RADIO
I miss the days where there was non-stop basketball action for 12 hours a day, but I am still grateful that we have it on our screens for another night. With Denver forcing a Game 6 versus the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers have an opportunity to gain a couple of days extra rest if they can close out the Houston Rockets tonight. After a promising Game 1, the Rockets have fallen back to Earth and don't seem to have an answer for the LeBron James-Anthony Davis combination that is dragging the Lakers through the postseason.
As has been the case for the entire restart, James and Davis are listed as game-time decisions, but they will play barring some new development before tip. The Rockets will have an interesting situation on their hands with Danuel House officially gone from the bubble. Several players will have an opportunity to step up and fill the void he has left over the last two games. Austin Rivers had an admirable stat line in Game 4, and we will see if that earns him more run in Game 5.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 9/12/20. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @EuanOrYouOut. Good luck.
FanDuel DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook, PG - HOU vs. LAL ($13,000)
Outside of a disastrous Game 2, Russell Westbrook has been putting up substantial numbers in daily fantasy. Over his last two tilts, Westbrook is averaging 27.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and one block in 37.5 minutes. I believe he isn't going down without a fight tonight. It's a quality that can make the former-MVP the best and, sometimes, the worst player on the court. If James Harden is tentative tonight, Westbrook will happily step up and fire away. Maybe that won't mean great things for the Houston Rockets, but it will produce valuable points for Westbrook's fantasy managers.
Austin Rivers, PG - HOU vs. LAL ($7,500)
Game 4 saw Austin Rivers play more than 20 minutes for the first time in the series. He responded with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two three-pointers. Rivers should continue to see that same kind of workload in game five after Danuel House violated safety protocols inside the bubble. With only one game to pick from, fantasy managers will have to gravitate towards those players that will see significant minutes. Rivers is in line to be one of those players and is a preferred play tonight.
Ben McLemore, SG - HOU vs. LAL ($7,000)
Getting Ben McLemore in your lineup for today's contest is about one thing and one thing only: salary relief. The $7,000 price tag allows you to have a lineup consisting of Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and then another $8,500 player to round out the squad. If we are looking for a silver lining to this option, it's that McLemore played 14 minutes in game four, and that was the most action he has seen in the series. He provided nine points, one assist, and one steal on the night to produce 12.5 points. Park him firmly in a utility spot and enjoy the ability to spend big at the other positions.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
LeBron James, SF - LAL vs. HOU ($16,000)
LeBron James is my pick for the MVP slot in FanDuel's Single Game contest tonight. The man is on fire in every statistical category and is backing up the fact he is the highest-priced player in tonight's game. After a loss in Game 1, where he scored 42.1 fantasy points, James has flipped the switch to take over the series. In games two through four, the four-time MVP averaged 26.7 points, 11 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.7 steals, and two blocks while rewarding his fantasy managers with 61 fantasy points per game.
Anthony Davis, PF - LAL vs. HOU ($15,500)
I realize that a lot of these picks are chalky for the slate, but FanDuel's pricing is just too reasonable to pass up. Anthony Davis is averaging 53.8 fantasy points per game in the series against Houston, and daily players should expect more of the same on Saturday night. The big man has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in each game of the series and seems to have turned it on in Round 2 of the playoffs.
FanDuel DFS Centers
P.J. Tucker, C - HOU vs. LAL ($9,000)
With the way that FanDuel's Single Game contest is constructed, you don't have to play a center tonight. However, we still want to give the big guys some love in our picks, and the only center worth playing is P.J. Tucker. Seriously. Dwight Howard hasn't played a single minute since Game 1, JaVale McGee posted negative one fantasy point Game 3, and Tyson Chandler is only on the Rockets for moral support. That leaves Tucker as the lone option at the center spot. Unfortunately, the responsibilities seem to be taking a toll on the 35-year-old. After posting a double-double in Game 2 with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Tucker has combined for three points and seven rebounds in the last two contests. It's possible that he can bounce back with a big Game 5 performance, but it's probably best to look towards another guard or forward to fill out your lineups tonight.
