Mitchell Thoennes 
Tonight’s NBA GPP Picks 5/24 slate will bring us just two games. It will be Miami vs Milwaukee and Portland vs Denver. As far as I know, there is no injury news to watch with Will Barton already ruled out. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a surprise Covid situation so make sure you pop in Discord Chat throughout the day. Join the WinDaily staff and me in there talking tonight’s basketball games and hop in our MLB chat as well. I’ll keep it short and sweet today so let’s roll into our picks.
Today will be different because of the two-game slate. I will break down my top game stack for tonight’s slate using DraftKings pricing.
Bombcarlo’s NBA GPP Picks 5/24
Portland vs Denver
Portland
Damian Lillard – ($9,500)
In-game one it was certainly Dame time and I will ride that train again. He played 40 minutes, shot 25 times, and scored a total of 59 fantasy points. His usage of 35% stood out as it was 10% higher than anyone else on the team. It wasn’t like he was scorching from the field either as he shot 10-25. In my opinion, he is still underpriced which is enough to put him as a centerpiece in my builds.
Jusuf Nurkic – ($6,700)
I watched all of the last game and I saw Jokic eat up Kanter when those two were matched up. That may be a big reason Nurkic played 33 minutes and I would expect him to again. The Former teammate of Jokic holds his own against the MVP candidate, which should solidify his minutes on the floor this series. I know one game was the season finale but Nurkic has scored 42 fantasy points or greater in two straight games against Denver. Since he is guarding Jokic there is foul trouble potential here but he’s got a 40-point upside with those minutes.
Honorable Mention – Norman Powell and Anfernee Simons
Denver
Michael Porter Jr. – ($7,000)
MPJ is the clear-cut number two option as long as Barton is out. In-game one Porter took 21 shots in route to a 28.5% usage rate. With that, he scored just shy of 40 fantasy points falling one rebound shy of a double-double. The Blazers have been the second-worst defensive squad all season so buckets against them aren’t hard to come by.
Austin Rivers – ($3,800)
There is nothing fancy about this play other than the value with minutes. In-game one Rivers was trusted to play 33 minutes and logged 20 fantasy points. If he continues to play that many minutes against the second-worst defense in the league you cannot ignore him at this price. With those minutes Rivers provides a floor that won’t hurt a lineup and on a two-game slate with limited cheap options, I will take it. I do believe Monte Morris is also in play at just $100 more you get more shot attempts but fewer minutes.
Miami vs Milwaukee
Miami
Jimmy Butler – ($8,500)
I will try to fit Jimmy in with those other four up top. He owned a 30% usage rate in game one and scored 47 fantasy points but shot only 4-22 from the field. If he makes two more of those shots he is above 50 fantasy points and 6-22 is still pretty bad. The pace up spot helps Jimmy with rebounds and I believe he will flirt with a triple double most of this series.
Goran Dragic – ($5,000)
In game one Dragic played 35 minutes on his way to over 30 fantasy points. He was third on the team in usage just above 25% while taking 17 shot attempts. The Bucks rank second fastest in pace this season which is a massive pace up spot for Dragic and the Heat. That 5K price tag is too cheap for me if he is going to play more than 30 minutes.
Honorable Mention – Trevor Ariza
Milwaukee
Jrue Holiday – ($7,700)
If I play anyone from the Bucks side it is Holiday who has scored over 43 fantasy points and recorded a double-double in three straight games. Holiday and Middleton were basically tied in usage behind Giannis last game at 24.5%. The Buck point guard gets peripheral stats at a solid clip to provide a solid floor. He is also the cheapest of Milwaukee’s primary usage guys. The Heat slow the pace enough and do a good job defending him for me to play him in game two. I believe Dame can get me near the same ceiling in his matchup for over a thousand less.
Honorable Mention – Brook Lopez
Closing Bombcarlo’s NBA GPP Picks 5/24
When you plug those four into a lineup it leaves you with $5,750 to play with. That amount of salary will allow you to plug in Holiday, Middleton, or Jimmy Butler from the other game. You would still be left with around $5,000 to spend pending which player you selected. I hope you enjoyed NBA GPP Picks 5/24 and may your screens be green!
