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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on August 20, 2020. Jake Finnen provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Immediately looking at the full roster for today, it's going to be a rough slate. Not in terms of determining the outcome, but more in trying to predict the value plays that are going to hit. Ben McLemore, Danny Green, Gary Clark, Gary Trent, and Justin Holiday all offer a ton of value, but their floor is so incredibly low, the risk doesn't seem worth it. Gary Trent Jr. can be an exception because of his more notable game log, but we also have to remember this is his first real taste of playoff experience, and embracing shooting slumps from young players has a history of burning DFS players.
Yesterday, the top value came from players who have been known to produce, but their low prices reflect some type of recency bias, in the example of Marcus Morris and Kemba Walker. On the other hand, low-priced players with seemingly a ton of value have been a tough spot. Plenty of players got burned by Alec Burks last night, so when making lineups today, make sure to consider the likeliness they produce and their upside.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/20/20. 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
Duncan Robinson, SG - vs. IND ($4,200)
With news of Jae Crowder's ankle injury, Derrick Jones Jr. is set to get the start, but someone will need to fill in to replace some of the shooting and spacing. Since Tyler Herro is just $400 above both Crowder and Duncan Robinson, that is the safer play. The Heat force his hand more often than not and his ability to hit shots is not altered by the playoff atmosphere. As a pivot, Robinson is looking for his first real exposure and since Kendrick Nunn has been, basically, cut from the rotation, the Heat will resort to whoever is playing well. Robinson doubled his minutes from Game 1 to Game 2, so look for him to actually do something with the extra run.
T.J. McConnell, PG - vs. MIA ($3,600)
The Heat defense doesn't worry me as much as the Pacers themselves can hurt T.J. McConnell's upside. After only playing 13 minutes in Game 1, it's clear he has the ability to post raw numbers, the minutes just aren't a safe bet. McConnell isn't prone to having good or bad games, he produces at the same rate against just about anyone. He isn't a strong shooter, but he can score. He isn't the most skilled passer, but he moves the ball. Since the Pacers will need to value that if they actually want to win a playoff game, look for him to get more minutes if he can manage to apply pressure to the Miami backcourt.
Wesley Matthews, SG - vs. ORL ($3,600)
This Orlando Magic team is not the same Magic team that was recorded as having the top defense in the league....they are, but you get what I'm saying. Game 1 proved that is was nothing more than the Magic playing well and the Bucks lack of consistent shooting and urgency. While the Bucks will come into Game 2 with a different mindset, I don't expect the bench production to follow. Wesley Matthews on the other hand, is one of the few options that seems ready at all times and still has the ceiling to make it worthwhile. As long as Matthews is getting minutes in a playoff atmosphere, he is a viable sleeper.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Carmelo Anthony, SF - vs. LAL ($5,500)
Carmelo Anthony is a safe pick. He is fantasy gold and his role, despite altering his mindset to fit a winning mentality, is still to shoot, score, and produce. His defense is valuable from an experience standpoint, but Anthony is going to be required to do more scoring the more the Lakers are able to gameplan for Lillard, McCollum, and Nurkic. Anthony is the odd-man-out in terms of who will get the most attention from the defense, so until his price reflects someone good for a double-double each night, Anthony needs to be played for his potentially game-changing upside.
Danuel House, SF - vs. OKC ($4,200)
Before you sell yourself on more familiar names, Gary Clark should not been seen as a bad play tonight, either. The Magic are notorious for their Game 1 escapades, so while they might not pour it on the Bucks like previously, Clark's versatility will still be on display against one of the league's most athletic teams. Similarly, Danuel House is a flexible wing that had an underwhelming performance against Oklahoma City in Game 1. He played the fewest minutes out of all the starters, but much of that comes from Jeff Green 's success as a tandem-peice to James Harden. Both Green and Harden should continue this success, but it should also allow for House to see some extra time as an oversized guard.
Anthony Davis, PF - vs. POR ($10,400)
There are quite a few high-priced options available tonight, but the biggest development from the price-setting should be where Anthony Davis ended up. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden playing tonight, teams are offering a ton of value for you to roster two of the three, so playing both Davis and someone like Harden should be the end-goal. With players like Nikola Vucevic and Jimmy Butler available, you can avoid spending up too much and roll with two, extremely safe, and upside-ridden options. For what it's worth, you can force a lineup, with Harden, Davis, Vucevic, Butler, and Goran Dragic.
FanDuel DFS Centers
JaVale McGee, C - @ POR ($3,600)
This is easily one, if not the cheapest, viable option tonight. The Trail Blazers didn't handily win Game 1, but it was bad enough to force the Lakers to alter their strategy. Since both Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside are playing the four and five together, the Lakers need to go big, either running Anthony Davis at the five, despite his wishes, or run Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee alongside him. Since McGee is known for some of those high-upside games, he gets the nod over Howard. Regardless, both centers are due for a minute increase if Portland continues to play their bigs heavy minutes.
