Playoff NBA DFS Picks For Fanduel 8/30/2020

The lineup yesterday was my poorest one of the NBA bubble thus far. I am not going to touch on it too much, but bad days like that are bound to happen at some point. Today is another three game slate that includes the start of the second round series between the Raptors and the Celtics. The prices for players have increased drastically on this slate, and there were a few position changes, so it will be an interesting day to make lineups. Let's jump in!

Injury News:

- Kristaps Porzingis will not play for the remainder of the series.

- Trey Burke/Luka Doncic/Dorian Finney-Smith/Tim Hardaway Jr. are questionable for Game 6 against the Clippers.

- Patrick Beverley is questionable to make his return for the Clippers.

- Gary Harris is expected to make his bubble debut for the Nuggets.

Top Play:

Jaylen Brown - $6,500:

Jaylen Brown is the player that I will be locking into my lineups for the slate today. His last three fantasy games were nothing too special, but in his last two games, he logged 41 minutes in each. With his lowered cost and the absence of Hayward, I don't think it'll be long before Brown is back to putting up 35 FD point performances. Most models have Jaylen Brown projected around 35+ points today, and I am there with the data on this one.

Best Value:

Daniel Theis - $4,700:

Almost all of the strong, cheap options on this slate have seen a big price increase, but Daniel Theis was not one of those guys. He was not great in the 76ers series as he was often in foul trouble and failed to register any games over 25 FD points, but I don't think that trend will last in this series. $4,700 is a fantastic price for Theis, particularly with Hayward still out, and likely out for the rest of playoffs. Monte Morris, Jerami Grant, Royce O'Neale, and Ivica Zubac are other fine value plays, but none of them stand out too much.

Fade:

Jamal Murray - $8,600:

Perhaps I am crazy for this, but Jamal Murray is the player that I will not be considering in my lineups today. His price has skyrocketed up to over $8,500, and I am not comfortable with expecting over 40 FD points from him. It is no secret that he has been insanely good in this series, but I don't think his crazy scoring performances will be sustainable from here on out. He is still a fine option for more risky formats, but his price is a turn-off for me on this slate.

Player Pool:

Point Guard:

Kyle Lowry - $7,500

Lou Williams - $5,800

Trey Burke - $5,000

Other great plays: Kemba Walker - $7,800, Monte Morris - $4,000

Shooting Guard:

Luka Doncic - $11,400

Donovan Mitchell - $8,000

Marcus Smart - $5,300

Other great plays: Paul George - $7,800, Fred VanVleet - $7,600, Jordan Clarkson - $5,000

Small Forward:

Kawhi Leonard - $10,800

Jaylen Brown - $6,500

Joe Ingles - $5,000

Other great plays: Tim Hardaway - $5,400, Jerami Grant - $4,800

Power Forward:

Michael Porter - $5,700

Marcus Morris - $5,300

Daniel Theis - $4,700

Other great plays: Paul Millsap - $5,000, Royce O'Neale - $4,600

Center:

Nikola Jokic - $9,300

Rudy Gobert - $7,300

Ivica Zubac - $4,900

Other great plays: Marc Gasol - $4,500

Core/Lineup:

My core 3 for the slate are Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, and Daniel Theis. I would highly recommend pairing them with either Jokic or Gobert at center. Make sure to stay updated with Luka and other Mavs players' status!

PG: Lou Williams - $5,800

PG: Trey Burke - $5,000 SG: Luka Doncic - $11,400 SG: Donovan Mitchell - $8,000 SF: Jaylen Brown - $6,500 SF: Tim Hardaway - $5,400

PF: Michael Porter - $5,700 PF: Daniel Theis - $4,700 C: Rudy Gobert - $7,300

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