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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on August 18, 2020. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Day one of the NBA playoffs produced some tremendous results in daily fantasy. Donovan Mitchell was on fire as he set a Utah Jazz playoff franchise record with 57 points. Jamal Murray went shot-for-shot with Mitchell in the fourth quarter and overtime to score 36 points of his own. Luka Doncic scored 42 points to break the record for most points in an NBA playoff debut, but fantasy managers will want to forget the 11 turnovers he had to go along with all those points.
For day two of the playoffs, we are treated to four games starting at 1:30 pm with the Orlando Magic versus the Milwaukee Bucks. As I was building my lineups, I realized I am fading the Eastern Conference games. Milwaukee could blow out Orlando and sit their starters if it gets out of hand. While I think Miami versus Indiana will produce a defensive slugfest. The Western Conference games have so many options for our daily fantasy lineups, and those offenses seem more explosive. Regardless, it's going to be great watching the action unfold throughout the day.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/18/20. 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
Khris Middleton, SG - MIL vs. ORL ($7,000)
When Khris Middleton plays at least 30 minutes this season, the shooting guard is averaging 23.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. This trend has continued inside the NBA bubble. Middleton played 30 minutes in four games and produced at least 38 FanDuel fantasy points in all of them. It's playoff time, and there aren't a lot of scenarios where Middleton doesn't reach the 30-minute benchmark. The 29-year-old is the fourth most expensive shooting guard on the slate, and it makes him an easy play today.
Dennis Schroder, SG - OKC vs. HOU ($5,700)
Tonight may be the last opportunity to play Dennis Schroder below $6,000 for the rest of the playoffs. He returned to the bubble and played the final game for Oklahoma City after the birth of his child. The guard produced 17 points, four assists, one rebound, and one steal in 25 minutes as he got his legs back before the playoffs. For the season, the super sub is averaging 18.9 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 assists, and making 1.9 three-pointers per game. His opponent, the Houston Rockets, is without Russell Westbrook tonight, and they already rank 24th versus shooting guards on the season. Schroder could see a minutes limit after missing the majority of the restart, but he has the talent, and the low cost, to be a valuable part of your DFS lineups tonight.
Austin Rivers, PG - HOU vs. OKC ($4,500)
No Russell Westbrook for the Houston Rockets means that someone has to take on some of the 22.5 shots per game he averaged this year. So why not Austin Rivers? He has already shown what he can do when Westbrook sits. On Aug. 9 versus the Sacramento Kings, Rivers had 41 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and went 6-for-11 from downtown. That was a career night for the eighth-year player, and fantasy managers shouldn't expect that to happen again, but Rivers is fully capable of reaching 20 points tonight. Chip in a couple of rebounds and assists and the guard is already returning five times his value, which is right where we want him to hit. The amount of shots left on the floor with Westbrook's absence means that Rivers has to be more involved with the offense, and his price point makes him a favorable play on today's slate.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Anthony Davis, PF - LAL vs. POR ($10,000)
There are five players on tonight's slate that cost at least $10,000 on FanDuel, and three of them are in the Lakers-Trail Blazers game. Anthony Davis is my top choice for the game and the entire day on Tuesday. He is on the injury report as a game-time decision, so keep an eye on the injury reports, but all indications are that he should be good to go for game one. The seven-time All-Star was reasonably quiet in the bubble, but the Brow had a couple of performances to remind us of the heights he can reach on a nightly basis. In the two games that Davis played at least 38 minutes, he averaged 34.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks while giving FanDuel players 64.1 points. Those benchmarks can are attainable against a Trail Blazers team that is second-worst in the league versus power forwards.
Bam Adebayo, PF - MIA vs. IND ($7,500)
Bam Adebayo is the contrarian play if you want to differentiate your lineup on Tuesday. The Pacers have the most robust defense in the league versus power forwards, but I believe in Adebayo's talent to overcome that roadblock. Adebayo played at least 28 minutes in four games during the restart. When the forward reached that benchmark, he averaged 39.4 fantasy points per game. Adebayo's price is another reason to get him on your team. If you prefer some of the high priced studs available in other areas, the third-year player can offer some valuable savings.
Eric Gordon, SF - HOU vs. OKC ($4,500)
A lot of what I mentioned about Austin Rivers should apply to Eric Gordon on a larger scale. He is a more reliable option in the Houston Rockets offense and is far more likely to take on a more significant share of the workload. On the season, Gordon averages 14.4 points on 12.9 shots per game. However, in the six games that Gordon has taken at least 18 shots, he is averaging 22.8 points. Westbrook's absence leaves 22 shots per game on the court for Houston. It seems likely that Gordon is going to pick up at least six of those and take 18 shots against the Thunder. If that happens, he will return significant value on his price tag.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Jusuf Nurkic, C - POR vs. LAL ($8,400)
Jusuf Nurkic put up 22 points, 21 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals as he reminded everyone that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Portland Trail Blazers' play-in game versus the Memphis Grizzlies. He dominated the game and is an integral part of Portland's offense if they want to make any noise versus the Lakers in Round 1.
Continuing the center's bubble form would be a huge step towards an upset for Portland. Nurkic is averaging 17.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.4 steals in 31.6 minutes. The Lakers' frontcourt is the third toughest versus the center position, but Nurkic has the offensive tools to turn in a performance capable of winning your contests.
