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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on August 12, 2020. Jesse Borek provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
The NBA regular season is nearing its apex later in the calendar than ever before in 2020. So with that in mind, it’s not surprising to see things completely falling off the rails from a DFS perspective in a unique manner.
Wrapping up the regular season during a traditional year usually involves swaths of up-and-coming players on 10-day contracts getting 30+ minutes of run; this year, teams are wholesale sitting star players, or just outright capping their minutes without letting anyone know ahead of time. With that in mind, these lineups are more volatile than usual, so let’s take a look at the hand that’s been dealt and sparse through this together.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/12/20. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Kyle Lowry, PG - TOR vs. PHI ($6,900)
It’s a fact that the 76ers have stifled opposing point guards this season. But much of that setup involved the combination of Ben Simmons’ nightmarish length on defense, which Lowry and the Raptors won’t have to incur Wednesday. Having been removed from the injury report, there should be no limitations to Lowry’s game, which is vital on a slate where 20-minute stints loom as lineup wreckers.
Lowry has continued his aggressiveness on offense inside of the bubble, firing up six three-point attempts per game. In five outings, he has averaged 16.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists, with two double-doubles. The only game in which he hasn’t touched the 35-minute mark was due to the nature of a blowout loss. All in all, Lowry has high upside based purely on his ability to be present, in addition to GPP appeal for those owners who will be scared off by the 76ers’ past defensive successes.
Josh Richardson, SG - PHI vs. TOR ($5,200)
Facing the prospect of Joel Embiid (ankle) not being available Wednesday, there are a pile of shot attempts that need to be distributed to the rest of the healthy Sixers. After sitting out Tuesday, Richardson returns on the heels of a 34-point showing against Portland on Sunday. The production across the board from Richardson should be an expectation as Philadelphia attempts to find its new level with Simmons (knee) also unavailable.
Back on Nov. 25, Richardson scorched the Raptors for 25 points, finishing with five made triples and six rebounds across 37 minutes.
Ben McLemore, SG - SAC vs. NO ($3,900)
As Houston has alternated sitting Russell Westbrook and James Harden, McLemore has quietly been a beacon of production over the past three contests. While many will flock to Austin Rivers in the wake of his 41-point explosion the last time that Westbrook was unavailable, it’s McLemore who has averaged just shy of 19 points per game over his last three contests. Having compiled at least 18 FD points in each of his last five outings, McLemore figures to retain a sizable role with Westbrook (rest) out of the mix Wednesday.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Bam Adebayo, PF - MIA vs. OKC ($7,800)
Much in the same ilk as Lowry, Adebayo is tenacious in his time on the floor. No matter how many minutes he is given, Adebayo is capable of packing the stat sheet, which seems like a real possibility should Oklahoma City continue to be fraughtfully thin in the frontcourt. One of the top candidates to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award is averaging one rebound for every three minutes of action during his time in the bubble.
With few guarantees of playing time, especially at the PF slot, Adebayo should provide a safe floor of production.
Darius Bazley, SF - OKC vs. MIA ($4,800)
As the Thunder continue to aggressively monitor the minutes of many of their top players ahead of the postseason, Bazley has stepped into a significant offensive role over the past three games. Having averaged 33.7 FD points over his last three outings, Bazley is oddly one of the safest members of the Thunder to nab, and his upside could be even further increased should Danilo Gallinari ultimately be ruled out Wednesday. Having notched his first career double-double Monday, Bazley’s production has never crescendoed higher and this price tag feels below what his services can provide.
Doug McDermott/Justin Holiday, SF - IND vs. HOU ($3,500)
As T.J. Warren (foot) sits, owners can turn to a group of Pacers bench players to fill his role. McDermott presents an offensive-minded option, but should his shot not fall, he becomes a highly volatile selection -- and that’s where Holiday comes in. Having knocked down a triple and accrued at least one steal in five of his six bubble appearances thus far, Holiday will be able to contribute all across the stat sheet.
Owners who are willing to accept some more risk or are in the GPP market may lean McDermott; those who err on the side of caution or are in cash games may be more inclined to consider Holiday, as both men figure to see a substantial increase in role with Warren out.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Kyle O'Quinn, C - PHI vs. TOR ($3,500)
Coming just one point shy of his first career triple-double Tuesday, there’s little incentive to fade O’Quinn on Wednesday. Owners will want to confirm that Joel Embiid (ankle) is officially out of the mix, but leaving the veteran big man on the lowest price point in the game makes for a steal and will give him an immense level of exposure in cash games. With Al Horford (knee) potentially out of the mix as well, O’Quinn should have ample rebounding opportunities.
