RADIO
The time has arrived! The NBA is back from the All-Star break as teams return refreshed to finish the season. All-Star weekend was awesome this year. My favorite moment of the weekend was watching both teams ramp up the intensity, and play as hard as I have seen in recent memory during the fourth quarter. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were clearly trying to show who is the current Alpha of the league. Another notable headline was Aaron Gordon falling short again in the dunk contest. It really is ridiculous that he is yet to win one of these.
Thursday night NBA action will feature six games for the first NBA DFS slate. While some teams will be packing it in and giving minutes to younger plays, many teams will be pushing to improve playoff positioning.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/20/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Buddy Hield - SG/SF, vs MEM ($6,600)
The scoring upside of this Memphis Sacramento matchup is very appealing, and one player on my radar is the recent 3-point-contest champion, Buddy Hield. Playing Hield is not the type play for those of you that are risk-averse. His boom or bust potential is mostly due to the fact that he frequently relies on scoring for fantasy production. Although a cold shooting nice can ruin your lineup, it is also important to note that he has a 55 DK point ceiling. He can get hot in any game, and this is one to not be afraid of against Memphis and their 28th ranked defense against the position.
Coby White - PG, vs CHA ($4,700)
Coby White entered the All-Star break playing well and exceeded 35 DK points in two of his last three games. I see no reason to believe that he will not continue as the Bulls return from the break with a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. White carries a solid usage rate of 21.7% and has had ten or more shot attempts in five straight games. Look for White to continue to put up and make shots against a Hornets team that is mediocre at defending the guard position. With a Vegas spread of just five points, expect this game to stay tight and White to get plenty of minutes. The Bulls are without Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, and Chandler Hutchinson, which can only benefit White.
Tomas Satoransky - PG, vs CHA ($5,000)
Sticking with the idea of targetting the Bulls brings us to Tomas Satoransky. Whether targetting White, Satoransky, or even paying up for Zach LaVine, I will make it a priority to get one of these guys in my lineups. Ultimately, I think Satoransky and White have plenty of upside at these prices and allow salary cap flexibility to spend up at other spots. However, I would not play more than two of these three in the same lineup.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Robert Covington - SF/PF, @ GS ($5,500)
There are few things in NBA DFS more certain than Mike D'Antoni playing his core players heavy minutes. There is some blowout risk here with the Rockets being ten-point favorites, but this is not close to enough risk to keep me off of Covington. Since entering the starting lineup for the Rockets, the versatile wing has averaged 33.5DK points and is underpriced at $5,500. Additionally, this game should feature plenty of pace and possessions with the highest total of the night at 232. Remember that the Rockets are now playing small ball full time with the trade of C Clint Capela so this means more potential rebounds for all of the guards and forwards of the Rockets.
Caris Levert - PG/SF, @ PHI ($6,700)
It is no secret at this point that when Kyrie Irving is not in the lineup, the two main beneficiaries are Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert. LeVert really made significant strides in production in the last five games before the All-Star break by exceeding 39 DK points in four of five games with a high of 51 DK points in that five-game range. Over the same range of games, his usage rate shot up to 30.5% compared to his overall season usage rate of 26.8%. The Nets will need all the production they can get from LeVert if they want to take down the 76ers on the road as eight-point underdogs.
Al Horford- PF/C, vs BKN ($5,000)
Playing Al Horford rarely excites me so I fully understand if seeing this name listed as a play bores you, but I will do my best to put a convincing case together for Horford. First, I believe Horford moving to the bench and a 6th man could actually benefit both Horford and Joel Embiid. While Horford coming off the bench may mean a small reduction in minutes, I think we will see him be a more effective fantasy producer per minute. Do not set any unrealistic expectations because he still shares the court with several shot takers and playmakers. However, the main reason that Horford is appealing is the price tag of $5,000 against a team that ranks 27th against PF/C.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Joel Embiid- PF/C, v BKN ($9,000)
I like Embiid for the same reasons that I like Horford, and I really want to attack the weak interior defense of the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid should be returning from the break refreshed and ready to carry the scoring load for this 76ers team as they look to pick up momentum before the playoffs. This seems like a mispriced situation with Embid when considering the matchup. I consider Embiid a 9.5k-10k price player and he is listed at just $9,000. While I like both Embiid and Horford, I prefer playing them in separate lineups in the event that their minutes are staggered.
