NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/9/2020

Yesterday was a wonderful day for DFS. We broke the cold streak with our lineup having a monster performance that cashed with ease in all formats. If I can get a little W streak going now, I will start posting my line with the articles again, although you can still receive my lineup if you want (check bottom). The slate today is a pretty solid one with a variety of good players, so let's get into the picks!

Injury News:

- Russell Westbrook will be inactive again with a quad injury.

- Patrick Beverley is listed as a GTD, but I think it is more likely that he sits again. (update: ruled out)

- Michael Carter-Williams/Aaron Gordon/Evan Fournier are all out for the Magic.

- Caris LeVert/Jarrett Allen/Joe Harris are likely to rest today, and are doubtful.(update: have been upgraded to probable)

- Kent Bazemore is listed as questionable with a calf injury that kept him out of his last contest.

- Richaun Holmes has been ruled out with a hip injury.

- Hassan Whiteside was inactive for the Blazers yesterday, so he might be again. (update: ruled out)

- (update: Paul George ruled out)

Point Guard:

De'Aaron Fox - $8,000:

The HOU-SAC match-up is going to be a high-scoring game, and I want in on it. For some reason, the implied totals for this game aren't super high, but I expect this game to have the most points scored fairly easily. Fox has been very good during the bubble, and should be able to attack the Houston defense tonight. Excellent option in both cash and GPP games.

Kemba Walker - $5,700:

Kemba is expected to have his minutes restored to around 30-32 tonight. If Kemba sees his usual usage with that amount of play time, he should smash value. The Magic will be without a lot of their players today which creates a great match-up, but one with blow-out potential. However, the Celtics want to get Kemba back to his usual workload, so he should play his expected minutes regardless.

Chris Chiozza - $3,900:

*Update* Levert/Harris/Allen upgraded to probable, wouldn't play Chiozza if they play, swap to Reggie Jackson/D.J. Augustin

Chris Chiozza is a fantastic value play at point guard. It appears that the Nets will be resting Levert, Harris, and Allen again like they did on Tuesday, which freed Chiozza for 31 minutes of action. He managed 10 points and 10 assists in that contest, and I expect a similar fantasy output if he draws the start today.

Other great plays: Kyle Lowry - $7,000, Dejounte Murray - $6,200, D.J. Augustin - $4,100, Reggie Jackson - $3,800 (great play now with no PG13 or Bev)

Shooting Guard:

James Harden - $10,800:

The Rockets will be without Russell Westbrook again today, which means that Harden's usage is going to be insane. Without Russ against one of the better defensive teams in the Lakers, Harden exploded for 68 FD points. The Rockets will play the Kings today, who have a much weaker defensive than the Lakers, so Harden could go off for even more. I would lock him into your lineup.

Bogdan Bogdanovic - $5,400:

As I said, I expect this game to be very high-scoring, and Bogdanovic should be in the forefront of the scoring for the Kings. His price tag did get a bit of a bump, but he has scored 47 and 34 FD points in his last games, which would still be really good outings for the price. Another play that is good in all formats.

Ben McLemore - $3,900:

McLemore is the clear value at shooting guard on the slate. He should see the start again today with the absence of Russell Westbrook, and managed to see 30 minutes without him on Thursday. In that contest, he scored 30 FD points which is outstanding for his very low cost. A cheap option who is reasonably safe and has boom potential is always a great option.

Other great plays: DeMar DeRozan - $7,700, Josh Richardson - $4,500, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot - $3,700 (if the big 3 don't play):

Small Forward:

Kawhi Leonard - $8,400:

Kawhi Leonard is back in the lineup for the Clippers, and still is too cheap. I would be a little cautious with Kawhi as Doc Rivers decided to not play his starters for most of the fourth quarter yesterday with load management, but he is still a good play nonetheless. He should see at least 28 minutes of play, which is enough time for him to score over 40 FD points. I would be a little cautious as I said, but he projects well.(update: boost in value with PG13 out)

Gordon Hayward - $6,000:

With Kemba back near his full workload, the other Celtics players get a small decrease in fantasy value. However, I still believe that $6,000 is a great cost for Hayward. As aforementioned with Kemba, the Celtics have a great match-up with the injury riddled Magic, but one with slight caution with the potential for a blow-out. I wouldn't let that intimidate you too much though, he is still a fine play.

Harrison Barnes - $4,400:

The Kings will be without Richaun Holmes tonight, which means that Barnes is a lock to see over 32 minutes of play. He has not been one of the more effective players with his minutes, but he had to be mentioned with his cheap cost and strong match-up. There are plenty of other options if you dislike the play, but he projects well.

Other great plays (lots of great plays today): Pascal Siakam - $7,400, Brandon Ingram - $7,400, Jaylen Brown - $6,400, Carmelo Anthony - $4,900, Danuel House - $4,500, O.G. Anunoby - $4,200

Power Forward:

Robert Covington - $6,600:

RoCo is the sixth player in the HOU-SAC game that I am mentioning today. You really can't go wrong with any of the starters for that game, so all of them are in my player pool. This is also the weakest position on the slate as there are not too many plays I am fond of. If you have the extra cash, Covington is a good play in all formats.

Marcus Morris - $4,300:

(update: PG13 ruled out, Morris is a lock for me)

Marcus Morris has exceeded value in 3 straight games, so he had to be mentioned again in the article today. The Clips will get Kawhi back which will hinder his value a little, but I am not too worried with his cheap price tag. Also, he will face the Nets who have been known to get destroyed by front court players.

Rodions Kurucs - $3,900:

*Update* Levert/Harris/Allen upgraded to probable, wouldn't play Kurucs if they play

Rodions Kurucs is a tremendous value play on a slate with not much value for power forwards. With LeVert/Harris/Allen all most likely not playing today, he is in an excellent position to smash value. I will likely be playing him if the mentioned players don't suit up today.

Other great plays: Al Horford - $6,200, Nemanja Bjelica - $5,200, Gary Clark - $3,500

Center:

Joel Embiid - $9,600:

Although he didn't have his strongest showing against the Magic, Embiid is a superb pay up player on the slate. Without Simmons, his usage rate has been known to go up quite a bit, and I don't want to miss out on that. I really like him for both cash and GPP games.

Nikola Vucevic - $7,900:

The Magic have injuries all over their roster, and Vucevic is one of the only players you can trust on that team right now. I am sure the Magic know this as well, so he should be seeing a much higher usage rate than usual. His price tag is still very reasonable at under $8,000, so he is a good pivot off of Embiid if you aren't loving that play.

Jakob Poeltl - $5,100:

Poeltl has no real competition for big man minutes, so he is going to continue to be a good play as long as he plays and his cost is reasonable. He isn't the most prolific player, but he has been known to come out with a few explosive performances, including his last game where he scored over 40 FD points. Great play if you don't want to spend a lot of money at center.

Other great plays: Jusuf Nurkic - $8,500, Marc Gasol - $4,500, P.J. Tucker - $3,800

Core/Example Lineup:

The recent injury news with the Nets players being upgraded to probable has changed my player pool quite a bit. As of now, my locks for the slate are De'Aaron Fox, James Harden, and Marcus Morris. Make sure to stay updated with injury news!

As said before, I am going to stop posting my lineups until I am on a hot streak. If you would still like my lineup, follow @SportsVerseHQ or @Excyphir, and send a message on twitter to receive it. Good luck!