RADIO
Seedings are starting to fall into place in Disney World. The Los Angeles Lakers have locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Milwaukee has secured the No. 1 seed in the East. It will be interesting to see if teams begin to rest players down the stretch of this eight-game sprint. Luckily for us, nine of the 10 teams playing in tonight's main slate have a lot on the line (sorry Washington Wizards fans). That should give coaches enough motivation to play a full starting lineup and unleash their best weapons. *Cough* Alvin Gentry, please play Zion *Cough*.
I am focusing in on the Oklahoma City Thunder's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies for tonight. Both teams have a ton to play for, and, currently, their game has the highest over/under at 224. Both sides play at a reasonable pace with Memphis averaging 105.9 possessions per game and OKC averaging 102.3 possessions. Other games to watch out for include the Washington Wizards taking on the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams rank inside the top-three for pace on tonight's main slate and can fly up and down the court. That means a lot of fantasy points will be available for daily players to get in their lineups.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/7/20. 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 @EuanOrYouOut. Let's get those lineups set!
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Chris Paul, PG - OKC vs. MEM ($7,800)
The elder statesman of the Oklahoma City backcourt put on a clinic against the Los Angeles Lakers. In Wednesday's contest against the best in the West, Paul produced 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. That's right in line with his averages since the restart. In the three bubble games, CP3 is averaging 20.7 points, seven assists, 5.3 rebounds, and shooting 53,.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point land.
After taking the Lakers to school, he has an opportunity to give another lesson to Memphis' young backcourt. Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks have defensive ratings of 114 and 113, respectively. Paul has already averaged 44.5 fantasy points per game in two contests versus the Grizzlies this season, and all his daily fantasy managers would welcome another 40-plus point outing.
Ish Smith, PG - WAS vs. NO ($5,300)
Ish Smith will not cost a lot to have in your lineups for Friday's contest, but he can return a lot of value. The guard has started two games and come off the bench in two games and averaged 27.7 FPPG. He has taken on a more prominent role in the offense thanks to some injuries and has performed admirably. In three of his last four games, he has scored 28 fantasy points and has returned at least five times his value. Plug him in against a Pelicans team that is bottom-five versus point guards and continue to mine the value in the Washington lineup.
Shake Milton, PG - PHI vs. ORL ($4,700)
Ben Simmons is out indefinitely with a knee injury. So it sounds like it's time for some shake and bake (I'm always going to take the opportunity to make a Talladega Nights reference). When Ben Simmons was out for the final eight games before the season stopped, Shake Milton saw an uptick in usage and his stats. The 23-year-old averaged 17.9 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and 58.5 percent behind the three-point line.
At this price, the guard will only have to score 23.5 fantasy points to return five times his value. The good news for us is that Milton has eclipsed 25 fantasy points in each of his previous two outings. The 2018 draft pick is valued too low at this price tag, and you should use this to win some money on Friday.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson, PF - NO vs. WAS ($6,800)
I want to have Zion Williamson in all my lineups on Friday, but let's do a blind resume first.
Player A (per game): 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 15.9 field-goal attempts, 36.6 fantasy points
Player B (per game): 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.7 field-goal attempts, 17.47 fantasy points
Player A is Zion Williamson when he plays at least 20 minutes per game, and Player B is *drumroll* Zion Williamson when he plays less than 20 minutes. If you, me, and my 90-year old-grandfather can figure out how to make this work, then why is it so hard for Alvin Gentry and the New Orleans Pelicans to do the math?
Put Zion Williamson in your lineup tonight. His opponent, the Washington Wizards, is middle of the pack versus opposing power forwards (45.6 FPPG), but that shouldn't scare any fantasy managers from starting him.
Danilo Gallinari, SF - OKC vs. MEM ($6,100)
Another piece of the high-flying contest between Oklahoma City and Memphis is Danilo Gallinari. The small forward hasn't had any wow performances in the three bubble games, but Friday could be his time to pop off. In his only game against the Grizzlies this season, Gallo had 28.1 fantasy points thanks to his 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, and zero turnovers.
The 31-year-old has the fourth-highest salary at the small forward position, but this feels like a game that can kick Gallo into high gear. He has back-to-back 25 fantasy point performances and takes on a Grizzlies team that is middle of the pack versus small forwards, but bottom five against power forwards. They also just lost Jaren Jackson Jr. from their lineup. If Gallinari can reach the 30-minute mark, I like him to hit the 30-point mark in fantasy points for the first time at Disney World.
Richaun Holmes, PF - SAC vs. BKN ($5,500)
I seem to be higher on Richaun Holmes than most people, but let me explain myself. Holmes is listed as a power forward on FanDuel but has been occupying the center spot for the Sacramento Kings. The Brooklyn Nets ranks as a top-five defense versus power forwards, but a bottom-five defense versus centers. It's position eligibility like this that can give lineups the slight edge they need to go from winning a small amount to hitting it big.
Holmes has been productive during the restart. The big man is averaging 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. He played 25 minutes in his last game versus the Mavericks, and it resulted in him scoring 25 fantasy points. The matchup with Brooklyn makes him one of the sneakier plays on the slate. There are plenty of options at the power forward position, and Holmes could have a lower ownership percentage. As a result, the forward can make a difference between your lineup and the masses.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Steven Adams, C - OKC vs. MEM ($5,900)
Stevens Adams has been quietly efficient for the Oklahoma City Thunder inside the Disney World bubble. In three games since the restart, Adams has averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and is shooting 65.4 percent from the floor. That has given his daily fantasy managers 27.7 FPPG. Now, the New Zealander takes on a Memphis Grizzlies frontcourt that is dealing with some injuries, and the entire team is just in a funk. The Grizzlies have given up 11.2 rebounds per game to opposing centers. Now they are down Jaren Jackson Jr. and are even more undersized. Adams can use this to his advantage and be a high value on Friday's slate.
