FanDuel Single-Game NBA DFS Picks and Helper: Mavericks at Timberwolves (5/24/24)

Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. Our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- update throughout the day to reflect current news. You can also turn to numberFire for player news updates as well as a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, 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 the Dallas Mavericks-Minnesota Timberwolves Game 2 single-game slate on FanDuel.

NBA Single-Game DFS Picks for Mavericks-Timberwolves

Game 2 Preview

All NBA odds are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Date and Time: Friday, May 24th at 8:30 p.m. ET

Spread: Timberwolves -5.5 (-114)

Total: 207.5 (-110/-110)

Studs to Target

Luka Doncic ($17,500) -- After being held to 52.8 FanDuel points per game (FPPG) last round, Luka Doncic exploded for 60.2 FPs in Wednesday's series opener. Despite Luka tying his lowest rebound total (six) of the postseason and shooting a putrid 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, it didn't matter. Doncic cooked up 33 real-world points, dished out eight assists, and picked up three steals while leading Dallas to a Game 1 upset. I'd expect a better effort from the Wolves in Game 2, but I'm bullish we'll get more of these big performances from Luka going forward. He's our highest-projected player (55.3 FPs) and the obvious MVP choice tonight, even if the salary is outrageous.

Anthony Edwards ($15,500) -- Given the salary discrepancy between Luka and Anthony Edwards, we have to look at Ant as contrarian play for the 2x MVP slot. Edwards' final number (47.2 FPs) was fine in Game 1, but from a strictly analytical perspective -- the vibes were off. Though he finished two assists shy of a triple-double, Edwards shot only 6-of-16, extending his streak of sub-50% shooting to four games. We saw him flirt with 60 FPs twice against Dallas in the regular season, and he's clipped that mark three times this postseason. We've seen Ant match Doncic's ceiling, more than we can say about the rest of the player pool.

Mid-Range Options

Kyrie Irving ($14,000) -- Game 1 was a tale of two halves for Kyrie Irving. He started off on fire, making 11-of-14 shots en route to 24 actual and 25.7 FanDuel points. But in the second half, Kyrie shot just 1-of-9, finishing with 30 actual and 43 FanDuel points. Stil, it was encouraging to see him bounce back from three straight sub-25-FP games. Irving has now notched 30 real-world points in both matchups with Minnesota this season. Tonight, his points prop is set at 23.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Karl-Anthony Towns ($13,000) -- Karl-Anthony Towns finished with only 29.4 FPs in Game 1, but I liked what I saw. He attempted his most shots (20) and registered his second-highest usage rate (28.9%) of the postseason, though KAT recorded just one defensive statistic and only made six field goals. Still, this appears to be a matchup he'll enjoy, and we've seen him flirt with 50 FPs several times this postseason. I think you can pair him with ANT, but he's an essential part of Doncic MVP builds in either the 1.5x STAR or 1.2x PRO slots.

Value Plays

Jaden McDaniels ($10,500) -- Jaden McDaniels is on an absolute heater. With 33.3 FPs in Game 1, McDaniels has now exceeded 30 FPs in three straight outings. That's directly coincided with an uptick in scoring, with the Second Team All-Defense member scoring 21, 23, and 24 points over the last three games. He nailed five of his first six threes on Wednesday, finishing 6-of-9 from three and marking his third straight game with at least three triples. McDaniels' points prop is set at 12.5, and he has +220 odds for 3+ made threes on FanDuel Sportsbook. At $10.5K in DFS, it's easy to find a spot for him at the bottom of your lineup.

Derrick Lively ($9,500) -- Another day, another game where Dereck Lively (31.7 FPs, +19 +/-) outperforms Daniel Gafford (21.8 FPs, -15). Lively was a matchup nightmare for the Wolves in Game 1, scoring nine points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking two shots. But he also finished with three assists -- something that could continue with the Minnesota electing to blitz the Doncic-Lively pick-and-roll. He's easily my favorite player with a sub-$10K salary, and it's easy to like his points prop, currently set at 8.5 with +102 odds toward the over on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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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.