RADIO
Last night was the conclusion of one of the greatest storylines in modern NBA history. The league has never seen an obstacle like COVID-19, and how the players dealt with the bubble and an impromptu restart was going to be a enlightening experience about plenty of young and even experienced players. First off, all respect goes out to the Phoenix Suns who went undefeated against some of the league's best players and teams. They deserved a chance to make it to the playoffs and if it weren't for Damian Lillard and that meddling kid Gary Trent Jr., the Suns would have gotten away with it too.
With just four games on this slate with zero, real, playoff implications, the backups are set to thrive once again. Look for value and do not get caught spending up. If there is any night where you have a chance of both cashing out and leaving something like $5K in salary, it's tonight.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/14/20. 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
Shake Milton, PG - PHI vs. HOU ($4,600)
Since Shake Milton should see plenty of minutes, this might be one of the safer plays. He always has upside and in terms of filling the stat sheet, he does a bit of everything. The Rockets don't have the depth to really play their backups, but since they aren't going to risk injury, look for Austin Rivers to see a ton of minutes along with Chris Clemons. With the lack of defense, the upside is seemingly everywhere, and if you look outside of this game, Reggie Jackson versus the Thunder is likely to be one of the top plays of the day.
Lou Williams, SG - LAC vs. OKC ($5,300)
Even though he might not seem like the typical player that will get a ton of minutes this 'late' in the season, Lou Williams had a late start and still needs some time to get into his form. His upside might be limited and he won't get the chance to have one of those typical Lou Will nights, but that doesn't mean he won't be shooting the lights out when he gets on the court. The Thunder defense is solid, but we have to remember that as the last game of the season, those particular players won't be playing with the same intensity. Williams might not be the best play, but I don't see many Clippers hijacking the scoring from him tonight.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Matisse Thybulle, SF - PHI vs. HOU ($3,700)
Last outing versus the Raptors, both Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz tied for most minutes played. It's hard to see that going in any other direction with both their playing styles, so look for them to continue this trend of young players seeing high-usage, especially the tandem of Thybulle and Korkmaz. Where Thybulle excels on defense, Korkmaz excels at shooting, and vice versa. They play off each others strengths and weaknesses to the point where they have a ton of DFS upside.
Jerami Grant, PF - DEN vs. TOR ($4,800)
Even with the Nuggets not playing their starters, Jerami Grant provides safe value with surprisingly a ton of upside. The only question here is whether or not he will get minutes, and even with players like P.J. Dozier and Keita Bates-Diop taking playing time, Grant is that second unit guy they want controlling the offense in these throwaway games. There is no real reason to worry about opposing defenses, although the Raptor's Chris Boucher fills up the stat sheet naturally and is eager to block shots.
FanDuel DFS Centers
P.J. Tucker, C - HOU vs. PHI ($3,700)
Joel Embiid is listed as questionable and for him to play in this game seems outrageous. If he doesn't play, not only is P.J. Tucker a decent play, but value opens up on both sides. You can look at the Philadelphia bench to find automatic minutes, or you can target whoever they decide to run out there. If you go with Norvel Pelle, you have more value, but you jeopardize just about any upside, since he is still finding the ropes in terms of producing at an NBA level. Looking at Tucker and the Rockets backups is a more viable strategy, simply because the Houston bench is more accustomed to getting minutes.
