DraftKings and FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (5/8/23): NBA DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on May 8, 2023. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

We're sete for another two-game NBA playoff slate Monday night, one featuring critical Game 4 clashes in each conference. The injury report is virtually non-existent in terms of key names – Jimmy Butler is expected to once again play through his ankle injury, while the Lakers' Big Two are slated to suit up despite their respective foot injuries as well.

There are appealing matchups for players across the salary cap, setting up what should be a fun night of lineup construction.

Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 5/8/23. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.

DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Stephen Curry, GSW at LAL ($9,600 DK; $9,800 FD)

Curry has shot 45.6 percent from three-point range in the first three games of the series, bucking the Lakers' season-long trend of suppressing long-distance success. The future Hall of Famer should be especially aggressive in Monday night's critical Game 4 with the Warriors staring a potential 1-3 series deficit in the face. Curry's 46.5 DK-point tally in Game 2 qualifies as his best fantasy night during the series to date, but banking on him taking his game to another level at such a critical juncture isn't a bad way to go on a two-game slate.

D'Angelo Russell, LAL vs. GSW ($6,400 DK; $6,600 FD)

Russell has offered some nice value at his modest salaries during the series, providing over 30 fantasy points on both sites in two of the first three games. Russell is shooting 50.0 percent overall thus far against the Warriors, and his 14.7 shot attempts per contest over that span are a respectable figure considering he shares the floor with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. With salaries he's been consistently coming close to delivering a 5x return on, Russell is a very viable mid-salary play.

ALSO CONSIDER: Jalen Brunson, NYK at MIA ($8,500 DK; $8,700 FD)

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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. NYK ($9,500 DK; $10,100 FD)

Butler has become the story of the postseason, and despite currently fighting through his nagging ankle issue, he posted 40.5 DK/41.3 FD points across 36 minutes in Game 3. The veteran carries a questionable tag again ahead of Game 4 but is fully expected to play, and he's shooting 47.9 percent, including 42.9 percent from three-point range, in six games against the Knicks since the start of the regular season. Given what should be a hotly-contested game due to the Knicks' series deficit, Butler could be in for a heavy workload in the critical matchup.

Regular Season Jimmy Butler:
22.9 PPG
67.5% Restricted Area
48.6% Floater-Range
44.7% Midrange
28.1% Pull-up 3s
31.6% Catch & Shoot 3s

Playoff Jimmy:
34.4 PPG
72.0% Restricted Area
63.4% Floater-Range
40.0% Midrange
34.8% Pull-up 3s
66.7% Catch & Shoot 3s

Insane scoring leap pic.twitter.com/PeiQ0KVVsS

— NBA University (@NBA_University) May 7, 2023

Josh Hart, NYK at MIA ($6,300 DK; $6,300 FD)

Hart's insertion into the starting five since Game 4 of the first-round series against the Cavaliers has mostly been a success, as the veteran is averaging 12.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists across 40 minutes. Hart also happens to fill a small forward position that the Heat has consistently struggled to defend, as Miami is allowing an NBA-high 26.5 offensive efficiency rating to threes since the start of the regular season. Hart can contribute across multiple categories and has eclipsed 30 fantasy points on both sites on three occasions since beginning his run with the first unit.

ALSO CONSIDER: LeBron James, LAL vs. GSW ($9,700 DK; $10,000 FD)

DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Anthony Davis, LAL vs. GSW ($10,200 DK; $11,700 FD)

Davis put up just 10 shots in Game 3, but he made up for it with 12 attempts from the free-throw line, 11 of which resulted in points. That helped him to a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double that netted 59.8 DK/63.1 FD points. Davis also extended his streak of games with at least three blocks to four in Game 3, and since the play-in round, he's exceeded 60 fantasy points on five occasions in nine games.

Kevon Looney, GSW at LAL ($5,400 DK; $6,900 FD)

Looney has come off the bench the last two games due to an illness, which has led to a drop in production and salaries. That makes Game 4 a good opportunity to take advantage of his upside at a discounted investment and with a rostering rate that will be much lower than it would have been earlier in the postseason. Looney recorded a 10-point, 23-rebound double-double in Game 1 with 29 minutes of floor time, so if he's back to a normal workload Monday, he could deliver against a Lakers team allowing the third-most rebounds per contest in the postseason (47.2).

ALSO CONSIDER: Bam Adebayo, MIA vs. NYK ($7,700 DK; $7,700 FD)

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