We get another fun 2-game NBA DFS slate on Friday, as the Spurs head to Minnesota to battle the Timberwolves and the Knicks go to Philly to take on the 76ers. We need Joel Embiid news and there are some other banged up role players across the slate, so there could be a lot to figure out yet.
My NBA DFS picks for this slate will nudge you in the right direction, but what you could really use is our new DFS lineup tool, which combines projections and sims for one low monthly fee. Try it for free for 7 days and see how it helps your game.
🏀 Slate Overview
- Top injury news to monitor: Embiid
- Best value plays:, OG, Hart, ANT, and Ayo.
- Top game to attack: PHI/NYK.
- Top stud: Wemby. Expensive, but top projection and ceiling.
- Blowout risks: MIN/SA. Spurs are one of the most dominant teams in the NBA.
Best NBA DFS Picks for Friday
- KAT ($8.8k)
- Tyrese Maxey ($8.6k)
- Miles McBride ($4k)
- Dylan Harper ($4.8k)
Need more guidance? Try out our DFS lineup tool if you haven’t already.
🏀 New to DFS? Core plays are the guys you put in most or all of your lineups. They have strong matchups, clear paths to big minutes, and prices that make it easy to fit premium players elsewhere.
KAT is a smash at this price if Joel is out. If Joel is in, I’d pivot down to Brunson. If Embiid is out we should have serious interest in a lot of Sixers on their home floor, starting with Maxey. We really need that Embiid news to make a call here.
I know Maxey has had trouble in the past sans Embiid, but the minutes have been insane and he’s at home in game three. I think he’s a good play no matter what, but he’s a must for me if Joel is out.
McBride is really cheap for a guy who has a clear path to 20-25 minutes. If OG or Hart end up sitting, we can look at more Knicks value and suddenly guys like Mikal Bridges and punts like Jordan Clarkson would be quite viable.
Harper continues to be a rock solid value. He’s not expensive enough for his role and production.
NBA DFS Lineup Strategy for 5/8
Once again, we need to get Wemby right. He has the upside to drop 70, but he obviously has the issue of running into Rudy Gobert. That didn’t stop him last game, so I won’t shy away from him if our lineup tool aggressively pushes him.
If Wemby is super owned we can obviously leverage that with Spurs guards, while the 2nd tier is pretty good, whether Joel suits up or not. Guys like Joel, Maxey, Brunson, KAT, and even ANT all are pretty appealing and can make for a more comfortable build.
- 🟢 SAFE – KAT/Maxey. If Joel is out this pairing will be popular, but looks awesome and pretty safe.
- 🟡 BOOM/BUST – Harper/McBride. Good value but clearly volatile.
Best NBA DFS Game Environments for 5/8
🏀 New to DFS? We look for games with high point totals because more points scored = more fantasy points available. The “total” is the sportsbook’s projected combined score for both teams. Higher is generally better for DFS.
Below you’ll see this chart map out each game based on point spread, total, and pace of play.
Friday’s NBA DFS Picks for Tournaments
🏀 New to DFS? GPP stands for Guaranteed Prize Pool — the big tournaments. To win tournaments, your lineup has to be different from everyone else’s. A “GPP pivot” is a player who will be lower-owned than his upside deserves, giving you a tournament edge if he performs well.
- Wemby ($11k)
- Maxey if Embiid is in ($8.6k)
- ANT ($8k)
Wemby is not pulling insane ownership currently and for the moment is not in our tool’s top lineup. If the field is going to be afraid to aggressively play him, I am fine with getting a lot of exposure here.
Embiid’s status is huge for this slate. He may be in the core if he’s in, but his presence would render Maxey a GPP play suddenly. I kind of like Maxey no matter what, is what the message is.
ANT may still be limited, but this is his third game back now and it’s a huge game three at home. His price is really nice and he isn’t going to be owned, so I am again going to go way over the field here.
🏀 Not Sure Where to Start?
If you’re newer to DFS and feeling overwhelmed, here’s how to approach it:
- Know what contest you’re entering before you pick a single player. Cash games (50/50s, head-to-head) pay out the top half of the field. Your goal is a safe, reliable lineup. GPP tournaments pay out the top 15-20%, with most of the prize pool at the very top. Your goal there is the ceiling. These two goals require completely different lineups.
- Shorthanded teams are your best friend. When a team is missing rotation players, the guys left get more minutes, more shots, and more fantasy opportunities than their salaries reflect. That’s the formula. Check every team’s injury report before building — not as an afterthought, but as step one.
- Avoid blowout games unless you’re on the right side. High game totals tell you where the points are — the total is the sportsbook’s projected combined score. Higher total = more points on the floor = more fantasy points available.
- Minutes are the currency of DFS. Always ask: how many minutes is this guy going to play? A player can’t score if he’s on the bench. Before you add anyone to your lineup, ask yourself: is his role clearly defined tonight? Does he have a path to 28+ minutes? Then that guy is probably viable.
- Understand floor vs. ceiling before you decide who to play. Floor is the minimum you can reasonably expect from a player. The ceiling is the maximum upside if everything goes right. In cash games, you want floor guys who almost certainly hit their value. In tournaments, you want ceiling — guys who can go nuclear.
- Ownership can be your edge — use it. In GPPs, the field chases names or super-owned options. We can leverage that by playing comparable plays with lower ownership.
- Don’t pay for a big name if the context is bad. Salary doesn’t equal value. A star in a tough spot is often worse than a role player in a great one.
New to NBA DFS and need even more help? Check out our NBA DFS guide for extra assistance on how to get started!
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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