RADIO
Fantasy basketball owners can rejoice that after a layoff of more than four months, a jam-packed slate returns. With season-long hoops out the window, DFS takes on an even more imperative role, particularly as games are rolled out one after the other.
The six-game slate Friday boasts many of the league's top stars, who, as always, present terrific potential for considerable point-scoring opportunities. But in order to choose an owners given favorite, the following selections are worth consideration in what is sure to be a highly competitive slate that is sure to have an extreme level of variance as the league finds its new level with neutral-site games in Orlando.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/31/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineup lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Devin Booker - PG/SG, PHO @ WSH ($8,800)
It may be more than four months since the Wizards took the floor, but that doesn’t change that they boast one of the most epically woeful defenses to target in DFS. Booker holds the advantage of not having Kelly Oubre Jr. in the mix to have to share shots with, in addition to facing a Washington squad that will be without many of its leading primary defensive options. Prior to the pause of the 2020 year, Booker had gone for at least 20 points in 10 of his last 11 games, including four double-doubles due to his propensity of finding teammates.
With numerous high-priced guards littering the slate, Booker has arguably the most advantageous matchup of the entire group with Phoenix projected to score 115 points.
Chris Chiozza - PG, BKN v. ORL ($3,900)
The Nets of the NBA restart are not the Nets of the first five months of the 2019-20 year. With Kyrie Irving shut down due to injuries, Spencer Dinwiddie out of the equation, and a lack of established backcourt options, Chiozza appears in line to handle the bulk of ballhandling duties for Brooklyn for the time being. His matchup against the Magic isn’t particularly appealing within itself, but his bargain basement price tag makes him hard to ignore considering how prevalent he should be within the team’s offense.
Prior to the delay of the season, Chiozza had begun to settle in coming off Brooklyn’s bench, having scored in double figures in three of his final four games, shooting 50 percent from long range in that span.
Patty Mills - PG/SG, SA v. SAC ($3,500)
With Bryn Forbes (quad) out of the equation Friday, there will be some added exposure on the Spurs’ backcourt. Mills is the most intriguing of the group due to his near punt play price tag, which should allow owners to stack up with stars where available.
The upside as it pertains to Mills comes in his minutes allotment. As is often the case, more minutes equals more production, which rings true for the Australian sharpshooter. When seeing at least 30 minutes this year, Mills is averaging 16.4 points and 4.4 assists per contest, shooting 43.2 percent from long range; fittingly, one of those instances came on Dec. 6 against the Kings. As Forbes has not missed a game all season, it’s difficult to gauge just how many minutes Mills will see, but it’s tough to imagine that he doesn’t at least see an expanded role, even if he continues to come off the bench.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Troy Brown - SG/SF, WSH v. PHO ($4,700)
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the absence of Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans from the Wizards’ NBA restart roster is Brown, who blossomed during a 17-game stretch from Dec. 8-Jan. 10 in which he averaged 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Washington’s roster is distinctly void of established scorers, which can help explain why Rui Hachimura has an exorbitant price tag. Owners need not be concerned about whether or not Brown holds down a spot in the starting five, as he has averaged 10.7 points per game this year off the bench against 6.4 PPG as a starter. Factor in that the Suns and Wizards boast one of the highest projected points totals of the slate, and the multi-faceted Brown appears to be a high-upside play with guard/forward flexibility.
Danuel House - SF/PF, HOU v. DAL ($3,800)
The absence of Eric Gordon (ankle) should free up House to fire at will from long range against Dallas in a contest that boasts the highest projected total of the evening. In two prior meetings against the Mavericks this season, House has drilled seven threes and played a combined 73 minutes.
With Houston planning to continue their ultimate small ball rotation, House figures to play a prominent role on both sides of the ball. There exists some high level of variance on House’s potential output due to his reliance on the three-ball, but for GPP plays, tossing in the Rockets’ primary off the ball sharpshooter makes for an upside play worth exploring.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Hassan Whiteside - C, POR v. MEM ($8,100)
Prior to the shutdown, Whiteside had reeled off 14 consecutive double-doubles, having established himself as a premier threat no matter his opponent. He had especially gotten into an offensive groove during five March contests, shooting 68.3 percent from the field and averaging a monthly best of 19.6 points per game.
While there had been some concerns about Whiteside’s status due to an Achilles ailment, all signs point towards the league’s leading shot blocker playing a prominent role during the contest with the projected second-highest point total. There looms the possibility of Jusuf Nurkic taking minutes from Whiteside, but as the Blazers are likely to ease him back into the rotation, owners need not yet worry about as Whiteside has proven capable of compiling points without an immense allotment of minutes.
Brook Lopez - C, MIL v. BOS ($4,800)
For those owners looking for a relatively safe cash play at the center spot, Lopez stands out as a dollar-saving measure. While his 11 points per game average in 2019-20 is on pace to be a new career low, he has proven to be a consistent commodity no matter the opponent. Factor in that Lopez has been scorching hot in his past two scrimmages prior to the seeding games restart (38 points in 36 minutes), and the hot hand is worth exploring with an eye toward getting multiple stars into lineups.
