Playoff NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/23/2020

The hot streak had to come to and end at some point, and yesterday was the day that it did. We had some great performances from some of our core options with Chris Paul, C.J. McCollum, Giannis, Melo, and Jeff Green, but it ultimately wasn't enough. Today, we have the first set of four playoff games, which is the slate with less superstars, but more value. If Luka is unavailable to go today, then there will be no players priced over $10,000. Make sure to stay up to date on twitter for the Luka injury news, because that could change my picks and lineup by quite a bit. I am going to be trying a new format for the rest of playoffs, so let's jump into the article!

Injury News:

- Patrick Beverley is doubtful to play in Game 4 today.

- Trey Burke/Kristaps Porzingis are probable to play for Mavericks.

- Luka Doncic is a game-time decision for the game against the Clippers.

- Gary Harris is doubtful to make his bubble debut.

Top Plays:

The two studs that I will be locking into my lineups today are Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid. Kawhi Leonard has stepped up massively with Paul George struggling in playoffs, and I expect him to continue to do so. In his three playoff games so far, he has scored 58.4, 50, and 65.8 FD points. For Embiid, there is really no one else on the 76ers right now who is contributing on the offensive end besides Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson. He has scored between 49 and 52 FD points in his three playoff showings so far.

Best Value:

Instead of listing one player as the best value play, I will give you a bunch. If Luka Doncic does not play today, then Seth Curry, Trey Burke, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber all are terrific value options. Someone other than Porzingis would have to step into a much larger role in the offense, and I would expect all of them to contribute in that matter, especially Curry and Burke. If he does manage to play, I would still leave Kleber as a value option, and I would also throw in Monte Morris who is priced at $3,600. Monte Morris has not had the best fantasy showings in playoffs, but he could easily score over 20 and hit value if you want to take a flier at the position. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is a near lock for me at his current price.

Fade:

The player I am fading today is Luka Doncic. We still don't have a word on whether he plays or not, but even if he does, I will not be playing him on this slate. That is unusual for me as I am always all over Luka Doncic for fantasy, but I don't trust his ankle to hold up, especially after he went back into the game Friday and had to removed almost instantly. He is a risk, and not one that I want to take with the other two studs available that I mentioned above.

Player Pool:

Point Guard:

Kemba Walker - $7,500

Jamal Murray - $7,300

Mike Conley - $6,200

Other great plays: Seth Curry - $4,800 (a top play if Luka sits), Tyler Johnson - $4,700, Trey Burke - $4,000 (a top play if Luka sits), Monte Morris - $3,600

Shooting Guard:

Caris LeVert - $8,400

Josh Richardson - $5,300

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot - $4,700

Other great plays: Donovan Mitchell - $8,000, Fred VanVleet - $7,800, Marcus Smart - $5,500, Lou Williams - $5,400

Small Forward:

Kawhi Leonard - $10,000

Tobias Harris - $7,300

O.G. Anunoby - $4,700

Other great plays: Jaylen Brown - $6,800, Joe Ingles - $5,400, Dorian Finney-Smith - $4,700

Power Forward:

Kristaps Porzingis - $9,000

Al Horford - $5,200

Maxi Kleber - $4,000

Other great plays: Jayson Tatum - $8,800, Michael Porter Jr. - $6,500, Jerami Grant - $4,700

Center:

Joel Embiid - $10,000

Nikola Jokic - $9,200

Jarrett Allen - $7,400

Other great plays: Rudy Gobert - $8,000, Montrezl Harrell - $4,800

Core/Lineup:

My core 3 for the slate are Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid. Mavericks players could be added there if Luka sits, so make sure to stay updated for the Luka Doncic injury news.

PG: Mike Conley - $6,200

PG: Tyler Johnson - $4,700 SG: Lou Williams - $5,400 SG: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot - $4,700 SF: Kawhi Leonard - $10,000 SF: Dorian Finney-Smith - $4,700

PF: Kristaps Porzingis - $9,000 PF: Al Horford - $5,200 C: Joel Embiid - $10,000

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.