NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 7/31/2020

We are really back! Today is the first real slate of the season as yesterday was just a 2 game showing. Despite my favorite player of the slate putting up a dud performance, we still managed to cash in all formats. It feels great to start the season strong, and we aim to go 2/2 with today's picks. The prices are very questionable for many players, so there is the opportunity for some pretty wild lineups.

Injury News:

- Jamal Crawford is listed as doubtful and shouldn't be in your lineups.

- Dorian Finney-Smith is a GTD after not playing in Wednesday's scrimmage.

- Aaron Gordon is also listed as a GTD, but should play.

- Dario Saric is a GTD and his status is truly unclear as of now.

- Rodions Kurucs was a GTD, but will play today.

- Aron Baynes is a GTD, but will most likely not play in Phoenix's opener.

- Jonathan Isaac is considered a GTD. If he plays, he is a steal at his price tag, even if his play time gets restricted.

Point Guard:

Damian Lillard - $8,900: Damian Lillard gets a good match-up against the Grizzlies. The Trail Blazers have an implied team total pf 114 for their game, and we know that Dame can light it up if he gets hot. I think both him and Ja have big games.

Ja Morant - $6,300: Speaking of Ja, he will be a popular play for today's slate. He has a very lenient cost at $6,300, and I fully expect him to hit value against a weaker defensive team in Portland. Should be in your lineups today.

Ish Smith - $4,400: Ish Smith will get quality minutes for the Wizards for the rest of the season with the absence of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Somebody has to score for the Wizards right? At $4,400, he is a great value play, and will be very high owned in cash formats.

Other great plays: De'Aaron Fox - $7,500, Ricky Rubio - $6,500, George Hill - $3,800

Shooting Guard:

James Harden - $10,600:

The DAL-HOU game is projected to be a high scoring affair, and I want all in on James Harden. We know that he is one of the best fantasy basketball players, and his price tag is actually lower than usual. Lock me in for some Harden.

Khris Middleton - $7,100:

With no Eric Bledsoe for today's game, Khris Middleton gets a slight boost in his value. He always has big scoring potential, so I love Middleton in GPP formats (still a great cash play). With expected high ownership from Harden and Doncic, he will probably draw lower ownership than he should.

Lonnie Walker - $3,800:

Lonnie Walker should see pretty solid minutes in the Spurs' match-up today, and you aren't asking him to do much at a near minimum price. I do like paying up at the SG position due to the value elsewhere today, but he should certainly hit value if you need a cheaper play at the position.

Other great plays: Luka Doncic - $10,800, Devin Booker - $8,000, Buddy Hield - $5,500, Dillon Brooks - $4,300

Small Forward:

Giannis Antetokounmpo - $10,700:

The freak will be in my lineup today. There is not much blowout risk in their game, and he should get even more usage with Eric Bledsoe off the court. $10,700 is actually quite low for him as well, as their were multiple times before the pandemic where he was over $12,000.

Jaylen Brown - $5,800:

Good value here at less than $6,000. I will not have him in my plays due to the way I was building my lineup, but he is an excellent play if you need someone around that price range. He is safe to at least get close to his value, with the ability of going for much more.

Jonathan Isaac - $3,500:

Terrific punt play for anyone who wants to take a little more of a risk. If he was playing with his normal work load, then this price would be ludicrous, but he is expected to have a minutes restriction if he plays. He looked terrific in his last scrimmage with only a few minutes, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing happen here. *Make sure to check status before lock.*

Other great plays: Evan Fournier - $5,300, Danuel House Jr. - $4,000, Keldon Johnson - $3,500

Power Forward:

Rui Hachimura - $5,600:

As crazy as this sounds, Rui Hachimura will probably be the best player on the court for the Wizards during the bubble games. If you are getting the best player on a team at $5,600, there is little that can go wrong. Another pretty safe play with big upside.

Jaren Jackson Jr. - $4,700:

JJJ is uber-talented, and I just can't seem to get away from him at a terrific price tag. There is no reason he shouldn't go for at least 25 FD points, which would be above the value you would ask for a player of that price. Should be in your lineups.

Richaun Holmes - $3,900:

$3,900 is a pretty insane price for Richaun Holmes. He is the best predicted value play in nearly every model, and he will be in my lineup for sure. He was averaging nearly 30 FD points before the pandemic, and there is no reason that he shouldn't hit those averages during the bubble.

Other great plays: Robert Covington - $5,800, Daniel Theis - $5,00, Nemanja Bjelica - $4,500

Center:

Deandre Ayton - $7,600:

With Aron Baynes and Dario Saric likely not playing, Ayton should see a lot of minutes today. Kelly Oubre will also not be playing, so there is even more opportunity to score some points. There is tons of value at the center position this slate, but Ayton is a great pick if you want to get creative with your line.

Jarrett Allen - $6,700:

The Nets are putting out a G-League roster for their bubble games, so expect Allen to have higher usage than normal. Like Ayton, he is on the more expensive side for a position with a ton of great cheap plays, but he is not a player you can ignore today.

Jakob Poeltl - $4,200:

One of the best predicted value plays in all models. The Spurs will be without LaMarcus Aldrige for the duration of their bubble games, so expect Poeltl to see in an increased work load, particularly in the rebounding department. Price tag should increase after today, so take advantage while you can.

Other great plays: Nikola Vucevic - $8,300, P.J. Tucker - $3,900, Moritz Wagner - $3,700

Core/Example Lineup:

The pricing on this slate is going to allow you to do some pretty crazy things with your lineup. You are definitely going to want to play 2 of Harden, Doncic, and Giannis, but I actually like playing all 3 today. There is crazy value at PF and C, so you should exploit that. If I had to give a core 3, it would be Giannis, Richaun Holmes, and Jakob Poeltl.

PG - Ja Morant - $6,300 PG - Ish Smith - $4,400

SG - Luka Doncic - $10,800

SG - James Harden - $10,600

SF - Giannis Antetokounmpo - $10,700

SF - Kyle Anderson - $4,200

PF - Jaren Jackson Jr. - $4,700

PF - Richaun Holmes - $3,900

C - Jakob Poeltl - $4,200