Draftkings Best NBA Showdown Picks: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves 5/16/24

The NBA presents a playoff matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Let’s take a look at this Game from a Draftkings perspective.

Before we dive into the Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game let’s review the rules for Draftkings single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

Here are my Draftkings picks for this evening’s Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves matchup.

Draftkings Picks

Captain-Rudy Gobert $8,400

Yes, I know that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be a popular choice for captain. Rightfully so. However, I am going to pivot to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert as my captain for Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

It’s fair to say that Minnesota center Rudy Gobert is a big reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves have played so well this season. Let’s take a look at Gobert’s recent Game data to shed light on my previous statement.

In the Minnesota Timberwolves last two games played (all playoff games), Gobert has averaged an impressive 14.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1 steal a game.

Taking a closer look at the data just presented, in the Minnesota Timberwolves last two Games played in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals, Rudy Gobert averaged 38.2 Draftkings points a Game.

Selecting the correct captain for your DFS single game showdown lineup is vital if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) Draftkings contest. Having stated that, I think that Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert fits the captain narrative perfectly for this one game slate.

Flex Plays

Nikola Jokic $14,000

Denver center Nikola Jokic has been the leader in the paint that the Denver Nuggets have needed to win games in the 2024 Western Conference playoffs. Having stated that, how has Nikola Jokic been playing recently?

In the Denver Nuggets last four games played in the 2024 Western Conference playoffs, Nikola Jokic averaged a robust 62.7 Draftkings points a game.

Considering the elevated importance of tonight’s Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs, I fully expect Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic to play his best game of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals.

Jamal Murray $9,600

In the Denver Nuggets eight Games played in the 2024 Western Conference playoffs Denver guard Jamal Murray has averaged 36.1 Draftkings points a Game.

It should be noted that the Denver Nuggets have officially listed Jamal Murray as questionable for this evening’s game. I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate

Christian Braun $4,000

Nuggets guard Christian Braun has certainly been a key contributor off the bench for the Denver Nuggets this season. Let’s review how well Braun has been playing in this series

In the Denver Nuggets last two games played in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals (all games versus Minnesota), Christian Braun averaged 21.1 Draftkings points a game.

Additional players I like to play well (Draftkings price noted): Karl-Anthony Towns $9,400: Anthony Edwards $11,600: Aaron Gordon $8,000: Mike Conley $7,200.