RADIO
Tuesday's slate could have been a huge disappointment or massive success as the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks were 19.0-point favorites, but head coach Mike Budenholzer limited his starters between 15-20 minutes and removed Brook Lopez (rest) from the lineup entirely right before tip-off. Sometimes basketball can be completely unpredictable which adds to the beauty of the game. Nevertheless, we learn from here and move on to Wednesday's slate.
We have another six-game slate on Wednesday which has been the standard as of late. The projected point totals for these games are much lower than the Tuesday's slate, but one team to keep an eye on is the Philadelphia 76ers, who are 10.5-point favorites against the Washington Wizards. I will hit a couple players from this matchup, as well as a couple who are in the second leg of a back-to-back.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/5/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineup lock.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Marcus Smart - PG/SG, BOS v. BKN ($6,500)
Unfortunately, Smart got into foul trouble early and often in Tuesday's loss against the Miami Heat, ultimately fouling out in the contest. Let's run this one back. Kemba Walker (knee) will not be playing Wednesday against the Nets, allowing Smart to reenter the starting lineup. In 39 games as a starter this season, Smart has averaged 14.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 three-pointers and 1.6 steals per game. Despite the back-to-back, Smart only logged 15:55 minutes so he should be well rested and hungry for Wednesday's game.
Mike Conley - PG, UTA @ MEM ($5,800)
Conley is in the midst of possibly his worst season in his career and has been a little inconsistent since the start of the bubble. However, he has already notched at least 20 points in two of the first three games and is averaging 18.7 points on 42.9 percent shooting, 5.4 assists and 2.0 three-pointers in 32.4 minutes per game. Conley will face his former team on Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies, who has given up the 10th-most points and DraftKings fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Conley's low price tag is enticing enough to move past his inconsistency and shoot for a high-risk, high-reward value play.
Shake Milton - PG/SG, PHI @ WAS ($5,400)
Milton has had a roller coaster of a sophomore year, going from quiet role player to completely out of the rotation to regular starter with the Sixers. Lately, Milton hit a game-winning three pointer against the San Antonio Spurs. The fact the coaching staff keeps him on the floor in tight games bodes well for Milton's value as a starter moving forward. In fact, as a starter this season, Milton has averaged 13.4 points on 54.3 percent shooting from the field, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers and 1.0 steals per game. The Sixers are huge favorites in Wednesday's contest and the Washington Wizards give up the most threes and third-most points and three-point percentage to opposing point guards this season. Milton could easily have a huge role if the Sixers decide to limit the rest of the starters like Milwaukee did on Tuesday.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Jayson Tatum - SF/PF, BOS v. BKN ($8,200)
Could it be the haircut? Regardless, Tatum has bounced back in a huge way after a relatively disappointing debut in the bubble. Since his 5-point, 2-for-18 shooting performance on opening day, Tatum has dropped 34 and 23 points, respectively, on 51.5 percent shooting. Tatum could have easily added to his most recent point total had it not been for some serious foul trouble. Heading into the second half of a back-to-back, Tatum will look to shoulder the offensive burden with Kemba Walker (knee) resting and the Celtics facing an undermanned Brooklyn Nets team, who is also in the midst of a back-to-back.
Aaron Gordon - SF/PF, ORL v. TOR ($7,200)
The loss of Jonathan Isaac (knee) is a huge hit to not only the Orlando Magic, but to basketball fans in general. However, Gordon should see a big increase in value with Isaac sidelined. Post All-Star break, while Isaac was sidelined due to a different injury, Gordon saw increases in nearly every category. In his first game without Isaac, Gordon dropped 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two threes in 33 minutes. This was also his second straight 20-point game. Gordon should continue this Wednesday as he becomes a more focal point in the offense.
Troy Brown - SG/SF, WAS v. PHI ($5,500)
With Bradley Beal (shoulder) still sidelined in the bubble, Brown has carved out a nice role as a starter. Brown's ability to contribute across the board has increased his value tremendously. Brown has averaged 15.7 points on 46.2 percent from the floor, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 threes in 31.5 minutes per game in the bubble. Losers of their last three, the Wizards have most likely abandoned the thought of sneaking into the playoffs and will shift their focus to developing their young players. That being said, Brown should continue getting 30+ minutes as a starter and is a cheap option for Wednesday's slate.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Brandon Clarke - PF/C, MEM v. UTA ($4,600)
Clarke is already an incredibly efficient basketball player and per-minute star. With Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) ruled out for the season, Clarke's value should skyrocket sooner rather than later. Per-36 minutes, Clarke averages 18.9 points on 62.4 percent from the field, 9.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and just 1.5 turnovers. Wednesday's contest is a bit of a tough matchup against Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz, however, Clarke's price tag will not stay this low for very long. This makes him a solid value play and allows you to buy up at another position or move to the forward slot and shoot for Joel Embiid ($10,400) or Anthony Davis ($10,300) at center.
