NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/11/2020

There isn't a whole lot to talk about on yesterday's main slate. We finished just outside of the money due to T.J. Warren not playing well, and Michael Malone sitting out Nikola Jokic for most of the second half, but I wasn't too upset at my analysis. Today is the start as to when the NBA slates are going to get weird until playoffs. A lot of players are going to be resting or playing at unpredictable work loads if they have nothing to play for, so I recommend players who are still fighting for a playoff spot or important seeding. If you are a big spender on Fanduel, I would also recommend that you play less money than usual due to the randomness of these slates. Anyways, let's jump right in!

Injury News:

- De'Aaron Fox/Kent Bazemore/Richaun Holmes are all out for the Kings today.

- Jrue Holiday/Brandon Ingram/Zion Williamson are out for the Pelicans.

- Josh Richardson/Joel Embiid/Tobias Harris/Al Horford will not play today.

- Shabazz Napier is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.

- Maxi Kleber/Dorian Finney-Smith are probable to play today for the Mavs.

- Seth Curry has been ruled out and won't play.

- Giannis Antetokounmpo has a GTD tag on Fanduel. I would be weary even if he is active.

- Daniel Theis is probable to play with a sore foot. (update: is available to play)

- Hassan Whiteside is listed as probable with a hip injury.

- Aron Baynes/Kelly Oubre are doubtful to play.

- Eric Bledsoe/Khris Middleton/Wesley Matthews/Donte DiVincenzo have been ruled out,

Point Guard:

Damian Lillard - $9,900:

There is going to be a trend with my picks for the last few NBA slates until playoffs. I will be picking stars from all the teams that are still fighting for something, regardless of their projections. I don't want to take a risk on playing anyone expensive who could be rested at any point in the game. Dame gets a game against the Mavs today, which should be a high-scoring game if Luka/Porzingis play decent minutes. He is going to be owned by most, so even a bad performance won't affect you much.

Ja Morant - $7,400:

If anyone cares to read my analysis today, it is going to be nearly the same for all my expensive plays. If you play for the Grizzlies, Blazers, or the Suns, then chances are I like you for the slate. Ja and the Grizzlies are still fighting to hold onto the 8 seed, so he will be playing a ton. Also, he has been a pretty consistent fantasy scorer in the bubble as he has only scored under 30 FD points once.

Corey Joseph - $3,600:

The Kings have nothing to play for, so they decided to sit Fox for their game today. Joseph is going to get the bulk of the load at point guard, and should be able to smash his value with ease. If you are looking for a cost efficient player at the position, Joseph is your guy. Good in all formats with his minimal price.

Other great plays: Lonzo Ball - $6,700, Kemba Walker - $5,500, Shake Milton - $4,500, George Hill - $3,900

Shooting Guard:

Devin Booker - $8,100:

Booker plays for the Suns. The Suns are fighting for playoff hopes. Devin Booker is good. Devin Booker is a good play. Booker has exploded for 49 FD points in 3 of his last 4 matches. Another player that is going to be high-owned, and should be played by you.

C.J. McCollum - $7,400:

McCollum plays for the Blazers. The Blazers are fighting for playoff hopes. C.J. McCollum is good. C.J. McCollum is a good play. McCollum has been very fantasy reliant so far in the NBA restart, as he has not scored less than 32 FD points in any of his games so far.

Bogdan Bogdanovic - $5,600:

Bogdanovic is probably the most expensive player in my player pool who is not on the Grizzlies, Blazers, or Suns. The Kings haven't been fighting for a lot for most of the bubble, and Bogdan still got a lot of minutes, so I am not too concerned that he will be limited today. Without Fox, he is going to be the primary scorer for the Kings, if he wasn't already. Great play if you need to save a little cash from C.J.

