Playoff NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/18/2020

Yesterday was a frustrating day of DFS to say the least. Our lineup would have cashed easily, but Kristaps Porzingis got ejected at the start of the third quarter on one of the weakest calls I have ever seen. What can you do though, that happens in sports, although it seems like it happens to me more than others. Moving on to today's slate, we have another 4 game day. This slate features a lot of star power, but not a ton of current cheap value options as it stands right now. I preferred yesterday's slate, but at least we can be confident that our players are going to play, unlike at the end of the bubble regular season. It's time to jump into the injury news and player analysis! (Note: I am pressed on time today, so my player write ups will be brief)

Injury News:

- Russell Westbrook is still out for the Rockets with a quadriceps injury.

- Aaron Gordon/Michael Carter-Williams have been ruled out for the Magic's playoff opener.

- Zach Collins will not play against the Lakers today.

- Luguentz Dort will not play for the Thunder in their first playoff game.

- LeBron James/Anthony Davis are listed as probable today.

- T.J. Warren is questionable for Game 1 with a foot injury.

- Derrick Jones is questionable with a neck strain.

Point Guard:

Damian Lillard - $10,100:

Damian Lillard has been on an absolute tear recently. In his last six games, he has four fantasy performances of over 65 FD points, and only has finished under 50 once. The Lakers have a tremendous defense however, so I don't know if Lillard is capable of dropping insane numbers today. With how hot he currently is, he is still a great play.

Chris Paul - $7,200:

Here we have a possible revenge match for CP3. The Rockets play at a very fast pace and do not have a good defense, so Chris Paul should have a field day. Also, he has averaged 47 FD points in his last two games against the Rockets. He is a lock for me on Fanduel for this slate.

Eric Bledsoe - $5,800:

Eric Bledsoe has not had the best fantasy production during the bubble, but he has been injured and slowly adapting back into his full workload. With it now being playoffs, I expect Bledsoe to start seeing over 30 minutes a game again. If he does, then a sub $6k price tag is excellent for him.

Other great plays: Malcolm Brogdon - $6,800, Goran Dragic - $5,700, D.J. Augustin - $4,500, Aaron Holiday - $4,100

Shooting Guard:

James Harden - $11,500:

James Harden is the most expensive player on the slate, but I will likely be playing him still. Russell Westbrook will not play in this game, which means Harden is going to see usage on basically every offensive play. With this being one of the more competitive first series, Harden should play a ton of minutes too.

Jimmy Butler - $7,800:

At $7,800, Butler is in an excellent smash position for the slate today. We know the Pacers and Heat have some beef between them, and Butler is right at the center of that bad blood. He has been superb when playing the Pacers this season, and I don't expect that to change once playoffs start. This series should be very intense, and that should create for some big fantasy performances.

Gary Trent - $4,500:

Gary Trent has been one of the pleasant surprises so far during the bubble. He has been a terrific shooter, and the Blazers have recognized that with the amount of minutes they have given him. The Blazers will be without Zach Collins today, and although they are completely different positions, that should give Trent some more rotational minutes.

Other great plays: Khris Middleton - $7,000, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - $6,900, Duncan Robinson - $4,300, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - $3,500

Small Forward:

Giannis Antetokounmpo - $11,000:

Out of all the big name players on the slate, Giannis has the easiest match-up. This could be good in the sense that no one will be able to stop him on the court, but could be bad for blow-out implications. However, if there is a blow-out, it probably means that Giannis was going crazy, which should mitigate some of the damage.

Danilo Gallinari - $5,200:

Danillo Gallinari is one of the better plays in terms of expected value for today. He hasn't been doing great in the bubble, but he also hasn't been playing much because the Thunder haven't had a lot to play for. He is going to get his minutes today, and I expect him to produce in them.

Jae Crowder - $4,100:

Jae Crowder is an excellent value play for anyone who needs to go cheap with one of their spots at this position. The Heat have been resting most of their players in recent games in preparation for playoffs, but Crowder was performing very well before that point. He should hit value quite easily.

Other great plays: LeBron James - $10,300, Carmelo Anthony - $5,400, Evan Fournier - $5,300, Danuel House - $4,000, James Ennis - $4,000

Power Forward:

Anthony Davis - $10,000:

The power forward position is quite a mess for the main slate today, but Anthony Davis is one of the bright spots. As of late, he hasn't been living up to his usual crazy fantasy standards, but that should change in playoffs. The Lakers had locked up the first seed for some time now, so the intensity of the team should go up a ton for playoffs. I don't think there is anyone on the Blazers who is capable of slowing him down.

Bam Adebayo - $7,500:

Bam Adebayo is the other power forward who is a bright spot at the position today. Like the other Heat players, he has rested in recent games, but that won't happen today. $7,500 is on the cheaper side for Bam, so he should be able to capitalize and hit value.

Jeff Green - $4,100:

If you need to go cheap at the position, you don't have many options, but Jeff Green is one of them. He has quietly produced consistently during the bubble, which is always something to look for in cheap plays. Eric Gordon being back could hurt his value a little, but I think he is still a fine play, and probably the best one outside of the two players above.

Other great plays: Robert Covington - $7,000, Khem Birch - $3,800, Nerlens Noel - $3,700

Center:

Nikola Vucevic - $7,900:

Aaron Gordon is out again for the Magic, which means that Vucevic is going to receive an even bigger scoring and rebounding share than he usually does. It might be tough to fit him in with all the stars on the slate, but he is a sneaky good play if you can find a way to get him in your lineup.

Steven Adams - $5,400:

Steven Adams is going to be chalk at the position. $5,400 is near the lowest price tag that I have seen him have in recent years, and he is going to play a lot given that it is playoffs now. He is going against the small ball Rockets lineup which means that he should be able to dominate the glass, and put up more points than usual.

Hassan Whiteside - $4,400:

Hassan Whiteside is another sneaky good play at center if you aren't feeling up to Steven Adams. Whiteside has seen a massive hit to both his value and his minutes with the return of Nurkic, but with no Zach Collins, he should see more time in the rotation. He produces in terms of fantasy when on the court, he just needs to see the time, and I think he does tonight.

Other great plays: Jusuf Nurkic - $8,400, Brook Lopez - $5,800, P.J. Tucker - $3,700

Core/Lineup:

You are going to want to play two of the superstars on the slate today (Lillard, Harden, Giannis, LeBron, Anthony Davis). I am locking in Harden, and had a tough choice between Giannis and AD for the last spot, but decided to go with Giannis. My core 3 for the slate are Chris Paul, James Harden, and Steven Adams.

PG: Chris Paul - $7,200

PG: Aaron Holiday - $4,100 SG: James Harden - $11,500 SG: Jimmy Butler - $7,800 SF: Giannis Antetokounmpo - $11,000 SF: Danilo Gallinari - $5,200 PF: Jeff Green - $4,100 PF: Nerlens Noel - $3,700 C: Steven Adams - $5,400

If you enjoy these articles, please follow @SportsVerseHQ and @Excyphir on twitter! Stay up to date there in case of potential lineup changes with injury. Good luck.