FanDuel NBA DFS Picks: Tuesday 5/13/25

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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,600)

Both MVP candidates have underperformed in this Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder series, but that also means their salaries are quite low if the ball goes in the basket for Game 5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still averaged 56.9 FanDuel points (FDP) in this series' two home contests, and his usage rate (27.2%) is still easily the best on his squad despite a Sunday effort where he definitely lost confidence.

Darius Garland ($6,500)

Donovan Mitchell (ankle)'s injury would disrupt a full regular season slate. This two-gamer hinges on Mitchell's availability entirely, but Darius Garland is a good guy to plan on rostering in either event. The point guard has averaged 44.0 FDP per 36 minutes all season, including playoffs. Garland showed he was back to full strength with 21 points and 6 assists in just 27 minutes as the Cleveland Cavaliers got waxed in Game 4.

Value Plays

Ty Jerome ($5,000)

Presumably, Ty Jerome would step into the primary backcourt spot if Mitchell sits. That's what he did in Garland's four postseason absences despite Sam Merrill starting, averaging 24.3 minutes and eclipsing 31 FDP three times. The Game 2 clunker with 1-for-14 shooting was pretty scarring, but Jerome has been a productive fill-in all season when one of Cleveland's guards is out.

Russell Westbrook ($4,900)

If the Nuggets end up going home, Russell Westbrook's gap between last series and this one might be the difference. Westbrook was 2-for-12 from the floor on Sunday with poor decision making, leading to some concerns he'll even see the 26 minutes he did last outing. Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr.'s inconsistencies should still give him some opportunity for a throwback game in his old stomping grounds.

Wings

Top Priorities

Jalen Williams ($8,200)

Small forward remains pretty impossible when this is the set of two games, but Jalen Williams is still worth a look as the only option north of $6,500. J-Dub's profile is still a "buy low" when he's shooting 36.9% from the series -- and 20.8% from downtown. We saw Denver's bottom-10 defensive rating (DRTG) from the regular season show up a bit in Game 2, and OKC's team total tonight (115.5) is surprisingly high.

Max Strus ($5,500)

You could make the argument that Max Strus has been the best Cavalier in this series. That's also sort of the problem. Strus' two "disappointments" in the series on FanDuel came in blowouts. Otherwise, he's posted 37.2 FDP per 36 minutes over the last four. Strus' usage rate has increased 1.6 percentage points with Mitchell off the floor this season, so shots will be present if "Spida" is inactive.

Value Plays

Aaron Nesmith ($5,300)

Aaron Nesmith's usage rate (17.0%) isn't high enough to survive a blowout like we saw on Sunday. He's not the one doing that damage. I still love the wing's outlook as he leads this timeshare over Bennedict Mathurin, who was ejected from Game 4. Mathurin's recent surge has more to do with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam's previous struggles to create offense than Nesmith's play.

De'Andre Hunter ($4,300)

There are a few Cavs I could have slotted into this collective to fill Mitchell's void, but De'Andre Hunter's experience -- and 30 minutes on the floor in Game 1 without Garland -- are the tiebreaker. Hunter suffered an injury himself that night to hide what was a huge boost. Sam Merrill ($3,900) is another candidate for extended run when he started ahead of Jerome in that contest.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Nikola Jokic ($11,500)

There's been plenty of speculation as to why Nikola Jokic's shot (39.1 FG% in this series) has abandoned him. It's probably a combination of OKC's defense plus general wear and tear. Really, nothing else has changed from the guy who posted 42 points, 22 rebounds, and 79.4 FDP in Game 1 when the ball was going in the basket, though. If Denver gets blown out tonight as a 10.5-point spread suggest, that wouldn't be ideal in DFS, but a big night from Jokic is -- as usual -- the most plausible reason they won't.

Evan Mobley ($7,900)

When Mitchell is off the floor, Evan Mobley becomes a five-digit-salary player. He's averaged 50.8 FDP per 36 minutes behind a 3.3 percentage-point increase in usage rate. That's just offense when he's also collected seven stocks (steals plus blocks) in two games since returning. While still fully in consideration if Mitchell plays, I don't think I can leave him behind in a must-win home game for Cleveland if the guard sits.

Value Plays

Pascal Siakam ($6,800)

How did the Indiana Pacers blow out Cleveland in Game 4 with such vigor? Pascal Siakam finally showed up offensively. Siakam needed just 21 minutes to post 21 points, earning rest for most of the second half. Nightly expectations for "Spicy P" should be much higher with the slump potentially over. He's amassed 40.5 FDP per 36 minutes this season (incl. playoffs).

Isaiah Hartenstein ($6,000)

It's hard to see Isaiah Hartenstein coming off the floor when his base defense combined with an OKC trap defender has given Jokic fits. The versatile big makes the most of them in DFS, too. He's now topped 32 FDP in four of his last five. This salary is closer to "fair" than a bargain, but Hartenstein and Myles Turner are both quality mid-range pivots if you have something else in mind for the salary it'd cost to roster Jokic.

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.