On Friday, the Timberwolves will look to avoid the exact situation they put the Denver Nuggets into in the last round. The Wolves won their first two games on the road last series against the defending NBA champions and ultimately went on to win the series. The Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves in Game 1 in Minnesota on Wednesday, and another road victory for Dallas may be too much for the Timberwolves to overcome. How should the near-dire importance of this contest for the Wolves affect your NBA DFS strategy on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings?
Anthony Edwards has struggled with his shot over the last two games, shooting just 12 of 40 (30%) from the field. He averaged 17.5 points over that span compared to 30.2 ppg over his first 10 playoff games. How should daily Fantasy basketball players feel about spending the high price to include Edwards in NBA DFS lineups? Who else from the NBA DFS player pool should you target in Game 2 of the West Finals? Before making your NBA DFS picks for Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor's approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Thursday, Kaylor highlighted Celtics forward Jaylen Brown as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Brown had 40 points, five rebounds and two assists, returning 52.25 points on DraftKings and 50 points on FanDuel as the top scorer from the NBA DFS player pool. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Kaylor has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, May 24
For Friday, one of Kaylor's top NBA DFS picks is Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic. The five-time All-Star had 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in Dallas' Game 1 victory. Doncic had three straight triple-doubles entering that game as he's averaging 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the postseason. The 25-year-old led the NBA in scoring for the first time in his six-year career this year, averaging 33.9 ppg. Doncic had the second-highest usage rate in the NBA this season, so whether it's scoring or assisting, he's integral on nearly every possession for the Dallas offense.
Doncic scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter in Game 1, including a pivotal step-back jumper to give Dallas a 106-102 lead with 49 seconds left. He was 5 of 8 from the field in the fourth quarter as the Mavs outscored the Wolves, 26-22, in the final period for the upset road victory to begin the Western Conference Finals. Kaylor expects Doncic to carry over that aggressive fourth quarter into Game 2 where Dallas can take complete control of the series if it wins each of the first two contests in Minnesota.
Another part of Kaylor's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. The 23-year-old was Minnesota's leading scorer in Game 1 with 24 points, marking his third straight game with at least 20 points. McDaniels has been elite from beyond the arc during that span, shooting 12 of 18 (66.7%) from deep. With the Dallas defense needing to focus on slowing down Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, McDaniels continues to find ways to exploit matchup advantages at a cheaper price for NBA DFS lineups.
McDaniels is averaging 13.3 points and 4.4 rebounds during the 2024 NBA playoffs compared to 10.5 points and 3.1 rebounds during the regular season. He's the team's third-leading scorer this postseason after ranking sixth in scoring during the year. He's playing some of the best basketball of his career during this stretch, and the Timberwolves have rewarded him with at least 39 minutes in back-to-back contests. Kaylor expects McDaniels' hot outside shooting to continue in a game of huge importance for the Timberwolves, looking to avoid going down 0-2 before heading to Dallas. See Kaylor's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, May 24
Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and get the rest of Kaylor's picks, here.
Who is DFS pro Jimmie Kaylor putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has a Millionaire Maker win on his resume, and find out.
