NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 21

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 21

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

IND at BOS: Celtics won season series 3-2 

For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

Injuries to Monitor  

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

BOS - Xavier Tillman (personal): Questionable; Kristaps Porzingis (calf): OUT

Elite Players

Guards

Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers ($9,600) at Celtics 

Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 35 minutes per game this postseason. He topped 40 DK points in each of the last two outings and surpassed 50, in three of the Pacers' 13 games through the first two rounds. He is likely to keep up the strong play, as he averaged more points and a better shooting percentage on the road compared to at home during the regular season. Haliburton averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.8 steals through four meetings with the Celtics during the regular season.  

Derrick White, Celtics ($8,000) vs. Pacers

White finished with 39.3 DK points in the last game and is averaging 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in the postseason. He went over 30 DK points in five of the 10 outings through the first two rounds, including a high of 57 DK points in a 38-point performance in Game 4 of the first round. White averaged 16.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 blocks through five meetings with the Celtics this season. 

Forwards/Centers

Jaylen Brown, Celtics ($9,000) vs. Pacers

Brown has been a bit up-and-down this postseason, finishing with less than 30 DK points in three outings, while exceeding 40 DK points on four occasions. He is averaging 23.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.7 steals through 10 outings in the first two rounds. Brown also averaged 28.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting a blistering 60.6 percent from the field across five meetings with the Pacers during the regular season. 

Pascal Siakam, Pacers ($8,800) at Celtics 

Aside from back-to-back 62.8 DK-point performances to kick off the postseason, Siakam has put together a relatively modest run, averaging 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over 13 games. He delivered a high of 44.8 DK points in the second round but finished with less than 40 DK points in the other six games in the series. Nonetheless, he remains a leading offensive force for the Pacers and should find an advantageous matchup in the paint against the Celtics' shorthanded frontcourt. 

Myles Turner, Pacers ($7,800) at Celtics 

Turner is coming off the second-best season of his career and carried the solid play into the postseason, where he is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 blocks over 13 games, including four with more than 40 DK points and a high of 55.8. He is likely to thrive in the paint and pad his stats on the glass, as the Celtics gave up the league's fifth-most offensive rebounds per game this season and also remain hampered by injuries in the frontcourt. 

Expected Chalk 

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($11,200) vs. Pacers 

After a strong start to the postseason, averaging 21.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.4  assists and 0.9 blocks through the first seven games, Tatum took his game to another level by going over 60 DK points in each of the Celtics' last three outings, while averaging 30.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.3 steals over that span. He is likely to keep the momentum going versus the Pacers, as he produced an average of 32.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists through four meetings during the regular season. 

Mid-Range Money 

T.J. McConnell, Pacers ($6,000) at Celtics 

McConnell has been a critical contributor, averaging 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 0.9 steals across all 13 of the Pacers' postseason appearances, including two games with more than 40 DK points. He is averaging 19.3 minutes off the bench per game, with at least 16 minutes played in each outing. McConnell averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals through four encounters with the Celtics during the regular season. 

Andrew Nembhard, Pacers ($5,400) at Celtics 

Nembhard has shown poise as second-year guard going up against more experienced competition in the playoffs. He is coming off his best game of the postseason, as he poured in 20 points to help lead the way in the hard-fought Game 7 win in New York. He faces a tough challenge against the Celtics' backcourt, but he is relied upon as his squad's starting shooting guard and must rise to the occasion once again. 

Value Picks

Payton Pritchard, Celtics ($4,400) vs. Pacers

Pritchard provided good energy and a steady effort off the bench all season and continues to come up with winning plays in the postseason, as he is averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 10 appearances. He is likely to find room to pad his stats against the Pacers, who are giving up an average of 110.8 points per game through the first two rounds. 

Obi Toppin, Pacers ($4,000) at Celtics 

The Pacers continue to look to Toppin for a boost off the bench, and he has delivered well in the playoffs, averaging 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. His presence could be an x-factor in the series, as the Celtics do not have much mobility in the frontcourt with their second unit. 

Luke Kornet, Celtics ($3,600) vs. Pacers 

Kornet much continue to step up for the Celtics' hobbled front court. He is averaging 4.0 points, 4.1 rebounds through eight appearances this postseason, and he should pad his stats against the Pacers, who gave up the league's second-most points in the paint during the regular season. 

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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