RADIO
Yesterday was the second slate of NBA DFS where unpredictable rotations and the solidified playoff picture has affected DFS production. First, the Bucks pulled their starters against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, and last night the Lakers seemingly played the Thunder like it was just a regular season game...which it was. Nothing wrong with resting starters, but spending up on superstars who won't be getting as much exposure as we need will come back to haunt us.
Tonight, Luka Doncic is a solid pivot from James Harden since the Mavericks are still technically fighting for seeding, but Harden is looking at an even heftier workout with Russell Westbrook potentially missing a game with a thigh injury. Another viable strategy would be targeting the Trail Blazers against the Nuggets. Not only is Damian Lillard underpriced, but Nikola Jokic is cheaper than Jusuf Nurkic, pretty much forcing a Nuggets-Trail Blazers stack for tonight. There is no real reason to fade anyone in the Lakers-Rockets contest, because on paper, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and even secondary scorers like Robert Covington and Danny Green have upside. It's just whether they will get the minutes and both teams will play their starters full minutes. This game, and toda is general, will be a great indication on where we see teams start to flow with their rotations. Resting will become more common to avoid playoff injuries.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/6/20. 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. Let's get those lineups set!
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Paul George, SG - LAC @ DAL ($7,700)
Once you see the price you'll understand how, once again, you can't really fade Paul George. He will have his hands full on defense, assuming he is guarding Doncic, but the Clippers offense doesn't really have a focal point beyond George and Kawhi Leonard. Reggie Jackson is a fairly consistent playmaker, but in terms of scoring, Los Angeles is still missing another key bucket-getter. George and Leonard set the tone of the offense, but it;s up to the secondary scorers to feed off of George, not necessarily build them up. So, as is the case on most nights, George is set for another big usage night, and since he is facing the Mavericks defense, the only thing we need to avoid is Doc Rivers resting his starters.
Duncan Robinson, SG - MIA @ MIL ($4,300)
Since Jimmy Butler is still out with a foot injury, plenty of other Heat players have a ton of upside. Most people will be looking at Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk, which isn't a problem, you must consider both players tonight when the Heat are missing their most impactful player in Butler. As a pivot, which might not be a pivot after last game, Duncan Robinson was the clear beneficiary from the lack of Heat offense. He was nearly forced production and even if he wasn't hitting, Miami was looking to get him the ball and made it so on any possession they could. If the Bucks continue this trend of saving their starters, which in this case would be ideal for Robinson's upside, his price is too low and if Robinsons continues HIS trend, that price won't stay below $4K for much longer.
Gary Trent, SG - POR @ DEN ($3,900)
Why his price is still so low baffles me, but Gary Trent has been playing inspired basketball lately. Not only did he step up to the challenge of Russell Westbrook, playing defense and giving the work back on offense, Trent has made it clear he deserves a spot in the rotation. Outside of shooting inconsistency, Trent offers no real downside. He is full of energy and it's on display nearly every game with how he attacks rebounds, pushes the pace, and understands his role. He knows that while he isn't the focal point, he needs to generate offense to help those starters. That is extremely uncommon for a young player, and it's hard to believe Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts can't see that influence that he brings to the game. The Nuggets might be talented offensively, but they only have few players who fit the role as huslte players and none of them will be facing up directly against Trent, so his upside remains high with a dangerously low price.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Cameron Johnson, SF - PHO vs. IND ($4,200)
This is the game of the week. Both teams have been streaking since the restart and while the Pacers have been fueled by bubble All-Star T.J. Warren, the Suns have been powered through Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Cameron Johnson. Johnson rebounding ability has been his saving grace and even when he isn't able to score like he wants to, his intensity on the rebounding and defensive end leads to points. The Pacers have some size and Myles Turner can somewhat anchor the paint, but without Domantas Sabonis, there is a massive gap in the frontcourt and with how Johnson has played recently, his skill-set works into Indiana's weaknesses.
Dion Waiters, SF - LAL @ HOU ($3,800)
If you weren't feeling confident in any of the other Lakers, Dion Waiters had his first productive game in around a year, and he should carry that momentum into a game versus the Rockets. The Lakers have no reason to keep giving both Anthony Davis and LeBron James 30 minutes a night, so seeing that Waiters received 25 last night is a great sign. With his price, upside, and role in the offense, Waiters is solid play whenever he is lined up for minutes, especially on the second night of back-to-backs. Rest is something that should concern you and playing players when they are playing their second game in two days would normally be a fade-able strategy, there is no travel, there is nothing else to do. Outside of injured players, fading players on the second night of a back-to-back isn't something you should base your lineups off.
Justin Holiday, SF - IND @ PHO ($3,700)
Another solid value play, only playing Justin Holiday requires solid output and a hot night shooting. Holiday doesn't struggle to get stats by any means. He stretches the defense, uses his energy to his benefit, and his length allows him to easily contribute on both end of the floor, statistically. His most recent games have been extremely generic in terms of what he produces, but when he has one of those games, he doesn't just exceed his projected value, he crushes it and forces the price-setters to consider his upside. Holiday is a baller, meaning that he does what needs to be done. Sometimes that is nothing and it's extremely unfortunate. I don't see that being the case against the Suns hybrid guards, and his length is going to be a problem for anyone that lines up across from him.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Ivica Zubac, C - LAC @ DAL ($4,500)
Last time out, Ivica Zubac was a stud. Luckily for us, he is playing the Mavericks who, outside of Kristaps Porzingis, don't have the size and strength combination to stop someone like Zubac. He doesn't stretch the floor and he is a traditional big man at heart, but that can also work in his favor against teams that don't like to bump around in the paint. The Mavericks do have players like Boban Marjanovic and Maxi Kleber, but neither are really set to stop someone like Zubac. Marjanovic has the size, but not the speed, and Kleber is the opposite, speed without size. All in all, for Zubac' price, his upside is matchup-based and it is prevalent.
