NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/8/2020

We have officially started a cold streak. In each of the last 3 slates, we have had one of our more expensive players cost the lineup (AD, Bam, Siakam). I do feel as if I am getting unlucky, but that is a large part of the game. It never feels good when you go cold in DFS, but it will always happen at some point. DFS is all about managing your money so that you can afford these losses, and moving onto the next day without too much of a bank hit. I am going to try to get a little superstitious and not post my lineups with the articles until I get hot again, but you are welcome to DM @SportsVerseHQ or @Excyphir if you are still interested in the line I will be playing. Today's slate is much better than yesterday's - there are actually multiple players over $8,000! Anyways, let's jump right into the analysis. There are a lot of injuries to watch today, so make sure to stay up to date on twitter to see if the picks change!

Injury News:

- Jamal Murray is still a GTD for today's game. He hasn't played yet in the bubble.

- Mike Conley has knee soreness and is listed as questionable. (update: not on injury report)

- Kendrick Nunn has left the bubble for personal reasons and will not play today.

- Goran Dragic is questionable with an ankle injury that kept him out of the Heat's last game.

- Patrick Beverley has been ruled out with a calf strain.

- Alex Caruso/LeBron James/Anthony Davis all have the GTD tag on Fanduel. (update: LeBron and AD will play)

- Seth Curry has missed the last two games with a leg injury, but is questionable today.

- Donovan Mitchell is questionable after missing yesterday's game, but should play.

- T.J. Warren/Myles Turner are listed as questionable against the Lakers today.

- Dorian Finney-Smith is questionable with a strained left hip.

- Gary Harris/Will Barton/Paul Millsap are all out again.

- Rudy Gobert still has an out tag on Fanduel, but should play after resting yesterday.

- Kawhi Leonard will rest and not play today.

- (update: Hassan Whiteside, Danny Green ruled out)

Point Guard:

Malcolm Brogdon - $6,600:

Malcolm Brogdon finds himself as the second most expensive point guard on the slate today. Both T.J. Warren and Myles Turner are questionable as of the time writing this, so Brogdon could see his usage increase if either of them sit. He has gone for over 40 FD points in 2 out of 3 of his games back since injury, which smashes his value tag. He is a good choice for both GPP and cash.

Eric Bledsoe - $5,300:

Eric Bledsoe is still adapting to his usual workload, but he has been getting more minutes in each of his games back thus far (18 then 23). He should see around 25-28 minutes today, which would see him hit value if he put up his normal production per minute. I am still a little cautious of playing Bucks since they could get rest at anytime, but that shouldn't be the case for Bledsoe as he is trying to adjust back into his normal play time.

Aaron Holiday - $4,300:

Like Brogdon, Holiday would be greatly affected in a positive manner for fantasy if Warren or Turner sit today. He has already seen a ton of minutes in the bubble (34, 36, 34, 37), but his output should be more fantasy friendly if he needs to take on a larger part in the offense. He is still a good play if both of the Pacers end up in the lineup, but it would drop his stock some.

Other great plays: Damian Lillard - $9,700, Ricky Rubio - $5,900, Goran Dragic - $5,400 (if he plays), Reggie Jackson - $3,800, Trey Burke - $3,600

Shooting Guard:

Luka Doncic - $10,400:

Luka Doncic is the "superstar" option that I will be playing today. He has been very good in the bubble, hitting value in all but his most recent affair. Unlike Giannis, Luka is still playing for seeding, so I don't expect him to rest anytime soon. He will be facing the Bucks who have a good defense, but I don't think that it will affect his fantasy performance by much.

Paul George - $7,700:

The Clips will be without Kawhi Leonard today, which means that it is the Paul George show. Since the NBA restart, he has been fantastic, scoring between 37 and 45 FD points in each game. I expect his usage rate to be very high, especially against a weaker defensive team in Portland. He will most likely be making my lineup alongside Luka. Possible revenge match as well.

Tyler Herro - $4,500:

If you wish to go cheap at shooting guard today, then any of the Heat guards are great options. I do like Herro the best of them, but with all of the injuries the Heat are facing, they will all see quality play time. Herro was great in his last showing against the Bucks, scoring 20 points and dishing 5 assists. If Dragic doesn't play, I can see Herro acting as the point guard. Great value.