Other great plays (lots of good plays today): Luka Doncic - $10,500 (minutes risk), Dillon Brooks - $5,700, Buddy Hield - $4,700, Gary Trent - $4,500, Sterling Brown - $4,300, Alec Burks - $4,200, Josh Hart - $4,000, Pat Connaughton - $4,000, Furkan Korkmaz - $3,500

Small Forward:

Carmelo Anthony - $5,400:

Melo has quietly put up over 30 FD points in each of his last 2 games. He will always be a solid option at a reasonable price due to his scoring potential, and his hustle for rebounds. If you couldn't have guessed, he also plays for the Blazers. I like him slightly more for GPP, but he is fine for cash too.

Cameron Johnson - $4,700:

Cameron Johnson has been a pleasant surprise during the bubble. Without Oubre, Johnson has seen over 32 minutes in 4 out of 6 of the Suns' games. In those games, he has scored over 32 FD points 3 times. He is a strong scorer who has potential to bring down double digit rebounds as well. Excellent play in all formats.

Harrison Barnes - $4,400:

Barnes finds himself in my article again due to his strong projections for the slate. He has not been the best fantasy option recently, but he will be getting a ton of play time for a very weak lineup today. I much prefer Cameron Johnson if you need one player around this price, but it would be fine to play both if you wanted to.

Other great plays: Jaylen Brown - $6,700, Gordon Hayward - $6,400, Kyle Anderson - $4,400, Matisse Thybulle - $3,700

Power Forward:

Dario Saric - $3,900:

If you can't tell by the 3 players listed, I will definitely be going cheap at the power forward position on this slate. There are tons of value plays, so I would capitalize on that and spend up at other positions. Saric hasn't seen a ton of minutes, but he still gets reasonable PT at around 22 minutes a game. Even with those minutes, he has yet to record a game in the bubble with less than 20 FD points. Love him as a cash play, and is still decent for GPP.

Nicolo Melli - $3,700:

With Holiday, Ingram, and Zion all out for the Pelicans today, Melli should get an abundance of play time. He has not been good from a fantasy standpoint as of late, but there aren't going to be a lot of options for the Pelicans. You are happy if he scores over 20 points, and he should be able to do that.

Harry Giles - $3,600:

The Kings will be without Fox, Holmes, and Bazemore for their game, which will open up minutes for Harry Giles. When on the court, Giles has been pretty solid in terms of production per minute, but the problem has been the minutes he has been getting. If he sees over 20 minutes today, he should do well in this YMCA open gym match.

Other great plays: Kristaps Porzingis - $8,500 (minutes risk), Brandon Clarke - $5,800, Ersan Ilyasova - $3,500

Center:

Jusuf Nurkic - $8,500:

Nurkic has calmed down his fantasy output slightly in the last few games, but he still has been pretty good. The Mavericks don't have an elite interior defensive presence, so I expect Nurkic to be able to take advantage of that. I would suggest playing either Nurkic or Ayton at center.

Deandre Ayton - $7,700:

Like Nurkic, Ayton is still on a team that has something to play for. Yesterday was a bizarre situation for Ayton, as he missed testing and had to arrive to the game late, but that is of no concern for today. The Suns are going to be playing the 76ers who are without their entire starting lineup, so it should be a cake match.

Derrick Favors - $5,400:

If for some reason you don't want to play either of the guys above, then Derrick Favors is a relatively safe option. He will arguably be the best player on the court for the Pelicans today, and has been good with his fantasy production recently. He is more of a cash play, but could pan out in tournaments as well.

Other great plays: Jonas Valanciunas - $7,300, Thomas Bryant - $7,300, Alex Len - $3,900

Core/Lineup:

I don't have an exact core for this slate. As said a bunch, I would play the studs from the Grizzlies, Blazers, and Suns, while playing value players from the Kings, Bucks, 76ers, and Pelicans. Any combination of those players is a good lineup for the slate.

If you would like my lineup, follow @SportsVerseHQ or @Excyphir, and send a message on twitter to receive it. Good luck!