NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/12/2020

On yesterday's main slate, we saw boom performances from some of my favorite players mentioned in my article, including Dame, Booker, and Morant. I had all 3 of them in my lineup, but unfortunately was let down by McCollum, Nurkic, and Cameron Johnson. Today, we have another tough main slate due to the sporadic minutes players may be seeing. All the teams on this slate aren't in too important of games, so it should be a wild day! Any of these players could be rested or played at limited minutes, so I wouldn't spend crazy money on this slate. Let's start with the injury news and player picks.

Injury News:

- Kendrick Nunn/Dennis Schroder/Pat Beverley/Will Barton/Montrezl Harrell are still out.

- Russell Westbrook/Danuel House are out today for the Rockets.

- T.J. Warren/Malcolm Brogdon are out for the Pacers.

- Alec Burks has been ruled out for the 76ers' game today.

- Serge Ibaka has a GTD tag on Fanduel.

- Nerlens Noel/Steven Adams are considered questionable.

- Jerami Grant is listed as questionable for the Nuggets.

-Kelly Olynyk is questionable for the Heat.

-Joel Embiid/Tobias Harris/Al Horford will play today.

Point Guard:

Kyle Lowry - $6,900:

Kyle Lowry sat out of the Raptors' last game, but he is not listed on the injury report for today. Like basically everyone on the slate, there is concern that Lowry may get rested or his minutes reduced, but I'm not looking at that too much since it is a possibility for everyone. At $6,900, he is in a good spot to hit value since he usually costs around $7,500. He is a risk, but so is everyone else.

Goran Dragic - $5,500:

In each of Dragic's last 4 games played, he has scored over 30 FD points. If he can continue that trend, then he would be well over what you would want from someone with his cost. In his last game, he saw 30 minutes, which may be an indicator that he will not rest as much as others, but who knows.

Aaron Holiday - $4,000:

If there is one player I would feel safe playing on the slate, it is Aaron Holiday. He has seen an abundance of minutes in the bubble, and he is not the type of player who is likely to get rested much. The Pacers will be without Warren and Brogdon, so his usage should be fairly high. If there is one person you should lock today, it is him.

Other great plays: Chris Paul - $7,700, Jamal Murray - $6,500, Reggie Jackson - $3,800, T.J. McConnell - $3,600

Shooting Guard:

James Harden - $10,800:

The Rockets will be without Russell Westbrook today, so Harden will have a very high usage rate for the minutes he is on the floor. Westbrook saw 27 minutes yesterday without Harden, so Harden should at least be around that play time today. That is less than usual, but Harden doesn't need a ton of play time to have a good fantasy performance.

Paul George - $7,500:

Paul George rested last game against the Nets, so he should be in for some decent minutes today. Also, the Clippers will play the Nuggets who are both near the top of the West, which may mean that both teams will play harder. PG13 has been excellent when given opportunity in the bubble, and that should continue if given good minutes today.

Victor Oladipo - $5,700:

The Pacers are going to be without Warren and Brogdon today which means that Oladipo will be utilized much more in their offense. The Rockets' defense is nothing to hit home about, so this match-up should be decently high-scoring, even with the injuries on both sides. I like Oladipo in both formats.

Other great plays: Jimmy Butler - $7,900, Josh Richardson - $5,200, Normal Powell - $5,100, Lou Williams - $5,000, Ben McLemore - $3,900

Small Forward:

Kawhi Leonard - $8,700:

I expected Kawhi to get some rest in the Clippers' last game against the Nets, but he played 36 minutes. Who knows if that means he will get his usual work load today, or if he will be rested since he played a lot then, but I am willing to take a chance on the former. He is still under $9k which is too cheap for a player of his caliber. I like paying up and pairing Harden and Kawhi today, since everyone is a risk regardless.

Pascal Siakam - $7,300:

Siakam has still not had the monster fantasy performance in the bubble that we have been accustomed to from him this season, but he is a good player who is fully healthy, which goes a long way on this slate. He has played over 28 minutes in all of his games thus far in the NBA restart, which is a good sign that the Raptors don't need to rest him.

Justin Holiday - $3,500:

Justin Holiday is not the prettiest fantasy option, but the Pacers do have some key injuries as I have mentioned. JaKarr Sampson is getting the start too, but I still expect Holiday to see more minutes than him. They are both fine plays if you need someone cheap who should hit value, but not explode.

Other great plays: Tobias Harris - $7,400, Danilo Gallinari - $5,400, Darius Bazley - $4,800, O.G. Anunoby - $4,100, JaKarr Sampson - $3,500

Power Forward:

Bam Adebayo - $7,800:

Bam only played 22 minutes in the Heat's last game against the Pacers, but I think that is more due to the fact that they were winning by a lot rather than him needing rest. He is certainly a pretty large risk, but so are all of the other expensive power forwards. OKC will likely be missing a few of their big men today, which means that Bam should feast up if he gets the play time.

Marcus Morris - $4,600:

Marcus Morris has been a consistent fantasy option in his last 4 games, scoring between 24 and 29 FD points in all of them. He is not at huge risk of getting reduced play time, so I really like him as a cheaper option for this slate. Good in both cash and GPP games.

Paul Millsap - $4,600:

Paul Millsap is another cheap option at the position who is usually pretty consistent when he plays. At the same price, I prefer Marcus Morris by a little bit, but I am comfortable with playing them both if need be. If Jerami Grant sits today, then that would only be more beneficial to Millsap.

Other great plays: Michael Porter - $7,900, Al Horford - $6,200, Serge Ibaka - $5,100, Mike Muscala - $3,700

Center:

Joel Embiid - $8,800:

Who knows how many minutes Embiid plays today, but I like the idea of taking a risk on him. At $8,800, he is far too cheap if he sees a fraction of the play time that he usually does. He is definitely not a must play and can be faded if you don't trust his situation, but I am feeling optimistic with him.

Myles Turner - $6,000:

As said a bunch for the other Pacers' players mentioned, Warren and Brogdon are not playing today. With them sitting, Turner will be expected to take on a larger part in their offense. He is one of the safer center plays in my eyes, so he is a good option if you aren't feeling the luck with Embiid.

Bobby Boucher - $4,600:

Bobby Boucher erupted in his last game with a whopping 53.2 FD points. Granted, that was with Lowry, FVV, and Ibaka all not playing, but it is still impressive. If Ibaka plays today, it hurts Boucher's value by a significant amount, but he is an excellent option in all formats if he sits.

Other great plays: Nikola Jokic - $8,500, Marc Gasol - $4,500, P.J. Tucker - $3,800, Kelly Olynyk - $4,300

Core/Lineup:

This slate is truly going to be a dart throw. We have no idea how many minutes most of these guys are going to play, so you are taking a risk with every pick. If you normally play a lot of money, I would tone it down until playoffs. If I had to give a core 3, it would be Aaron Holiday, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, but you are taking a flier that Harden/Leonard see good minutes.

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