didn’t play well in the Game 5 win, but he fought Philly to a win. It’s funny to say he played poorly because the 2023 MVP finished that game with a triple-double. He committed nine turnovers and shot poorly, but it’s hard to overlook that Embiid scored at least 59 DraftKings points in four straight fixtures. That’s amazingly below his season average of 62 DK points per game, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play 45 minutes and take 30 shots in this elimination game at home.

Josh Hart (SF/PF – NYK): $7,400 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel

This spot is usually reserved for a stud player, but Hart is one of the best cash game options because of his workload. The hustler played over 40 minutes across the final month of the season, averaging 39 DK points per game in that robust role. It’s been even more ridiculous in this series, playing 53 minutes in Game 5, 46 minutes in Game 4, and a full 48 minutes in Game 2. They’ll have to scoop this guy off the floor when this series is over, but it’s impossible to fade Hart if he’s guaranteed 45 minutes with the way he can stuff the stat sheet.

GPP Targets

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel

Lopez was an All-Star player, and Milwaukee needs him to play like that with Dame and Giannis nicked up. We saw glimpses of that potential in Game 4, dropping 42 DK points across 39 minutes of action. This big man has to play 35-40 minutes and take 15-20 shots with those studs out, and Lopez was an $8K player with that type of opportunity in the past. We also love the matchup, with Indiana ranked 28th in total defense during the regular season while playing at the fastest pace in the league!

OG Anunoby (SG/SF – NYK): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel

Here we are with another Knicks player who hasn’t come off the floor. OG is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, playing 50 minutes in Game 5 and 47 minutes in Game 4. That’s led to Anunoby scoring at least 30 DK points in three straight games, posting a 33-point average in that ridiculous role. We fully expect OG to play another 45-48 minutes here, and it’ll be tough for him not to provide value at this price with that sort of workload.

Value Plays

Tobias Harris (SF/PF – PHI): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel

Harris averaged nearly 33 DraftKings points per game during the regular season and hovered around $7,000 all year. That upside was evident in Game 5, with Harris totaling 34 DK points across 49 minutes of action. This obviously isn’t the same guy we saw during the regular season, but he’s tough to avoid if he can play 45 minutes at this price tag.

Patrick Beverley (PG/SG – MIL): $5,600 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel

Pat Bev was the hero in Game 5, finishing that gem with 13 points, four rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals. The Bucks needed him to do that as the starting point guard in the absence of Lillard, and we saw this guy drop at least 36 DK points in two of the final four regular season games. Both of those were with Dame in the lineup, and Beverley is due for a $1,000 price bump if both of those studs are going to sit once again.

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