NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, May 25

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, May 25

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

MIA at BOS: The Heat lead the series 3-1, but the Celtics are coming off a win in Game 4 and have a good chance to keep the momentum going as they boast home-court advantage in Game 5.

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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       

MIA - Gabe Vincent (ankle): OUT / Tyler Herro (hand): OUT

BOS - Malcolm Brogdon (forearm): Probable

Elite Players

Guards

Marcus Smart, Celtics ($11,400) vs. Heat 

Smart bounced back from a quiet Game 2 by going over 28 DK points in each of the last two outings. He is averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the series, with a high of 38.3 DK points in Game 1. Smart is shooting 44.6 percent from the field, including 35.4 percent from long range in the postseason, and his defensive effort continues to be a key factor in keeping opposing backcourts at bay.  

Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($14,700) vs. Heat 

Brown has yet to top 40 DK points in the conference finals, with a high of 38.3 in Game 1. He is averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the series, while shooting an average of just 39 percent from the field over four outings. He must find a way to tap into his higher potential in order to help his team avoid elimination on their home floor. 

Forwards/Centers

Jimmy Butler, Heat ($19,500) at Celtics 

Butler has surpassed 50 DK points in three of four games in the conference finals, including a high of 63.3 in Game 1. He is averaging 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals in the series and has not had any trouble on the road, as he shot an average of 48.0 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent from deep through Games 1 and 2 in Boston. 

Bam Adebayo, Heat ($14,400) at Celtics

Adebayo has been relatively quiet in the conference finals, averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in four outings. He delivered a major performance in Game 2, where he finished with 57.8 DK points on a total of 22 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists. The Heat need their big man to come up with another high-level effort in order to overcome the challenge of closing out a series on the road. 

Expected Chalk 

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($19,800) vs. Heat 

Tatum stepped up to help save the season with 33 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal for a total of 64.3 DK points in Game 4. It marked the second time he went over 60 DK points in the series, while he is averaging 27.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists across four games. Tatum has home-court advantage in Game 5 and needs to come up with another elite performance to hold off the Heat. 

Value Picks

Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics ($9,300) vs. Heat 

News broke that Brogdon has been playing through a forearm injury, but he is expected to keep battling to support his squad. He topped 23 DK points in the first two games of the series, but he came up short in Games 3 and 4. Brogdon is averaging 13.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists through 17 games in the postseason. 

Derrick White, Celtics ($7,800) vs. Heat 

White notched a series-high 30.5 DK points in Game 4 to help the Celtics keep their playoff push alive. He is averaging 11.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals over the last four games while shooting a blistering 66.7 percent from the field at home. 

Caleb Martin, Heat ($9,900) at Celtics 

Martin provides a great boost off the bench, averaging 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the series, with more than 24 DK points in all four outings, including a high of 35 in Game 2. He is shooting an average of 63.8 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from long range in the conference finals and his two highest DK totals came in Games 1 and 2 on the road. 

Cody Zeller, Heat ($2,400) at Celtics 

After a quiet outing in Game 1, Zeller made a more significant impact in the following three outings, including a high of 13 DK points in Game 3. He is averaging 12.5 minutes per game in the series and he must bring a top-notch effort to take advantage on the glass, where the Celtics are only averaging 41.2 rebounds per game in the postseason. 

Al Horford, Celtics ($9,600) vs. Heat 

Horford delivered his best effort of the series in Game 4, with 30.3 DK points on 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block in 25 minutes of action. He is averaging 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the series, but he has struggled with his shooting on home court. The veteran big man should be locked in for another strong effort in a must-win Game 5.

Robert Williams, Celtics ($)  Heat 

Williams was in the starting lineup for Games 1 and 2 and surpassed 23 DK points in each, but he came off the bench in Games 3 and 4, finishing with slightly lower DK totals. He is averaging 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the series and will remain a key factor in winning the battle in the paint. 

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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