NBA DFS Picks: Top OwnersBox Plays for Sunday (May 19)

OwnersBox is one of the unique DFS sites that still has traditional daily salary-cap contests in addition to their Lightning Lineups contests.

In Lightning Lineups, the OwnersBox app will provide three sets of lineups for a given sport and slate, each lineup with three players. From there, users pick which lineup they think will score the most points. If you don’t like the options, you can spin for new lineups.

Spin. Pick. Win. OwnersBox’s innovative Lighting Lineups format is the most electric way to play daily fantasy sports.

However, they also have a traditional DFS format, which will be the focus of this article.

For OwnersBox, you use four guards, four forwards/centers, and one Superflex.

Also, our OwnersBox promo code delivers new users a $500 sign-up offer. Their 100% deposit match of up to $500 is by far the best among DFS sites.

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Note: Projections may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.

Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.

NBA DFS Guard Picks

Jalen Brunson ($8,400) vs. Indiana Pacers

In the first of two awesome Game 7s on tap for Sunday, Brunson’s Knicks host the Pacers with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics on the line. Brunson has been amazing in the playoffs so far and brings the highest median and ceiling projections of all guards on OwnersBox. He also has the highest Pts/Sal at the position, showing that he’s an excellent value along with his high ceiling.

In his 12 postseason games this season, Brunson has averaged 40.7 minutes per game and 26.9 field-goal attempts for a 37.7% usage rate. He has turned all those opportunities into 33.7 points, 7.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game. He had 44 points and seven assists in the Knicks’ last home game, which was a 30-point rout in Game 6.

On Sunday, his ceiling and value are both extremely high since he takes so many shots and carries so much of the workload for New York. He’s proven himself to be a big-game performer and will need to rise to the occasion again in Game 7. He’s a great place to start your fantasy lineups Sunday afternoon.

Andrew Nembhard ($3,900) at New York Knicks

Because of the tempo at which the Pacers play, the Eastern Conference Game 7 has the higher over/under of the two games on Sunday by almost 10 points. If you’re going to lean into one of the two games, this matchup looks to be the better scoring environment. Nembhard is a great way to balance your backcourt spending since his salary is under $4,000, and he brings good potential with the second-highest Pts/Sal of all the guards on the slate behind only Brunson.

Nembhard has started all 12 games this postseason for the Pacers, averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game. He has scored 11 points or more in four of the six games in this series and matched his series-high with 15 points while playing a series-high 38 minutes in Game 6. He hit three 3-pointers in that game while adding six assists and six boards for his best fantasy performance of the series.

The Pacers rely on Nembhard for his perimeter defense, so he should play big minutes again in Game 7. He has the potential to go off if his outside shot stays hot, but even if he cools off, his workload and minutes provide him a great floor for a player with a salary so low. He makes sense in the Superflex spot if you have to go cheap since no player at any position with a salary under $5,000 has a better Pts/Sal.

Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:

NBA DFS Forward/Center Picks

Nikola Jokic ($10,200) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Jokic has the highest ceiling, median and floor projections on the slate, and he has been exceptional in the postseason. He is extremely expensive, but if you can find a way to build around his hefty, five-figure salary, he almost always delivers massive production. His value is projected lower than Brunson’s and even several other forward/center options, but no one can match his raw upside.

In the playoffs, Jokic has averaged 28.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 8.8 assists while also chipping in 1.5 steals per game. He has eight double-doubles, including two triple-doubles, in those 11 games. He struggled in Game 6 with only 22 points in 36 minutes as the Timberwolves turned the game into a blowout and sent the series back to Denver. Jokic had a masterful 40-point, 13-rebound game in Game 6 at home and will look for a similar performance to carry his Nuggets back to the Western Conference Finals against the Mavs.

I don’t expect The Joker to go down easy. In last year’s Championship run, Denver did not face elimination in any game, but Jokic has played 12 elimination games in his career and has averaged 26.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists in those matchups, which include eight double-doubles and two triple-doubles. Look for Jokic to post another monster game as he tries to get his team to the next round.

Myles Turner ($5,200) at New York Knicks

The forward/center position is overstuffed with value right around $5,000. The top four plays on the entire slate in Pts/Sal are all from this position with salaries between $5,000 and $6,000. Of the group, Turner edges out Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns for the most Pts/Sal since his salary is just a touch lower than both of the Timberwolves’ twin towers.

Turner is in the better scoring environment and doesn’t have to contend with trying to slow down Jokic. He has had a very good playoff run and always brings a high ceiling. The 28-year-old is known as a volatile play during the regular season, but in the playoffs, he has been fairly consistent. He has scored 15-plus points in three of his last four games and eight of his 12 games during Indiana’s postseason run. Turner has averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in 32.3 minutes per game. He has had multiple blocked shots in four straight games and is averaging 2.0 blocks per game in the six games in this series.

Turner had 21 points and 10 boards in Game 3 for his only double-double of the series, he but scored a series-high 23 points in Game 1. If O.G. Anunoby (hamstring, questionable) is sidelined again in Game 7, the Knicks may opt again to go small with Miles McBride in the starting lineup. That creates mismatches for Turner or Pascal Siakam, and the team attacked those matchups effectively in Game 6. If that continues in Game 7, Turner will be a great fantasy play at this salary.