RADIO
We're back into the swing of things in the NBA and we have an solid six-game slate to cap off the weekend in Disney World. The Celtics versus the new-look Trail Blazers figures to be a great matchup, while the Milwaukee/Houston and Dallas/Phoenix games should provide an exciting end to a wild weekend of basketball.
Eric Bledsoe (conditioning) is listed as out on Sunday and Eric Gordon (ankle) won't play.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/2/20. 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
James Harden - PG/SG, HOU vs MIL ($11,100)
Harden is an elite play no matter the matchup, and that doesn't change here against the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokoumpo and Brooke Lopez are two of the very best rim-protectors in the NBA, so he likely won't see the open lanes that he saw en route to his monster 85.3 DK point game against the Dallas Mavericks. However, he still holds an insane 35.6% usage rate in 2020 and he gets most his production off of three pointers (12.5 3PA/game) and free throws (11.9 FTA/game) anyway. The Rockets played the Bucks to open the season and Harden struggled, going 2-for-13 from the field and finishing with 19/14/7/1/1. Bank on a better performance here, especially with Eric Gordon still out. This game also has the highest projected total on the slate at 243 points.
Caris Levert - SG, BKN vs WAS ($7,800)
This price just feels like a trap, but I'm falling for it. The Nets are only favored by 1.5 points in a very attack-able matchup against the Washington Wizards, and LeVert is now the Nets' stud with Irving, Dinwiddie, and Durant all out. He had 17 points, seven assists, two rebounds and a steal over 28 minutes in a loss to the Magic on Friday. He's a bit inconsistent, but he has proven multiple times this season that he's capable of reaching 60 DK points, which he has done in two of his last 10 games (including a 62 DK point game against Washington on 2/26). LeVert's usage rate should spike as the focal point of the offense, and with the expectation of more minutes, he could go off against the decimated Wizards. They currently rank as the fourth-worst defense against the SG position in 2020.
Jerome Robinson - SG/SF, WAS vs BKN ($4,200)
Robinson impressed in the first game of the restart, going 7-for-9 from the field for 20 points, one rebound, one assist and a steal in the loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Wizards are very shorthanded and Robinson should continue to see at least 30 minutes, which is intriguing at his price tag in in this favorable matchup. The game projects to be high-scoring and both teams play at a top-10 pace. An argument can be made for Robinson being the de facto focal point of the offense, though Ish Smith inefficiently tallied 17 points on 18 shots on Friday. He's a great GPP option here.
Other Options: Luka Doncic (DAL v PHO) $10,800, Troy Brown Jr. (WAS vs BKN) $4,500
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF, MIL vs HOU ($11,000)
Giannis went bonkers in a close game against Boston, going for 70.25 DK points with a 36/16/7/1/1 stat line. He's in an elite matchup against the Rockets as their "micro-ball" lineup features 6'7" Robert Covington starting at center. Kristaps Porzingus put up 39 points and 16 rebounds against the Rockets, and you don't need to be told that Giannis is a more explosive fantasy player than The Unicorn. He is averaging an insane 60.2 DK points per game this season, and his potential to spike for 70 or 80 DK points is almost equal to Harden's. To top it all off, the game has the slate's highest projected total at 243 points and both teams rank in the top-four in terms of pace (Milwaukee ranks first, Houston ranks fourth). The Rockets just don't play any defense whatsoever, and as long as the game stays close, Giannis is in line for another huge outing.
Bogdan Bogdanovic - SG/SF, SAC vs ORL ($5,000)
Bogdan didn't get enough of a price-bump after going for 36 DK points against the Spurs on Friday. He went 6-for-11 from three and picked up two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 32 minutes. His role has fluctuated a bit this season but he should keep getting at least 30 minutes moving forward as he seems to be the more trusted player over Buddy Hield. Bogdanovic and Fox shoulder most of the scoring load for the Kings in their current iteration, and though the Magic are a solid defensive team overall, they give up the sixth-most DK points per game to SF's. The Serbian makes for a great GPP play at his cheap price tag.
Other Options: Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM vs SA) $5,200, Lonnie Walker IV (SA vs MEM) $3,500
DraftKings DFS Centers
Thomas Bryant - C, WAS vs BKN ($4,800)
Death. Taxes. The Nets getting absolutely demolished by bigs. It's just something we're used to by now. They actually aren't giving up the most DK points to centers this season (they're seventh-worst), but we should always give a hard look at whoever is lining up as the opposing big man against the Nets. With Bryant as cheap as he is, we can take the 34 minutes he tallied on Friday and run with it. The problem with Bryant has always been his minute restriction, but it seems that the reigns have been taken off for this restart.
Jakob Poeltl - C, SA vs MEM ($4,000)
Poeltl is simply far too cheap for his new role on the team. He's the everyday starter at center in the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder), and he put up 27 DK points in 32 minutes against the Kings in the first game of the restart. Memphis isn't the best matchup as they rank eighth in DK points allowed to centers, but the value here is too good to ignore.
Other Options: Zach Collins (POR vs BOS) $3,400, Jarrett Allen (BKN vs WAS) $5,600
Good luck to everyone in their NBA DraftKings contests!
