RADIO
After a solid weekend of NBA action, the league kicks off its first full week since the restart. With six games on tap, which are all spread out throughout the day, there will be some exciting matchups as a handful of teams scratch and claw to earn a spot in the postseason.
As always, there are some injuries to keep an eye on. Malcolm Brogdon, Jamal Murray, Goran Dragic, Tyus Jones, Rajon Rondo, T.J. McConnell, Victor Oladipo, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Bojan Bogdanovic, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Kuzma, and Royce O'Neale are some of the names who have already been ruled out or are in danger of not playing on Monday. LeBron James and Anthony Davis also continue to make an appearance on the injury reports over their last few games. However, barring a significant setback, they should be good to go against the Utah Jazz.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/3/20. 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
Jimmy Butler, SG - vs. TOR ($8,200)
As Miami looks to overtake the Boston Celtics heading toward the playoffs, Butler will likely elevate his game even more, especially after four months of rest and recovery. He looked good against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and took advantage of the absence of Will Barton by compiling 22 points, seven assists, and four boards. The Heat will next battle it out with the Raptors on Monday in a potential postseason series preview. Butler has played well against the defending champs and is averaging nearly a triple-double against Toronto throughout two games this year. While past success doesn't necessarily guarantee a similar outcome, for only $8,200, that price is too good to ignore.
Ben Simmons, PG - vs. SAS ($8,100)
As in the case with Jimmy Butler, Simmons is also very underpriced on Monday. Despite the loss to the Pacers during the Sixers' inaugural bubble game, he still finished with a double-double via 19 points and 13 rebounds to go along with nearly 40 fantasy points. With Philly looking to reclaim the spot above Indiana in terms of playoff seeding, the 24-year-old has a chance to capitalize on a Spurs team that may be playing on tired legs in the second game of a back-to-back for San Antonio.
Ja Morant, PG - @ NOP ($7,500)
The NBA bubble hasn't been kind to the Grizzlies after the team dropped its first two games of the restart. However, Morant can't shoulder much of the blame as he has been killing it in statistical categories across the board. After racking up 22 points, 11 assists, and five boards in the overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, he produced even more in the narrow defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday by nearly walking away with a triple-double. With Memphis looking to keep its playoff hopes alive, expect the rookie to continue to see heavy minutes, while also likely leading the team in shot attempts against a New Orleans team that is also looking for a postseason berth.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Tobias Harris, SF - vs. SAS ($6,800)
As the Sixers continue to battle some injuries, primarily to Glenn Robinson III and Mike Scott, coach Brown should continue to rely heavily on his starting rotation. Along with Ben Simmons, Harris will likely continue to log the most minutes on the team. He ended Saturday's outing against the Pacers with 30 points on 29 shot attempts and accumulated 45.6 fantasy points in the process. Look for him to be on the floor and getting his fair share of chances to contribute statistically against the Spurs on Monday.
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF - @ NOP (6,400)
While Ja Morant has been contributing all he can as the Grizzlies look to keep its season alive, Jackson has been doing work as well. In the first two games of the resumed season, he is averaging 38 fantasy points, which if you consider his Monday price tag, that works out to an output of nearly 5.9 times his value. After dealing with injuries throughout the first two seasons of his career, it appears as if Jackson is finally starting to live up to his pre-draft hype.
Rudy Gay, SF - @ PHI ($4,700)
With the Spurs lacking upfront, Gay has seen an expanded role. He has taken advantage of his time on the floor, producing 32.1 fantasy points against the Kings on Friday and 23.9 fantasy points against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Though there is always a risk associated with Gay in terms of his consistency, the upside is there. He is an ideal option for those running short on cash after rostering some of the big names on Monday.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Joel Embiid, C - vs. SAS ($9,700)
Embiid arguably produced the best performance of the NBA restart thus far against the Pacers on Monday. He finished with a hefty 41 points on 15-for-23 shooting from the field in addition to pulling down 21 boards. He also added three blocks and a steal and compiled 80.2 fantasy points, which was nearly nine times his value. With the Spurs down LaMarcus Aldridge, who will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery in April, San Antonio will be sorely lacking size underneath the basket.
