NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Is Minnesota Already on the Ropes?! (May 22)

Thursday brings Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals with an 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff. Let’s break down the top NBA DFS picks and key lineup building blocks on FanDuel and DraftKings. These selections reflect the most up-to-date data — and for live updates, be sure to visit our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page.

NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Thursday, May 22

NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks

It should be no surprise that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was heavily involved in both runs on his way to 31 points, five rebounds, nine assists and a trio of steals in 38 minutes. The Association officially announced that SGA won the regular season MVP, which was well deserved in what was a nip-and-tuck battle with Nikola Jokic.

Jalen Williams was outstanding with a ridiculous five steals in the series opener, adding 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes. In a twist, Jaylin Williams did not leave the bench, though Kenrich Williams played the final 1:52 of the first period, replacing Chet Holmgren. He also had a five-minute, 43-second rotation in the third quarter, covering for Isaiah Hartenstein before rejoining the fun and running out the final two minutes of the game with the rest of the understudies.

For reference, Kenrich had played in just five games this postseason, with 16 minutes in Game 1 against Memphis and 12 minutes in Game 2 of the Denver series, both of which were 43-plus-point Thunder victories. Jaylin had played in every playoff game until Tuesday night. It will be interesting to see how things transpire tonight.

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Isaiah Hartenstein is a wild card, though he did play the initial 6:42 of the game, even with Rudy Gobert heading to the bench after 97 seconds with two fouls. It was Holmgren who was the first off the floor, being replaced by Cason Wallace. Hartenstein ended up logging just 20 minutes, and there were just over five minutes of action between the second and third periods when Gobert was on the court and Hartenstein was on the bench.

If not for efficient shooting, Hartenstein would have been a real anchor on lineups. This feels like a risky situation and one fraught with peril for those backing the former New York Knick.

Holmgren was excellent, chipping in three “stocks” (combined steals and blocks) to go with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He played just 26 minutes, which were the second fewest for the first five, though he should clear 30 in a closer contest.

Luguentz Dort also had three stocks, but he had just four field goal attempts, which is a reminder that he is a defense-first player in the postseason.

Wallace led the reserves with 33 minutes, which is not a surprise as some of his run came at the expense of Hartenstein in the latter half of the tilt. Alex Caruso should be in the mix for around 22 to 24 minutes per game this series as a baseline, with a couple extra minutes on the table in tight situations.

Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins should each see a first half rotation, though anything beyond that will be up to the vagaries of coach Mark Daigneault, with each being a strong candidate for mop-up duty.

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This feels like a light salary for Reid since it is unlikely he will be so ineffective from the field again. However, it is also unlikely that Gobert will pick up two fouls in less than two minutes, and indications from coach Chris Finch are that he wants to get more from the Stifle Tower. We all have fallen prey to coach speak, but Finch also said he wanted to have Nickeil Alexander-Walker play more, specifically to guard his cousin Gilgeous-Alexander. They are the same age and played together in high school and various select and Canadian national teams. Of course, SGA is now the MVP, but Alexander-Walker is clearly not afraid to take on this defensive challenge.

This is a long way of saying, there is a decent chance that NAW will get upper 20s for minutes most of this series after topping 18 minutes only once against Golden State. It looks like this is going to be a tough series for Jaden McDaniels, who is needed to focus on defense against SGA and Jalen Williams. In a trickledown impact of NAW getting increased run, it was at the expense of McDaniels, limiting the latter to just under 24 minutes. It also appeared that Donte DiVincenzo was the desired partner for Alexander-Walker, while it was Reid who was mostly on the court with McDaniels. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up in Game 2 and if it looks like a trend for the series.

Rookie Jaylen Clark made a surprise appearance at the end of the first quarter for three minutes. This was also something the announcers said that Finch had hinted at happening just to give a little bit of a different look. He also played the final 67 seconds of the third quarter, though it would not be a shock if we do not see this continue in Game 2, and he is a risk of a DNP-CD.

The team was -20 with DiVincenzo, though most of that happened in the final quarter when the Timberwolves were desperately looking for offense. It is still a reminder that the journeyman wing is mostly one-dimensional in the postseason.

Julius Randle was crucial, leading the team in points, and, of course, the Timberwolves are only going to go as far as he and Edwards can propel them. At this point it looks like a gentleman’s sweep is in the cards unless there is a major shift tonight.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks

If you’re serious about winning in NBA DFS, you know the edge comes from having the right tools. The same principle applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV steps in.

Take Naz Reid under 16.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA), for example. It’s a +EV bet, meaning it has positive expected value when compared to the best odds available across the market. But the real strength of Portfolio EV isn’t about finding just one good bet — it’s about consistently finding dozens. With the Mass Entry tool, you can scale up, place a high volume of +EV bets, and let the math do the heavy lifting.

Just like you wouldn’t count on one DFS lineup to ship a GPP, you don’t count on one bet to carry your night.

Portfolio EV is built for long-term profitability. It helps you spot market inefficiencies, compare lines across books and generate a steady stream of +EV bets. It doesn’t chase heaters, but rather trusts the numbers, follows a process and builds sustainable profit over time.

Reid is an excellent discount dandy for DFS, but we can also go against him in the sports wagering world with the under on his 16.5 PRA. Currently, he projects for 15.7 PRA, and that takes into account his typical efficiency from the field and not his dreadful 1 of 11 performance. Of course, if he is splashing his long-range attempts, Reid could top this number on points alone, but that is a risk the math is telling us to take.