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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on August 11, 2020. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's coming down to the wire for the playoff seeding in the Western Conference. With Sacramento and New Orleans officially eliminated, it's coming down to a three-horse race for the 9th seed between Portland, San Antonio, and Phoenix. Portland and Phoenix are both on the main slate, and with how hard and well those teams are playing right now, it's hard not to have a piece of them in your lineups.
I am most intrigued by the Portland-Dallas game tonight. Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic are playing out of their minds right now, and it has the Trail Blazers in a great spot to be involved with the 8-9 seeding matchup this weekend. On the other side, Dallas is fighting to move up to the sixth seed and avoid a dreaded matchup with the Clippers. Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic sat out Monday's win over the Utah Jazz, but I expect both back in tonight's matchup with the possibility of the six seed still in play. Both teams rank in the top half of the slate for points per game, and a shootout should mean fantasy points galore.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/11/20. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Lastly, feel free to follow me on Twitter @EuanOrYouOut. Good luck.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Damian Lillard, PG - POR vs. DAL ($9,900)
I'm not sure if Damian Lillard is the hottest basketball player on the planet right now, but I am sure he is in the top three (got to give respect to T.J. Warren and Luka Doncic). I thought the run Lillard had at the end of last season was crazy, but he is putting another string of incredible performances together at Disney World.
The five-time All-Star has scored at least 45 fantasy points in five of his six games inside the bubble and is coming off a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he complied 51 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals. The point guard's opponent on Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks, ranks 20th versus point guards this season. Lillard is averaging 54.8 fantasy points per game in his last five contests and should come close, if not exceed, that benchmark tonight.
Dillon Brooks, SG - MEM vs. BOS ($5,700)
Dillon Brooks had a quiet start to bubble life as the Memphis Grizzlies struggled to restart their season at Disney World. Brooks didn't score more than 16 points in any of his first three games, but over his last three contests, he is averaging 23.3 points per game. It's resulted in two of his best fantasy performances.
Memphis' opponent on Tuesday, the Boston Celtics, rank in the top half of the NBA against shooting guards, but that won't scare me from rostering Brooks in my lineups. His salary and recent form give me confidence that the Canadian will hit on his value tonight. There are more expensive shooting guards on the slate with higher ceilings, but Brooks is a good bang for your buck kind of play.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG - SAC vs. NO ($5,600)
The Sacramento Kings are officially eliminated from the 2020 playoffs, and it looks like they are resting De'Aaron Fox (shoulder) for Tuesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Fox has a 29.9 usage rate this season for the Kings and leaves a hole in the Sacramento offense. That means more opportunity for the shooter that's so nice they named him twice-ovic. Bogdan Bogdanovic is having a great time in the bubble as he enters restricted free agency.
The Serbian is averaging 19 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.5 three-pointers inside the NBA bubble and will look to continue his impressive run versus the Pelicans. The Pelicans allow 42.9 FPPG to shooting guards while the 27-year-old is averaging 38.2 fantasy points in his last three games. Against this same New Orleans team, Bogdanovic scored a career-high 35 points on Aug. 6.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis, PF - DAL vs. POR ($8,500)
Porzingis sat on Monday versus the Utah Jazz for the first game of the back-to-back after playing 40 minutes against Milwaukee on Saturday. That should mean he is good to go for tonight's matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers, but, as always, keep an eye on those injury reports.
Porzingis has put together an impressive stat line since the season restarted. In five games, the Latvian is averaging 29.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 blocks, and one steal in 36 minutes. The power forward will enjoy a softer matchup against a Portland frontcourt coming in as the second-worst defense against power forwards. The Trail Blazers allow 50.66 FPPG to the position, which is excellent news for Porzingis as he is averaging 51.54 FPPG since the restart.
Troy Brown, SF - WAS vs. MIL ($6,300)
Troy Brown started 14 of 61 games before the NBA suspended its season back in March. However, since the NBA resumed play, Brown has started in all six of the Washington Wizards game and produced tremendous results for daily fantasy players. In his last five contests, Brown has played at least 29 minutes while averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and one steal.
Those stats have seen the 2018 draft pick average 36.2 FPPG. That's good enough for the third-highest average amongst small forwards on the main slate tonight despite being the sixth most expensive option. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Monday's contest and is questionable for tonight's game. Brown makes for a cheaper pivot if the reigning MVP sits for a second straight game.
Harrison Barnes, SF - SAC vs. NO ($4,400)
If you are looking to go cheaper than Troy Brown at the small forward position, may I interest you in some Harrison Barnes? Yes, the 28-year-old has been up and down since the NBA resumed, but he has scored at least 21 fantasy points in four of six bubble games, and three of those came in his last three games. Just like I mentioned with Bogdan Bogdanovich, De'Aaron Fox is out for tonight's game and leaves an offensive gap for the Kings. Barnes is averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in his last three appearances and will look to hit those averages tonight. His opponent, the New Orleans Pelicans, is 21st versus small forwards this season, allowing 42.2 FPPG to the position. I'm not sure I trust Barnes enough to make him a must-start in my lineups today, but he is an option if you are low on cash at the end of your roster.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Jusuf Nurkic, C - POR vs. DAL ($8,500)
Jusuf Nurkic scored 33.7 fantasy points on Sunday against one of the most robust defenses in the league, the 76ers, and it was his worst game at Disney World by almost nine points. Before that, the big man averaged 50.3 FPPG over five games. I'm going to side with the five-game sample size over the one-game sample size and put Nurkic straight into my lineups again on Tuesday.
Even with the "down" game versus Philadelphia, Nurkic has returned from his devastating injury with some outstanding numbers. The 25-year-old is averaging 18.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 47.52 fantasy points in 32 minutes. With averages like that, I prefer him to Joel Embiid tonight and save those $300 elsewhere. I also think he is worth the $800-$1200 more you have to spend on him over guys like Deandre Ayton, Jonas Valanciunas, and Thomas Bryant.
