NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, May 12

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, May 12

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

NYK at MIA: Heat lead the series 3-2, after the Knicks came up clutch at home in Game 5, avoiding elimination and earning a chance to send the series to seven games. 

GSW at LAL: Lakers lead the series 3-2, after the Warriors avoided elimination at home in Game 5 and look to keep the momentum going in another potential elimination game. 

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Injuries to Monitor  

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report       

NYK - Immanuel Quickley (ankle): Doubtful 

MIA - Jimmy Butler (ankle), Caleb Martin (back): Probable; Tyler Herro (hand): OUT

GSW - Andrew Wiggins (ribs): Questionable; Andre Iguodala (wrist): OUT

LAL - Anthony Davis (head), LeBron James (foot): Probable 

Elite Players

Guards

Jalen Brunson, Knicks ($9,000) at Heat 

Brunson put on a show with 38 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and just one turnover, for a total of 61.3 DK points, to save the Knicks from elimination in Game 5. He is averaging 29.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in the series and must come up with a clutch effort to save the season once again. 

RJ Barrett, Knicks ($6,500) at Heat 

Barrett has at least 24 points in four of five games in the second round, including an impressive effort in Game 5, where he totaled 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block, in 38 minutes of action. He is on the hook to step up again in Game 6, and has a good chance to pad his stats at the foul line, where the Heat are giving up an average of 24.3 attempts per game in the postseason. 

Forwards/Centers

LeBron James, Lakers ($10,000) vs. Warriors 

James continues to provide an all-around impact, averaging 23.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in the second round. He topped 45 DK points in four of five games, including a high of 48.8, in Game 4, and he is shooting 3.1 percent better on the road in the series. James must bring his best effort in Game 6, as the Lakers have another chance to close out the series, before a do-or-die Game 7. 

Jimmy Butler, Heat ($9,700) vs. Knicks 

Butler is coming off back-to-back games with more than 50 DK points and is averaging 24.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks through four appearances in the second round. He has another chance to lead the Heat to the conference finals, this time on home court, where he is shooting an average of 47.4 percent from the field over two games in the series.  

Anthony Davis, Lakers ($10,300) vs. Warriors 

Davis was forced to leave the last game after a head injury, but he is expected to be back in action for Game 6. He is averaging 22.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks through the second round, including a high of 75.3 DK points in Game 1. Davis should continue to bolster his stats on the offensive glass, where the Warriors are giving up 11.8 rebounds per game. 

Expected Chalk 

Stephen Curry, Warriors ($10,000) at Lakers 

Curry continues to lead the way offensively for the Warriors, averaging 25.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.2 steals in the series, including a high of 75.5 DK points in Game 4. He must bring another top-notch performance to avoid elimination in Game 6, and he has a good chance to shine from long range, as the Lakers are giving up an average of 13.8 three-pointers per game and also struggled to contain the point-guard position all season. 

Value Picks

Gabe Vincent, Heat ($4,800) vs. Knicks 

Vincent is averaging 11.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals over five games in the conference semi-finals, including more than 30 DK points in Games 1 and 2. He has a tough assignment in the starting role across from Jalen Brunson, but his continued effort across the stat sheet is likely to get him rolling at home. 

Jordan Poole, Warriors ($4,500) at Lakers 

Poole bounced back from a dull showing in Game 4, with a total of 18.8 DK points in Game 5. He is averaging just 8.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the series, with high of 35 DK points in Game 1. Poole averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals in four meetings with the Lakers during the regular season and needs to bring a similar effort to help his team keep their postseason alive. 

Max Strus, Heat ($4,900) vs. Knicks 

Strus has stepped up in the second round, averaging 14.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists through five games, including a high of 31.5 DK points in Game 4. He should continue to thrive offensively, as he faces home-court advantage in Game 6, and is shooting 50 percent from the field in the series. 

Kevin Love, Heat ($4,400) vs. Knicks 

Love is averaging 6.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists, with a high of 22.3 DK points in the second round. Despite shooting 29.7 percent from the field, including 21.4 percent from long range over five games in the series, Love faces a good opportunity to get back on track in Game 6, as he is shooting significantly better in the two games on home court. 

Mitchell Robinson, Knicks ($4,900) vs. Heat 

Robinson brought a tough presence to the paint in Game 5, with eight points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals, totaling 27.8 DK points. He should continue to find a way to impact the glass, as the Heat are giving up an average of 11.0 offensive rebounds per game in the postseason. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
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