DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Guide 8/20/20
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Guide 8/20/20
Jac Calliott
8/20/20
Slate Overview
Thursday’s four-game slate gives us an opportunity to buy low on some guys that could be due for a breakout performance. On the other side of things, we’ve seen a slight price increase on some players. It will be key to not take the bait on players that are priced up because of short term performances and instead of finding the right pieces to fit your studs today.
Point Guard
Today at Point Guard I’m looking in the direction of Malcolm Brogdon ($6,900). In-game one we saw Brogdon’s backcourt mate in Oladipo leave the game with an eye poke and he did not return. He’s currently listed as questionable, but if Oladipo does miss today’s contest then Brogdon becomes a near must-play for me. Brogdon was good for 39 minutes in game one, and if the Pacers want any shot in the evening the series he will need to be in line for more of the same again today.
Another PG I’m looking at today is Goran Dragic ($5,900). He led the Heat in shot attempts in game one with 19 and looked very good while doing so. This is a guy that has been priced up because he’s been playing well, but I think he’ll be aggressive again today for the Heat and playing 30-plus minutes he still seems a bit underpriced to me.
Eric Bledsoe ($5,300) and of course Lillard ($11,000) are worth a look as well.
Shooting Guard
The clear cut top play today at the position is James Harden ($11,700). Not a ton needs to be said here, Harden is the unquestioned leader of the Rockets and they’re success is directly correlated to his offensive output. Westbrook will miss game 2 so once again Harden should be in line for a large fantasy night.
Another guy I’m going to today at Shooting Guard is Evan Fournier ($5,100). This is a great chance to buy low on a guy that is key to the Magic’s success. Vucevic took over in game one and Fournier struggled for most of the game. Fournier was second on the team in minutes in game one, and he’s in line for another hefty workload today.
Small Forward
At Small Forward, I’m looking at Lebron James ($10,900) today. In game one we saw playoff Lebron in full force as he went for a ridiculous stat-line good for 73.3 DKFP. In previous years I might be a little worried about a game two blowout if Lebron loses game one, but I just don’t think the Lakers have what it takes to beat the doors off the Blazers. I expect the Blazers to keep it competitive again today and that should force Lebron to go nuclear once again if his team has any shot.
An intriguing GPP play today is Edmond Sumner ($3,700). If Oladipo is out, then Sumner could be the biggest benefactor. He started the second half in game one, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get slid into the starting lineup if Oladipo sits. Sumner has shown flashes of promise, and if he gets some extended run today he should have little to no problem paying off his price tag.
Power Forward
Although I think Giannis is a very viable option today at the PF position, I prefer Anthony Davis ($10,500). In game one it was fairly evident that no one on the Blazers can guard Davis. Even Nurkic was getting bullied physically. Davis had a terrible night offensively, and if it wasn’t for the charity stripe he would have struggled. I expect AD to bounce back today in what is suddenly a very important game two for the Lakers.
Another guy I’m looking towards today at Power Forward is Danilo Gallinari ($6,600). Gallinari looked good in game one vs. the Rockets even though it was a bit of a blowout. He scored 29 points and his jump shot was falling all game. Gallinari is a bit of a streaky player, and when he plays well he tends to do it in spurts. I’ll be going back to him today expecting more of the same.
Center
The guy that interests me the most at Center today is Steven Adams ($5,600) and it’s not all that close. In game one he was destroying the small-ball lineup of the Rockets, and if it wasn’t for the blowout could have dropped 20 and 20. I expect the Thunder to be much more competitive today and that should allow Steven Adams to produce quite a bit.
