Fantasy Basketball: NBA DFS Picks (Wednesday, May 14)

Last night, the first team officially punched its ticket to this year’s NBA Conference Finals. The Indiana Pacers rallied from a double-digit deficit to stun Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Tyrese Haliburton putting on a masterclass in the comeback win. The Pacers now earn some well-deserved rest as they await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal.

Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed a pivotal Game 5 win over the Denver Nuggets, taking a 3–2 series lead despite a jaw-dropping 44-point, 15-rebound performance from Nikola Jokić (as I mentioned yesterday—he was a must-start in DFS).

Tonight, two more teams have a chance to punch their own tickets as we gear up for a pair of critical Game 5s. In the East, the New York Knicks (+4.5) head to TD Garden to face a Boston Celtics team reeling from the news that Jayson Tatum has undergone surgery to repair a torn Achilles. The 207.5-point total reflects expected scoring limitations, but don’t count the Celtics out just yet. Despite trailing in the series, Boston has the talent, depth, and defensive grit to rally—starting with what would be their first home win of the series.

Out West, the Minnesota Timberwolves (-10.5) are expected to close out the Golden State Warriors (202.5 total) as Anthony Edwards and company return home riding a wave of momentum. With Stephen Curry sidelined, the Wolves are favored to land the knockout punch after taking three straight following their Game 1 loss.

In terms of injury updates, aside from Curry and Tatum, Boston’s Sam Hauser is the only other name to watch—he’s currently listed as a game-time decision.

With that, let’s dive into the top NBA DFS plays for Wednesday’s two-game slate on May 14.

NBA DFS Guards:

Stud: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks ($8,900)

Brunson is coming off his best game of the postseason and his salary reflects that. He put on a masterclass, tallying 39 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, and just one turnover en route to 66.3 fantasy points. The Knicks will want to take the defending champs out as early as possible and Big Body Brunson is looking for the knockout punch.

With Tatum sidelined, Brunson is now the best player on the floor and remains the engine powering the Knicks' impressive postseason surge. The star guard has shouldered an immense offensive load, delivering elite fantasy production with remarkable consistency. Over his last five outings, Brunson has eclipsed 44 DraftKings points in four contests—and in eight of New York’s 10 playoff games overall.

THIS IS INSANE. #Knicks

4th quarter points through first 10 games of one NBA Playoffs since 1997:

2025 | Jalen Brunson | 102 points
2003 | Kobe Bryant | 100 points
2001 | Kobe Bryant | 100 points
2023 | Stephen Curry | 99 points
2008 | Kobe Bryant | 99 points pic.twitter.com/jtURKqt3tq
— Adam Silverstein (@SilversteinAdam) May 13, 2025

He’s averaging an impressive 49.1 DK points during the postseason, all while commanding a hefty 33.2% usage rate. Simply put, Brunson has seamlessly carried over his clutch regular-season heroics and elevated his game when it matters most. In the waning minutes of close contests, he's been nothing short of unguardable.

Value: Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics ($5,200)

Payton Pritchard stands out as a savvy GPP play on this compact two-game slate, offering sneaky upside at low projected ownership. In eight games this season where he’s shared the floor with Jaylen Brown but not Jayson Tatum, Pritchard has posted an impressive 33.9 fantasy points per game, fueled by a 22.6% usage rate and a 20.9% assist rate—numbers that hint at a substantial role when the Celtics' star wing is sidelined.

With Tatum officially out and Kristaps Porzingis battling an illness, Pritchard is poised to log 30-plus minutes in Game 5. Pritchard is firmly in play as a high-leverage tournament option with breakout potential.

NBA DFS Forwards:

Stud: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics ($8,200)

With Tatum sidelined, Brown is practically a must-roster unless you envision the Celtics giving up, a hard thing to imagine. Boston needs the rest of the roster to step up and Brown is the guy who the team is going to lean heavily on. When the spotlight shifts and the stakes soar, Jaylen Brown has shown he’s more than capable of rising to the occasion as Boston’s offensive linchpin. Case in point: during Game 2 of the opening round against Orlando—without Jayson Tatum—Brown erupted for 36 points, 10 boards, and five dimes en route to a staggering 60.5 DraftKings points.

If Boston extends the series with a Game 6 in the Garden, it’ll likely be because Brown delivered the goods. After enduring his fair share of scrutiny throughout the year, this is his opportunity to silence the critics and remind everyone he's an elite two-way force. Expect him to flirt with—or exceed—the 50-point fantasy mark as he tries to will the Celtics’ season back from the brink.

Value: Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors ($5,500)

With Steph Curry sidelined, Jonathan Kuminga has seized the moment and carved out a pivotal role in Golden State’s offense, emerging as one of the slate’s most intriguing value plays. Over the Warriors’ last three contests without their superstar floor general, Kuminga has posted fantasy outputs of 25.25, 46.5, and 25.5 points—showcasing both consistency and explosive upside.

Across 14 games this season without Curry, Kuminga has averaged 29 fantasy points per night while leading the Dubs with a commanding 30% usage rate in just 27 minutes per contest. His ceiling was on full display in Game 3, when he erupted for 30 points, six boards, three assists, and a pair of blocks across 36 minutes. He followed that up with a 23-point effort in Game 4, though his peripherals tapered off a bit.

Kuminga last three games:

23.7 PPG
59.5 FG%
44.4 3P%

Leading the Warriors in points in that stretch. pic.twitter.com/uYcUFRXXtx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 13, 2025

In what is a do-or-die Game 5, the Warriors will need another assertive outing from Kuminga, who’s been their steadiest offensive weapon in Curry’s absence. He offers an impressive blend of floor and upside at his current salary and is positioned to smash value yet again—making him a must-consider option in any DFS build.

NBA DFS Centers:

Stud: Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves ($7,900)

Julius Randle has been nothing short of sensational in his last three postseason showdowns with Golden State, putting up a robust stat line of 26.3 points, 7.3 boards, 8.7 dimes, and 1.3 steals per game. Acting as the offensive engine for the Minnesota Timberwolves despite Anthony Edwards’ presence, Randle has exploited defensive mismatches with surgical precision—whether bulldozing his way to the rim or orchestrating plays like a seasoned floor general.

His well-rounded brilliance peaked in Game 3, where he erupted for a massive triple-double that translated to 63.5 DraftKings points. While his rebounds and assists dipped slightly in Game 4, he compensated by delivering a postseason-high 31 points on elite efficiency. Despite this impressive stretch, Randle continues to fly under the radar in DFS circles, overshadowed by the value-centric buzz around injury-riddled Boston and Golden State. That low visibility makes him a savvy contrarian pivot with the potential to swing tournaments.

Value: Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics ($5,000)

With Tatum out, Porzingis is primed for an expanded role—potentially rejoining the starting lineup and emerging as a key focal point in Boston’s offensive scheme. During the regular season, he routinely elevated his output when Tatum was absent, averaging 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over five games—significant jumps across the board. As a floor-spacing big with a dynamic inside-out skill set, Porzingis has the tools to stretch New York’s defense and create exploitable mismatches along the perimeter.

That said, the unicorn has been more of a ghost in this series, managing just 5.0 points and 4.0 boards per game—a far cry from his usual impact. However, he brings tantalizing upside at his current salary, but his recent form makes him a volatile play—ideal for high-risk, high-reward GPP formats where ceiling trumps certainty.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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