NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (5/6)

That was a fun weekend of basketball, and we’re finally into the Conference Semis! We have the NY-Indiana series kicking off here, and we get Game 2 of the Denver-Minnesota series. That’s a must-win matchup for the Nuggets after losing Game 1 at home, and it should be fun to watch these four teams go at it. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the odds!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• IND at NYK (NYK -6) O/U: 217
• MIN at DEN (DEN -5.5) O/U: 205.5

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Tyrese Haliburton (back) Questionable
• Jamal Murray (calf) Questionable
• Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) OUT
• Julius Randle (shoulder) OUT
• Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) OUT

Core Plays

Jalen Brunson (PG – NYK): $9,500 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
Brunson was the best player in the opening round, but he’s been doing this for a month now. The All-Star has scored at least 59 DraftKings points in nine of his last 13 games, posting a 56-point average in that span. What makes him so tough to avoid is his role, averaging 41 minutes and 28 shots a night in that span. That’s incredible against a team like Indiana, with the Pacers ranked 28th in total defense while playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. That was clear when JB scored at least 47 DK points in their last two matchups.

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,000 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
Gobert won’t have many 50-point games, but there are not many better bets for 30 fantasy points. The big man scored 28 DraftKings points in 69 of 80 games this year, averaging 38 DK points per game. He’s also scored at least 36 DK points in his last three matchups with the Nuggets, averaging 41 fantasy points per game in those meetings. As long as Jokic plays 40 minutes, Gobert will be out there to cover him!

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
The Joker has been the most reliable player in fantasy for five years now, averaging at least 61 DK points every year. He’s also established a 50-point floor, but that floor is even higher in the postseason. Jokic has scored at least 55 DraftKings points in 18 of his last 19 games, generating a 63-point average in that span. A few of those have been against Minnesota, with Jokic scoring at least 58 DK points in their last four matchups.

Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $9,000 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
Everyone will be using ANT after what we saw in Game 1. The superstar scored 63 fantasy points in that masterpiece but dropped 68 DK points in the deciding game against Phoenix. This kid has taken his talent to the next level, scoring at least 56 fantasy points in four of his last five fixtures. We don’t expect him to continue that, but don’t be surprised to see Edwards used in 50 percent of the lineups out there!

GPP Targets

OG Anunoby (SG/SF – NYK): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Like many NY players, OG isn’t coming off the floor right now. The defensive stud played at least 45 minutes in the final three games of the Philly series, scoring at least 30 DK points in four straight fixtures. That’s a fantastic floor from a player in this price range, especially in a matchup with the Pacers. Indiana allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards in the regular season, and their league-leading pace should allow OG to feast through hustle statistics.

Aaron Nesmith (SG/SF – IND): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
It’s funny that we have Nesmith and OG in this same section because these are two of the best defensive players in the league. That defensive ability has guaranteed both guys a massive role, with Nesmith being way too cheap with his opportunity. He played at least 36 minutes in four of the six games in the Milwaukee series, regularly playing 30-35 minutes a night as a starter this season. This guy averaged 28 DK points per game in the 31 outings he played at least 29 minutes, scoring 29 and 34 DK points in two meetings with NY.

Value Plays

Josh Hart (SF/PF – NYK): $7,100 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
Hart is the most reliable player in DFS below $8K. The reason he’s so consistent is his role, playing over 40 minutes a night in the final month of the regular season. He averaged 38 DK points per game in that role but played even more than that in the first round. In fact, Hart averaged 42 DK points per game across 46 minutes in the series against Philly. Why isn’t he $9K on both sites?

Michael Porter Jr. (SF/PF – DEN): $6,500 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
MPJ has quietly been one of the best players in these playoffs, scoring at least 37 DraftKings points in every game. That’s usually the floor you see from a $9K player, but it’s no surprise since he plays 39 minutes a night while taking 15 shots a game. He’s also been consistent against the T’Wolves all season, scoring at least 31 fantasy points in their last four matchups.

Advantageous Pricing

• Jalen Brunson (PG – NYK): $9,500 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
• Michael Porter Jr.(SF/PF – DEN): $6,500 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
• Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $9,000 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
• Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
• Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,000 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel

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