NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: May 16

Denver’s Nikola Jokic is averaging 30.2 points, 14.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 14 career closeout games.

This has been a complex series to get a read on for NBA DFS picks. Denver looked lost in the first two games when they went down 0-2, but it’s changed completely since then. The Nuggets have gone on to win three straight, looking dominant in all three of those. That’s what champions do, and they have a chance to close out this series and get to the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota still has their own aspirations, though, because they want to live for a Game 7 over the weekend! Check out our top NBA DFS picks and predictions for today’s DraftKings and FanDuel contests.

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Core Plays

Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $11,600 DraftKings, $15,000 FanDuel

Edwards struggled in Game 5, but he got the superstar treatment. Denver decided to double-team him on every possession, which led to Edwards shooting 5-of-15 from the field. We’ll call that the outlier because Edwards had at least 56 DraftKings points in five of his previous eight games while posting a 53-point average in that span. An elimination game at home is when superstars show their true colors, and it’s an opportunity for Edwareds to go crazy in the biggest game of his career.

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Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $14,000 DraftKings, $16,500 FanDuel

The Joker filled up the stat sheet in Game 5, providing 40 points, seven rebounds, and 13 assists in one of the greatest performances of this postseason. That 77-point masterpiece might sound like an outlier, but the big man is flirting with a 70-point average over the last three postseasons. He’s done that while establishing a 50-point floor, and it’s hard to overlook his career averages in closeouts. In 14 career closeout games, Joker is averaging 30.2 points, 14.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game!

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $8,400 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel

Gobert got worked by Joker in Game 5, but not a single person on the planet was going to slow down the MVP. Despite that, Gobert had quite the game himself, totaling 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks on 7-of-7 shooting. That equates to 45 DraftKings points for the big man, but that’s close to his average over the last month. He’s also one of the safest bets for 30 fantasy points with his ability to rebound, which is all you can hope for from a cash game option!

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GPP Targets

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG/SF – DEN): $5,800 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel

KCP has really struggled in this series, but he found something in Game 5 dropping 31 DraftKings points across 36 minutes. We know that Caldwell-Pope will always play 35-40 minutes, and not many players in this price range have that sort of workload. This sharpshooter averages 27 fantasy points per game when he plays at least 35 minutes, and a 27-point game would put him in the optimal lineup!

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (PG/SG – MIN): $5,000 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel

Alexander-Walker has quietly been one of Minnesota’s most valuable players in this postseason run, but he’d be impossible to fade if Mike Conley has to sit again. We saw Alexander-Walker start for him on Tuesday, tallying 30 DraftKings points across 39 minutes. If you look at the 15 games that NAW has played over 30 minutes, he’s averaging 29 DK points per game! With that said, he’s a tough sell if Conley ends up playing.

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Value Plays

Aaron Gordon (PF – DEN): $8,000 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel

It’s hard to believe, but Gordon has been Denver’s second-best player in this series. He had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in Game 5, giving him 41 and 51 DraftKings points in the last two games. He’s also scored at least 25 DraftKings points in 21 of his previous 22 games, averaging nearly 35 fantasy points per game in that span. That makes it hard to believe that Gordon remains so affordable, but he will keep getting opportunities with Jokic and Jamal Murray swallowing up all of Minnesota’s attention.

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Advantageous Pricing

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $14,000 DraftKings, $16,500 FanDuelNaz Reid (C – MIN): $5,600 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuelKyle Anderson (SF/PF – MIN): $3,200 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel