NBA DFS Picks for May 9 2021

This is the first slate that we have had in a while that is tough to find strong value plays. We do not have nearly as many priorities then were used to, and we must dig a little bit deeper to find strong plays for our lineup. However, we will not need as high scores to cash tonight, so it could be a big opportunity if you know where to look. With all that said, one team we are looking at a lot for tonight is the 

New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are missing Zion Williamson and will likely be without Brandon Ingram as well. We are going to a stars and scrubs lineup here, as the best value we do have is on the very bottom of the slate.

Here’s a stars and scrubs lineup For DFS Basketball 5/9/21 (using DraftKings Values)

As we mentioned in the introduction, the Pelicans are our best source of value as of now. Lonzo Ballis quite expensive tonight at $8,400, and on another slate we would likely be spending the salary elsewhere. However, tonight we are seriously lacking strong spend up options, so we will be looking at some guys that have crazy opportunities like Ball. We expect Ball to be doing almost everything tonight for the New Orleans offense, and he has been having some massive games lately. Ball has had multiple games above 60 FPTS recently, and those were games with Williamson and Ingram playing. With both those guys out, Ball has a ton of potential for a massive performance. We are paying for the extra usage here, but his upside is too good to pass up on for a slate like this.

Naji Marshall is one guy who we really like for this situation. Marshall has not been great lately, but we must expect him to see a much bigger opportunity with Williamson and Ingram off the floor. Marshall has showed some decent upside this season, and we expect him to play a pretty big role tonight. Marshall played 27 minutes last game but shot two for ten from the field. Marshall is only $4,700 here, and he should hit value if he shoots any better. We expect Marshall to have a similar or even better opportunity tonight, and he could be in for some fantastic value.

De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes are both questionable for tonight, but it seems likely they remain out. If Fox ends up in tonight, we do not really like getting to anything on the Kings. However, if Fox remains out some of these guys still look good even with increased price tags. Buddy Hield has been priced up to $8,200 here, but he is still one of our favorite spend up options. Hield has been taking massive usage lately, Hield is yet to have a hot shooting night since Fox has been out. Hield has had a lot of games scoring over 40 FPTS shooting under 40 percent efficiency. If Hield has a good shooting night, he will be in for a massive game. On this slate, Hields upside is important on a slate with little options.

Earlier in the season when Williamson and Ingram were out for a while, we saw massive floor time for James Johnson. Johnson played 26 minutes last game going for 20 FPTS, solid for his $3,800 price tag. We expect Johnson could be in for a little bit more run tonight, and he is too cheap for his role without Williamson and Ingram. If these guys remain out for a while, we expect Johnson would be priced up significantly. If he gets the start again tonight he is a strong option for cheap value.

Guillermo Hernangomez – C ($5,300 DK) Steven Adams is questionable for this one, and we are not getting to Hernangomez if Adams ends up in However, it looks like Adams will likely remain out for this one. If that is the case, Hernangomez is a great play at this price. Hernangomez scored over 33 FPTS last game, which is around what we expect him to score in opportunities without Adams. Furthermore, we expect that with so many guys out for New Orleans, Hernangomez should take a little bit more usage as well. Hernangomez looks great if Adams is out, but we must monitor the news as the day progresses.

Ty Jerome – G ($4,900 DK) Jerome is questionable for tonight, so we must keep an eye on it. He looks very solid if he ends up in, as the Thunder still have a ton of injuries for tonight. Jerome scored 36 FPTS in his last game and has showed that kind of upside a lot lately. We also want to talk about if he is out, as that will open up a little bit more opportunity for the Thunder. If Jerome ends up out, we are looking to go heavier on value guards like Svi Mykhailiuk. 

K. Williams – F ($3,600 DK) Williams is one of our favorite value plays for tonight, as he is cheap for the production he has been showing. Williams scored 27.75 FPTS last game and has scored over 20 FPTS in each of his past three games. It does not really make sense why Williams is so cheap here given he has been producing at a decent level. As the Thuner still have a few injuries, we expect Williams will see decent run tonight. If he continues to score 20 or more FPTS, he will be one of the better values plays we have.

Luka Doncic – Util ($11,000 DK) On another slate, Doncic would not be a priority for us here, as there is nothing too special about this matchup or situation. With that said, this slate is seriously lacking at the top, and we do not have a lot of the top superstars available. Doncic is an important play on this slate, as he has way more upside than anyone else we can pick. It is not unlikely that Doncic is a must play here, as he is the only guy on the slate who regularly hits 70 or 80 FPTS. If you are fading Doncic, there is no play that matches his upside. He is the most important part of our stars and scrubs build is he is the purest spend up option available.

Here’s a stars and scrubs lineup For DFS Basketball 5/9/21 (using FanDuel Values)

Zach Lavine – SG (9,000 FD) We have been talking about how we do not have a ton of stars to pay up for here, which makes Lavine a great play for his upside. Lavine is looking healthy, and this is a really good price to be paying for him. Lavine has some of the best upside on tonight’s slate, and we are all over him on FanDuel where he is $800 cheaper then DraftKings.

Thaddeus Young – PF (5,700 FD) Young is another solid play who we are getting at a really good price tonight. Young has been showing some fantastic upside, scoring over 45 FPTS a few games ago. Young is a great per minute producer and should be in for some nice value if he gets the run.

Good luck tonight, keep an eye on the news as something big could change the whole slate.

Go win your lineup and tell us how you did. Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that.