Thursday brings a single NBA matchup, with a 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks: Stephen Curry is out for at least a week, so it will be up to Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and others to fill the void against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page.
NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Thursday, May 8
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jimmy Butler: Warriors at Timberwolves
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 46.84 | FanDuel: 46.67
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 75.4% | FanDuel: 73.9%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $11,200 | FanDuel: $15,200
Stephen Curry is going to miss one week at a minimum, which means the earliest he would return would be Game 5 next Wednesday, though it may not be until a potential Game 6 on Sunday. It’s going to be a team effort to fill the void left by the greatest shooter of all-time, so let’s run through the impacts.
Jimmy Butler is going to have to lead the scoring charge, with Draymond Green helping guide the offense and hopefully continuing to knock down enough 3-pointers to be relevant. Anything less than 20 field goal attempts from Butler would be a surprise, with at least half as many free throws as a baseline expectation. Green is live for a triple-double if he can maintain his focus and not implode on the court.
Buddy Hield will be getting the first crack at providing secondary scoring, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep up his torrid shooting after going 19-of-34 (56%) from the field and 14-of-19 (73%) from 3-point range. His 37% success rate from long-range was his lowest of the last three regular seasons and below his nearly 40% career-rate.
Brandin Podziemski will also be needed for additional scoring and to help Green run the offense. After this core four, things become uncertain for the Warriors.
Gary Payton II is going to have to keep harassing Anthony Edwards to help keep the game within reach. Although, if Payton is not chipping in a little on offense, or locking down Edwards, he could lose minutes to Moses Moody. Backup point guard Pat Spencer is currently projected for around 10 minutes, which is not accounting for mop-up duty in a lopsided game.
This is going to be a “kitchen sink” game, with coach Steve Kerr likely to pull out all of the stops. That means Jonathan Kuminga may be out of the doghouse, with desperation mode now activated. Also, Kevon Looney is likely to pick up some more run, with the Timberwolves able to play Rudy Gobert more in what is likely to be a lower-paced game.
Quinten Post and Gui Santos are likely to make an appearance for a rotation or two, though either, or both, could be glued to the bench in the second half, depending on what works or not.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Anthony Edwards: Timberwolves vs. Warriors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 48.81 | FanDuel: 46.62
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 78.5% | FanDuel: 76.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $12,000 | FanDuel: $15,400
Anthony Edwards was called out by head coach Chris Finch for his lackluster first-half effort, scoring just one point before the break. The two-way star finished the game with 23 points and acknowledged that he needs to step things up from the jump, even if his shot isn’t falling.
Julius Randle chipped in 18 points, including an impressive 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. Naz Reid had 19 off the bench, though former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo continued his disappearing act with only seven points – though he was on the court for 33 minutes.
Mike Conley missed all five of his field goal attempts, but recorded five assists, one rebound and a steal in 22 minutes. There will be better value options from the Warriors, though at least the 37-year-old has a very defined role in the rotation.
Former University of Washington stalwart Jaden McDaniels logged 38 minutes—second-most on the team—and should be able to pester Hield and Spencer into some turnovers tonight. Both coaches filed complaints with the league—Minnesota took issue with how the Warriors battled Gobert in the paint, while Golden State wasn’t happy about the constant clutching and grabbing of Curry. We could see a tighter whistle tonight, though that could cut both ways.
The Stiffle Tower should push for a double-double with a couple of blocks and since there are no positional requirements for the single-game format, there is less opportunity cost. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the only other reserve worthy of a mention, with anything more than a dozen minutes likely coming in mop-up duty, or if McDaniels has foul trouble.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
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Take Buddy Hield under 22.5 points+rebounds+assists tonight, 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.
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Hield is going to need to continue to provide secondary scoring with Curry out, however, he also is going to have the full attention of McDaniels, who is a tough defender. This wager is likely to go down to the wire with Hield hoisting up shots, but if he is not finding the mark, he could easily be replaced by Moody.