Other great plays: C.J. McCollum - $7,300, Khris Middleton - $7,100, Lou Williams - $4,500, Duncan Robinson - $4,100

Small Forward:

Carmelo Anthony - $4,900:

As you can probably tell by my pick selection, I am not intrigued by the more expensive small forwards on the slate today. There is great value between the prices of $4k and $5k, and Melo is one of them. He has been a little inconsistent in his production in the bubble, scoring over 30 twice, but under 22 twice as well. Nonetheless, he has played a ton, and faces a Clippers team that will be weaker than usual defensively with Kawhi Leonard resting.

Tim Hardaway Jr. - $4,800:

Tim Hardaway Jr. is pretty much in the same shoes as Carmelo Anthony. He has seen a ton of minutes since the NBA restart, but has been a little inconsistent with his fantasy production, scoring over 27 twice, but only 11.6 in his most recent game. Also, he doesn't draw the most favorable match-up with a game against the Bucks, but he is still a great play just based on the fact that he is cheap, and will play a lot.

Jae Crowder - $4,300:

As said with Herro, almost any player on the Heat is going to be a good option with the number of injuries they have right now. At $4,300, Crowder is just too cheap for the amount of action he is going to see. The players listed above may have slightly more upside for a chance at a huge game, but Crowder is safer.

Other great plays: Joe Ingles - $4,900, Mikal Bridges - $4,800, Cameron Johnson - $4,500, Derrick Jones - $3,600

Power Forward:

Kristaps Porzingis - $8,800:

I am all over Kristaps Porzingis today. Porzingis has been on fire in the bubble, scoring 30 actual points in all but 1 game. Not to mention, his shot-blocking and rebounding potential add even more value to his fantasy output. I am not sure if he is projected to be highly owned on the slate, but I will likely be rostering him.

Bam Adebayo - $7,600:

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little salty at Bam right now. In his most recent game, he had every shot to be one of the booms of the slate, but ended as a huge bust instead. To be fair, he did have a very tough assignment against the Bucks, but he still should of been the focal point of that offense. The match-up today against the Suns is much better, and I don't think Bam disappoints again.

Marcus Morris - $4,300:

With no Kawhi Leonard, I think that Marcus Morris has a big scoring day against a very weak defensive team. He started off the bubble slow, but has put up performances of 28 FD points in both of the Clippers' last 2 games. That is nearly 7x value at his current cost, and he is in an even better situation than he was on those days. Another great, cheap option in all formats.

Other great plays: Maxi Kleber - $4,300, Dario Saric - $4,000, JaMychal Green - $3,700

Center:

Nikola Jokic - $9,000:

It's another day that the Nuggets play, and another day that I am mentioning Jokic in my article. I will be honest, I don't think I will be playing him today because I like the options below better, but he is still a terrific play for anyone who likes him. His match-up isn't the greatest against one of the league's best defenders in Rudy Gobert, but he always has the chance of exploding with his ability to score and pass. At $9,000, his price tag isn't too bad either.

Jusuf Nurkic - $8,500:

I can't go with ignoring Nurkic for another article. He has been unreal in the bubble, scoring over 55 FD points in all but 1 game, and he still scored over 40 then. The Clippers are not going to have much of a defensive presence today, and I fully expect Nurkic to take advantage of that. I highly recommend playing either Nurkic, or Olynyk.

Kelly Olynyk - $4,800:

Kelly Olynyk has had unreal value throughout the NBA restart. I am not sure what it takes to make him a little more expensive, saying that the Heat have numerous injuries, and Olynyk has scored over 25 FD points in each of the Heat's bubble games. If you don't want to pay up for a center for this slate, I think Olynyk is your only real option.

Other great plays: Myles Turner - $6,400 (if plays), Ivica Zubac - $5,200

Core/Example Lineup:

The slate today is much better than it was on Friday. There are still a lot of injuries to monitor which could change my picks, so make sure to stay updated on twitter. As of now, my core players are Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and either Nurkic or Olynyk, depending on how you wish to build the rest of your team.

As mentioned, I am going to see if I am superstitious, and not post my lineups until I get hot again. If you would still like my lineup, follow @SportsVerseHQ or @Excyphir, and send a message on twitter to receive it. Good luck!