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

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

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Two home teams will be looking to advance to the Conference Finals on Friday. More postseason action means more opportunities to play Yahoo DFS. Let's discuss some players to consider for your entries, as well as a few to potentially avoid.

GUARDS

Jalen Brunson, NY at MIA ($31): Brunson was as good as it gets in the Knicks' win in Game 5 scoring 38 points while shooting 12-for-22 from the field and 10-for-12 from the charity stripe. He also chipped in nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes. After having managed at least 30 points from three of the last four, Brunson should once again carry a heavy workload with the Knicks trying to force a Game 7.

Kyle Lowry, MIA vs. NY ($13): Lowry struggled from the field on Wednesday with only nine points on 3-for-11 shooting. On the bright side, the 11 shot attempts were the second-most he's recorded during the Heat's playoff run. Lowry did salvage that stat line with five assists, two steals and a block. With at least 22.7 Yahoo points in each game of this series, he offers the potential to provide value.

Guard to Avoid

Klay Thompson, GS at LAL ($21): Thompson has gone cold at the wrong time for the Warriors as he's shooting just 29.7 percent from the field across the last three outings. He's also seen his opportunities dwindle, having averaged 12.3 shot attempts during that stretch. While Thompson can quickly heat up, his recent struggles make him risky in DFS.

FORWARDS

Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. NY ($44): Surprisingly, Butler wasn't very aggressive in Game 5. He did attempt 11 free throws, but only took 12 shots from the field while averaging 20.6 this postseason. Butler was still able to contribute seven rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks. The Heat desperately don't want to go back to New York for Game 7, so expect Butler to look for his shot more Friday night.

Max Strus, MIA vs. NY ($11): After a quiet series opener, Strus has posted at least 14 points in each of the last four games. He's frequently jacked up three-pointers and has gone 14-for-37 from behind the arc during that stretch. Miami badly needs Strus's long-distance shooting to help with spacing on offense, so expect him to continue receiving significant opportunities.

Forward to Avoid

Josh Hart, NY at MIA ($13): It's been a rough last couple of games for Hart. He fouled out over only 22 minutes in Game 4, then was limited to a measly nine minutes due to foul trouble on Wednesday. The Knicks rode their starters hard in Game 5 with Brunson and Quentin Grimes playing the entire game while Julius Randle and RJ Barrett logged 36 and 38 minutes. Combine that with Hart potentially picking up too many fouls guarding Jimmy Butler, and that makes him someone to avoid.

CENTERS

Anthony Davis, LAL vs. GS ($51): It looks like the Lakers avoided a disaster. Davis left Game 5 after getting hit in the head, but is listed as probable Friday. If LA wants to close out this series at home, they need Davis to be healthy. He's been dominant for much of the series averaging 22.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks.

Draymond Green, GS at LAL ($25): When Green is playing like he did Wednesday, the Warriors are tough to beat. He was locked in from the start and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Asking Green to duplicate that offensive total isn't realistic, but he's averaged 7.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks this series. That makes him worth considering for those who want to fade Davis.

Center to Avoid

Kevon Looney, GS at LAL ($19): Looney received more playing time in Game 5, but still only played 20 minutes. Since moving to the bench, he's only provided 4.3 points and 5.8 rebounds across four games. Unless we receive news Looney would be returning to the starting lineup, he's not worth rostering.

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. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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