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

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

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

BOS at IND: Celtics lead series 2-0 

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Injuries to Monitor  

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BOS - Luke Kornet (wrist): Doubtful; Kristaps Porzingis (calf): OUT

IND - Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring): Questionable 
Haliburton exited Game 2 due to a hamstring injury. 

Elite Players

Guards

Derrick White, Celtics ($9,600) vs. Celtics 

White finished with 23 points, four rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block in Game 2, surpassing 40 DK points for a second consecutive game to start the series. He has been impressive all season and continues to make winning plays through the postseason. He should not be hampered by playing on the road, as he averaged more points and a better shooting percentage on the road compared to at home during the regular season. 

Jrue Holiday, Celtics ($7,600) at Pacers

Holiday came up with a postseason high 54.8 DK points in Game 1 versus the Pacers and followed up with 15 points, three rebounds and 10 assists for a total of 36.3 DK points in Game 2. He is likely to continue to rack up the points and assists against the Pacers, who are giving up 113.3 points per game through the postseason. He could also be up for a lighter matchup if Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined. 

Forwards/Centers

Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($9,400) at Pacers 

Brown is coming off his best performance of the postseason, as he poured in 40 points on 14-for-27 shooting on his way to 52.3 DK points. It marked the third time he scored at least 30 in 12 appearances through the playoffs, while he is shooting a total of 24-for-47 from the field through Games 1 and 2 versus the Pacers. He is likely to keep rolling against the Pacers, who gave up the league's fourth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing small forwards during the regular season. 

Pascal Siakam, Pacers ($9,000) vs. Celtics 

After a bit of a scoring slump early in the second round, Siakam reached the 20-point mark in each of the last five games, including a high of 28 in the last outing. He is likely to continue to flourish in his matchup and must be ready to shoulder an even larger load on the offensive end if Tyrese Haliburton is restricted by injury trouble. He also should get a boost from being back on home court.  

Myles Turner, Pacers ($7,800) vs. Celtics 

After an impressive 23-point, 10-rebound effort in Game 1, Turner came up flat with just 14.0 DK points in Game 2. He is averaging 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 blocks over 15 appearances this postseason, including 11 games with more than 30 DK points. He is likely to bounce back from the lowly performance last game as the series returns to Indiana, where he averaged improved shooting percentages compared to on the road during the regular season. 

Expected Chalk 

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($11,800) at Pacers 

After going for more than 60 DK points in four straight games, Tatum was limited to 36.5 DK points in the last outing, while Jaylen Brown took over to lead the way in the win. Nonetheless, he remains the first option on offense and is shooting 45.7 percent from the field in the series. He also was able to step up on the road all season, as he averaged more points and a better shooting percentage on the road compared to at home during the regular season. 

Mid-Range Money 

Andrew Nembhard, Pacers ($6,000) vs. Celtics 

Nembhard topped 25 DK points in each of the last four outings, averaging 14.8 point, 3.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists over that span. He could be in line for additional responsibility if Tyrese Haliburton is limited by injury, and he must continue to step up in order to compete with the Celtics' veteran backcourt. 

T.J. McConnell, Pacers ($5,800) vs. Celtics 

McConnell continues to make an impact with his relentless effort and high-percentage scoring, as he is averaging 10.8 points on 48 percent shooting, 2.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.9 steals through 15 appearances this postseason. He may pick up an increased role while Tyrese Haliburton battles injury trouble.

Value Picks

Ben Sheppard, Pacers ($2,600) vs. Celtics 

Sheppard chipped in seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, two rebounds and an assist in Game 2, and is averaging 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists while playing in all of the Pacers' 15 appearances this postseason. He has a good opportunity to get his shot going at home, where he shot a higher field-goal percentage compared to on the road this season. 

Aaron Nesmith, Pacers ($5,000) 

After going over 20 DK points in three straight games, Nesmith came up with just 13.8 DK points in Game 2. He is averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in the postseason and should also thrive as the series returns to Indiana, where he shot significantly better compared to on the road during the regular season. 

Obi Toppin, Pacers ($4,200) vs. Celtics 

Toppin is one of eight Pacers players averaging at least 19 minutes per game this postseason. He scored in double digits in each of the last two games and should continue to benefit from going up against the Celtics' shorthanded frontcourt. 

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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