FanDuel NBA DFS Picks: Monday 5/12/25

If you're looking for a fun way to get in on the NBA playoffs, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

NBA DFS Picks for Today's Playoff Games

Guards

Top Priorities

Jalen Brunson ($8,500)

I'd rather not fade Jalen Brunson with the New York Knicks' season somewhat in the balance. Quietly, Brunson was masterful in Saturday's blowout loss with 41.9 FanDuel points (FDP), which marked his seventh playoff game north of 40 FDP in nine tries. His sturdy floor comes from a classic Tom Thibodeau workload and 31.8% postseason usage rate that is over 10 percentage points higher than any other New York scorer.

Derrick White ($7,200)

Exasperated, Mike Breen proclaimed Derrick White was everywhere on Saturday. He was. White knocked three triples, had five boards, and collected two stocks (steals plus blocks) in what only amounted to three quarters of work (or 33 minutes). While his hustle plays provide a bit of security in FanDuel's box score, his real upside comes from 9.0 three-point attempts per game, and a nuclear effort with them has yet to come.

Value Plays

Brandin Podziemski ($5,900)

The Golden State Warriors would have put Brandin Podziemski at the top of their list for Stephen Curry (hamstring)'s fill-in duties, but Podz has struggled to 6-for-26 (23.1%) shooting in this series. Though the Minnesota Timberwolves' swarming defense could just prove to be too much for him to handle, the guard averages 34.0 FDP per 36 minutes with Curry off the floor this season even when including the playoffs.

Jrue Holiday ($5,400)

I'm in a toxic relationship with rostering Jrue Holiday in these playoffs. Last year's hero of multiple NBA Finals contests just seems out of sorts, which might be tied to the hamstring issue that forced him out of two games last round. Holiday took a backseat to Payton Pritchard on Saturday, but his 36.0 minutes per game in the series' first two contests should still have him favored to lead the timeshare in a closer contest on Monday.

Wings

Top Priorities

Jayson Tatum ($10,000)

It's surprising just how consistent Jayson Tatum has been in fantasy given his up-and-down shot. He's eclipsed 45 FDP in all eight of the Boston Celtics' postseason tilts. He went just 3-for-11 from inside the arc in Game 3 and still hasn't topped 40.0% from the floor against the Knicks; I wonder if his best work is coming tonight when his eFG% was, strangely, 1.1 percentage points higher on the road this season.

Josh Hart ($7,000)

Mixing and matching all these outcomes, it's nice to have an easy one. In games where Josh Hart has gotten his full compliment of minutes this postseason, he's posted 37.5 FDP per game. As the Knicks have occasionally imploded, he followed suit on the bench. That checks out with a role built on rebounding and stocks, per his low 14.2% playoff usage rate.

Value Plays

Buddy Hield ($5,300)

Small forward's value tier is all about the Dubs. Buddy Hield has masterfully stepped into Curry's perimeter shooting role in this series, topping 14 points in each game. The former Oklahoma star earned 32 minutes on Saturday, and he averaged 34.6 FDP per 36 minutes with Curry off the floor this season. I prefer our next option, but this isn't "point chasing" as his role has legitimately shifted.

Jonathan Kuminga ($5,100)

Jonathan Kuminga has truly special upside at his similar salary, though. Steve Kerr has realized Kuminga's scoring punch might be Golden State's only path into the series. While it's 19-for-29 shooting that's done a lot of heavy lifting in the box score, earning Kerr's trust for 35 minutes in Game 3 was the hard part. Remember, he led the team in usage rate with Curry off the floor this season (29.8%) -- even over Jimmy Butler.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Karl-Anthony Towns ($7,700)

It seems I can't let the regular season go. Karl-Anthony Towns was a five-digit center -- and a good one -- all year, but KAT has wilted in the playoffs despite recently packing up 20-and-10 efforts. He's just lost a significant amount of upside with reduced three-point volume in this series (1-for-8) and regularly battles foul trouble. This $7,700 salary is fair -- but no steal.

Julius Randle ($7,400)

How about a triple-double with three steals from Julius Randle on Saturday? Traded for Towns in the offseason, Randle's athletic size has carved up the Warriors for 38.4 FDP per 36 minutes in this series. Topping 35 FDP in six of his last seven outings, there's a stable floor that doesn't seem impacted by this matchup's low totals (200.5 on Monday).

Value Plays

Draymond Green ($6,000)

Golden State might be expired on arrival if they go down 3-1 in this series headed back to Minnesota, and Draymond Green always seems to toss on the cape in elimination games to preserve the dynasty. He had more turnovers (5) than combined points and rebounds (4) on Saturday, so the other side of this coin could be that the T-Wolves' size is wearing the veteran down. He's a better fit for cash games than tournaments.

Rudy Gobert ($5,500)

Rudy Gobert's salary tumbled despite making the grade in this series with 10.4 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes, logging exactly 26 minutes in each contest. Randle and Naz Reid's outstanding performances have muted his court time a bit thus far, but he's been flatly dominant rebounding the basketball against the smaller Dubs when given the chance.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.