RADIO
The NBA restart has gone off without a hitch thus far. As Major League Baseball deals with the possibility of another shutdown, the association appears to have figured things out to ensure the safety of everyone inside the proverbial bubble. Six games are on the agenda on Sunday as the season heads toward the playoffs, with some crucial matchups taking place that could have some significant postseason repercussions.
As far as injuries are concerned, there are some injuries to monitor on the slate. At the moment, Jamal Crawford, Bryn Forbes, Patty Mills, Tyus Jones, Alex Len, Wesley Iwundu, Eric Bledsoe, Pat Connaughton, Eric Gordon, David Nwaba, Luc Mbah a Moute, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Aron Baynes are all the notable names on the list who are in jeopardy of not playing or have been ruled out already.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/2/20. 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 @DennisMClausen. Good luck.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Caris Levert, SG - vs. WSH ($7,800)
After Kyrie Irving's season ended months ago as a result of a shoulder issue, the door was open for Spencer Dinwiddie to remain the Nets No. 1 option as the squad looks to crawl toward a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. However, after Dinwiddie, along with DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Wilson Chandler, tested positive for the infamous COVID-19 virus, the team was sorely lacking options on the offensive end. Luckily for Brooklyn, LeVert has all of the tools necessary to help keep the team semi-competitive. Look for him to play heavy minutes and handle the load on the scoring end by default against the defensively inefficient Washington Wizards.
De'Aaron Fox, PG - @ ORL ($7,700)
Fox kicked off his NBA restart with a bang against the San Antonio Spurs. He ended the contest with a career-high 39 points, doing so on insane 33 shot attempts. While the King's frontcourt struggled during that encounter, the 22-year-old, along with Bogdan Bogdanovic, kept Sacramento in it despite its defense also falling apart. Head coach Luke Walton praised the former first-round pick and challenged him to have a similar performance against Orlando on Sunday. As a result, Fox will likely come out swinging once again as the team looks to stay in the playoff race against a Magic team that is also in the postseason hunt.
Ja Morant, PG - vs. SAS ($7.500)
Morant has had a fantastic season and is a primary reason why the Grizzlies are battling it out for a playoff berth. He won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month three times this year and is the favorite to take home the award for the league's top first-year player, especially with Zion Williamson working his way back into playing shape. The 20-year-old had a stellar outing during the overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. While his shooting numbers from deep could have been better, he should continue to play a ton of minutes, put up plenty of shots, and have the ball in his hands often, giving him everything he needs to accumulate some significant fantasy points. At Morant's asking price, he will probably make an appearance in a good portion of DFS lineups on Sunday, especially in cash games.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Jayson Tatum, PF - vs. POR ($8,200)
The former third-overall pick had a horrendous outing in the loss to the Bucks on Friday. He shot a rough 2-for-18 from the field for a hideous 11.1 field goal percentage. He also missed all four of his shots from deep, and despite adding some supporting stats, his performance overall was a colossal disappointment to fantasy managers who were expecting more, especially when you factor in his asking price. There will be some who will be hesitant about including him in their fantasy lineup. However, there is a strong chance that he bounces back against the Trail Blazers, a team that doesn't possess the defensive acumen that Milwaukee does.
Joe Harris, SF - vs. WSH ($5,000)
As is the case with Caris LeVert, Harris will also be tasked with gaining additional scoring responsibilities for the remainder of the team's year. He has fared relatively well against the Nets' opponent, the Wizards, this season by providing 14 points, five boards, and shooting 53.8 percent from deep against Washington throughout two meetings. At a price tag of only $5,000, it is reasonable to assume that the sharpshooter can easily hit and exceed his value on Sunday.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Vucevic - C, vs. SAC ($8,100)
Vucevic historically plays well against the Brooklyn Nets, but in his first game back of the NBA restart, he fell short of meeting expectations by producing only 35.9 fantasy points. Although he did rack up 22 points, his seven rounds and lack of defensive numbers were not what fans are generally used to getting out of the big man. Nonetheless, with a game under his belt to dust of any residual dust caused by the four-month layoff, Vucevic may be in store for a solid showcase against a Kings team that will be without Alex Len in the middle.
