Playoff NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/19/2020

It feels great to come off of a day where your lineup smashed! Even though Holiday and Noel barely combined for over 20 FD points, yesterday's lineup managed to hit easily in all formats with 342 points. That is enough for the past though, let's move onto today. As we will have for most of the main slates during the first round, today is another day with a four game slate. It features all the same players as Monday's playoff opener, but you can expect lineups to differ from then based on different pricing and injury news. Let's jump right into the breakdown of the slate!

Injury News:

- Gary Harris/Will Barton/Jamal Crawford/Gordon Hayward still remain out.

- Mike Conley is still out for the Jazz. He should be back for Game 3.

- Trey Burke/Kristaps Porzingis are probable for Game 2 against the Clippers.

- Jaylen Brown is probable for Game 2 with a bruised thigh.

Point Guard:

Jamal Murray - $7,500:

The point guards on this slate get quite ugly after Jamal Murray and Kemba Walker. I am not crazy about those plays since they both got big price increases, but there aren't many other plays that are worthy of being in your pool. Jamal Murray caught fire in clutch time of Game 1 against the Jazz, and it really looked like he wasn't ever going to miss. He finished with a great fantasy performance of 55 FD points. I don't know if he is capable of putting up those numbers again, but he can certainly reach value with a strong performance.

Kemba Walker - $6,900:

As aforementioned, Kemba is one of the only reasonable point guard plays on the slate. I will be honest, I am not a fan of his price tag, but he is due for a big performance. Gordon Hayward's injury should free him more usage on the offense, and we already know he is a great player that always has the chance to go off. If you are feeling optimistic with him, he is a fine play.

Monte Morris - $3,900:

Monte Morris surprised a lot of people and played quality minutes in the Nuggets' playoff opener. He looked excellent in the game, particularly when given opportunities to drive to the hoop. He is very cheap at just $3,900, with the upside to score 7x value. Given his price and the lack of good options at the position on this slate, he is my favorite point guard play today.

Other great plays: Patrick Beverley - $4,300, Shake Milton - $3,900, Tyler Johnson - $3,700

Shooting Guard:

Luka Doncic - $10,500:

It wouldn't be an article without Luka being mentioned on they days that he plays. He is the most expensive player on the slate, but that isn't going to stop me from having him as one of the top plays. In his first playoff game ever on Monday, Luka dropped 42 actual points, and was 3 rebounds and 1 assist shy of a triple-double. Kawhi will be a tough assignment once again, but it didn't seem to phase him last game. I will be playing Luka.

Caris LeVert - $8,400:

Caris LeVert is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He is getting quite expensive now as he has a cost over $8k, but I still like him very much as an option. The Brooklyn offense runs through him, and it shows in his fantasy outputs. In his last four games, he has scored 43.9, 60.7, 52.5, and 45.5 FD points. Those numbers would all be good value for his current price, even with the increase.

Marcus Smart - $5,600:

Gordon Hayward is likely going to miss most or all of the Celtics' playoffs, so Marcus Smart is going to get a boost in his production. He has some caution to him as he has scored under 17 FD points three times in the bubble, but I don't see that happening to him today. He is a great option if you need a mid-range priced player at the position.

Other great plays: Donovan Mitchell - $8,200, Paul George - $8,100, Jordan Clarkson - $5,100, Josh Richardson - $4,900, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot - $4,400

Small Forward:

Kawhi Leonard - $9,600:

I wouldn't have recommended Kawhi at this price in the bubble regular season, but we are locked into playoffs now. Playoff Kawhi is a whole different player, and is not a threat to get rested like he usually is. In the Clippers' playoff opener, Kawhi looked excellent with a 58.4 FD point performance. If you want the expensive option at small forward, Kawhi is your guy.

Tobias Harris - $7,200:

Once again, I am still not sure why Tobias Harris is not projected particularly well in most models. He has been extremely consistent in the bubble, only scoring under 30 FD points once, and has surpassed 40 four times. I like him a lot in all formats, and will be looking to try to fit him in my lineup.

Dorian Finney-Smith - $4,400:

Dorian Finney-Smith is the obvious value play for small forwards on the slate. He is going to play too much for him to only be priced at $4,400. He is not the most high-ceiling fantasy option, but he has showcased his ability to put up boom performances in the bubble, while staying relatively consistent with his outputs. He is another player that is good in both cash and GPP today.

Other great plays: Pascal Siakam - $7,800, Jaylen Brown - $7,000, Joe Ingles - $5,500, O.G. Anunoby - $4,700,

Power Forward:

Kristaps Porzingis - $8,600:

The bogus Kristaps Porzingis ejection hurt a lot of people on Monday, myself included. Porzingis was on pace for a good fantasy day, but it was unfortunately cut short. It is highly unlikely that Porzingis doesn't make it through the whole day again, so he should be a fine play. He has been amazing during the bubble, and I expect him to continue that tonight.

Al Horford - $5,500:

At $5,500, Horford is still a terrific option for anyone who wishes to play him. He didn't have the best fantasy day during the 76ers' first playoff game, but he still managed to play 31 minutes. Al Horford should be more productive in his minutes today, as I expect him to score around 30 on FD.

Maxi Kleber - $3,900:

If you need a value play at power forward, then Maxi Kleber is your guy. As of late, he hasn't seen a ton of usage when on the court, but the combination of his cheap price and minutes that he will play create for an option where not many things could go wrong. At his price, 20 FD points would be over 5x value, and I certainly think he will score over that.

Other great plays: Jayson Tatum - $8,700, Michael Porter Jr. - $6,700, Serge Ibaka - $5,800, Jerami Grant - $4,700, Marcus Morris - $4,700

Center:

Joel Embiid - $9,300:

Today is another day where I would recommend choosing between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic at center. Once again, I slightly prefer Embiid due to the fact that Jokic has more players around him that could eat his production. On Monday, both players scored 50 FD points, but Jokic had the advantage of his team playing in overtime. I see Embiid going for over 50 again today.

Nikola Jokic - $9,300:

As I just said, I think you should make the choice between Embiid and Jokic at center. As I slightly prefer Embiid, Jokic is still a terrific play for anyone who is feeling good about him on this slate. Both players are the same price, so it truly comes down to your personal preference.

Montrezl Harrell - $5,000:

Although I don't love Harrell for the slate, he is a wildcard option for more risky formats. He only played 15 minutes in his first game back, but if he gets a big boost to that today, he could smash value. I am labeling this as solely a risky GPP play, I definitely wouldn't suggest playing him in cash formats.

Other great plays: Rudy Gobert - $7,800, Jarrett Allen - $7,200, Marc Gasol - $4,500

Core/Lineup:

My core 3 for the main slate today is Monte Morris, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid. Jokic is a great play if you prefer him over Embiid. I would suggest including two or three of Jamal Murray, Caris LeVert, Kawhi Leonard, Tobias Harris, or Kristaps Porzingis, if you can fit them.

PG: Shake Milton - $3,900

PG: Monte Morris - $3,900 SG: Luka Doncic - $10,500 SG: Caris LeVert - $8,400 SF: Jaylen Brown - $7,000 SF: Dorian Finney-Smith - $4,400 PF: Kristaps Porzingis - $8,600 PF: Maxi Kleber - $3,900 C: Joel Embiid - $9,300

I don't love the Shake Milton play, but I don't like most of the point guards on the slate, and I love the rest of the team. 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.