FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Picks (5/19/21): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

We've got a two-game Western Conference play-in slate for Wednesday. The Spurs travel to Memphis and tip-off is at 7:30 pm ET while the Warriors head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers at 10:00 pm ET. SA was 15th in pace, 22nd in defensive efficiency, and 14-22 on the road during the regular season. MEM was 8th in pace, 6th in defensive efficiency, and 18-18 at home during the regular season. Golden State was 2nd in pace, 5th in defensive efficiency, and 14-22 on the road during the regular season. Los Angeles was 16th in pace, 1st in defensive efficiency, and 21-15 at home during the regular season.

Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/19/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.

FanDuel DFS Guards

Stephen Curry, PG - at LAL ($10,400)

Curry is the engine that makes the Warriors ship go. Over the last five games, the usage rate has been a ridiculous 41.3. On the season, he's averaging 1.4 FD points per minute. He's played 40, 37, and 37 minutes in the last three games so, umm, yeah. The Lakers boost the FPPM to point guards by 6.05% above league average and boost three-point shooting by a whopping 28.27%.

Dennis Schroder, PG - vs. GS ($5,500) 

Schroder missed seven games but has played two games since returning to action. He only logged 27 and 29 minutes and admitted on Tuesday that his conditioning is still not up to par. It's the playoffs, though, and he's got two games under his belt now. On the season, he's averaging 0.92 FD points per minute and the Warriors boost the FPPM to point guards by 6.05% above league average.

DeMar DeRozan, SG - at MEM ($7,500)

DeRozan has scored at least 20 points in 11 of the last 12 games with three over 30. The usage rate has been 29% and he plays 33 minutes per game. It's a pace-up spot for DeRozan as Memphis is 8th in pace and he's going to have to get busy if the Spurs want to upset the Grizzlies on their home floor.

Dillon Brooks, SG - vs. LAC ($5,500)

Over the last four games, Brooks has averaged 32.6 minutes and 21 field goal attempts. He's produced 35, 37.5, 49, and 30 FD points. He's streaky and can put up duds as he's shooting 41% from the field on the season but the volume and usage rate are undeniable. On the season, the usage rate is 26% and he's been averaging 16 shots per game. The Spurs boost two-point and three-point prowess to shooting guards by 16.31% and 17.2% respectively above league average.

Want more NBA DFS tools and content? Our NBA Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our NBA analysts. Check out this recent big win from RotoBaller premium member Bsuperak on FanDuel - join in on the winning!

FanDuel DFS Forwards

LeBron James, SF - vs. GS ($10,000)

LeBron missed 26 of the last 30 games. It's playoff time now, though, and there's no saving anything for tomorrow because a loss means it's golfing and roasting marshmallows. LeBron has averaged 1.41 FD points per minute. Since returning from injury, he's been limited to 28 minutes but he should play in the mid-30s or more.

Kyle Anderson, SF - vs. SA ($6,200)

You will never see Anderson on Sportscenter. Well, there is a John Anderson so I guess technically you could. Kyle Anderson isn't flashy and will rarely fill up the score sheet from a points perspective. What he does do, though, is stuff the stat sheet with contributions in every category. Over the last five games, he's scored in double-figures in all and put up 27.5, 36.8, 27.8, 36.5, and 30 FD points. The most he scored in a game was 16 points. He's playing close to 30 minutes per game and is averaging 1.08 FD points per minute.

Draymond Green, PF - vs. LAC ($7,500)

Like Kyle Anderson, Green will rarely fill up the stat sheet with points. What he does do is? Literally everything else. He's a threat to triple-double on any given night and contributes in the defensive categories. He averages 1.06 FD points per minute and has gone for at least 40 FD points in three of the last four games.

Juan Toscano-Anderson, PF - vs. LAL ($5,600)

He's lost some playing time with the return of Eric Paschall but JTA still played 26 minutes last game. Without Paschall, he was getting around 33 to 34 minutes of playing time. Like Anderson and Green, JTA is a low usage player so the points won't be voluminous but he contributes across the board. He's averaging 0.85 FD points per minute and has gone for at least 20 FD points in each of the last nine games with four games above 30 and a high of 43.2.

FanDuel DFS Centers

Jonas Valanciunas, C - vs. SA ($8,700)

Valanciunas had 49 double-doubles on the season, tied for third in the NBA. He averaged 1.33 FD points per minute during the regular season. Over the last five games, he's put up 51.7, 45.1, 51.2, 57.7, and 45.2 FD points. The matchup is a good one as the Spurs boost the FPPM to centers by 5.1% above league average.

Marc Gasol, C - vs. GS ($4,000)

I'm not sure how many minutes Andre Drummond can play in this game. The Warriors are going to hunt him out on defense while he doesn't have the ability to space the floor on the offensive end. Gasol, on the other hand, can shoot from downtown, is an excellent passer, and has a high IQ on the defensive end of the floor. He averaged 0.89 FD points per minute and it's within the range of outcomes that he plays over 20 minutes in this one.

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis