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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 17, 2020. Jesse Borek provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
It seemed in doubt that we would ever reach the day, but finally, the NBA playoffs have arrived. Albeit, they're here in a format never before seen and without home-court advantage, but ultimately, it’s the playoffs. Gone are the unique regular-season matchups and in their place are teams facing each other continuously, constantly tinkering.
For Game 1’s though, some matchups are relatively fresh. With that comes intriguing pricing as some stars have not adjusted from their regular-season price tag. Games are set to come in four-contest installments, giving owners ample choices on a nightly basis.
Here are our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/17/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Caris Levert - SG, BKN vs. TOR ($7,600)
It wouldn’t appear to be a stretch to believe that this is as low as LeVert’s price tag is going to get for the remainder of the postseason. While Brooklyn was willing to try and get other pieces of the puzzle involved during what amounted to scrimmages ahead of the playoffs, now that the lights are on, LeVert is going to take on a massive offensive workload. It’s not as if he hasn’t put that on display since the restart either; in six games in Orlando, he is averaging 25 points, 6.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Toronto figures to focus much of its collective attention to stopping him, but his usage rating should be gaudy, and with that in mind, he holds considerable upside in GPP action.
Kemba Walker - PG, BOS vs. PHI ($6,900)
In light of the announcement that Walker’s minutes restrictions have been removed, this price tag is far too tantalizing to ignore. Walker spent his six games in the bubble building up his stamina by averaging 25.1 minutes per contest, but owners can expect a more traditional 30+ allotment Monday. While the Sixers have done an excellent job of denying opposing point guards this season, the loss of Ben Simmons (knee) will have a trickle down effect on defensive assignments. Boston simply has too many playmakers in the backcourt, beginning with Walker, who dropped 29 and 26 points, respectively, on Philadelphia in their past two meetings.
Fred Vanvleet - PG/SG, TOR vs. BKN ($6,800)
During the three regular-season contests between Toronto and Brooklyn, VanVleet was essentially unguardable. Consider now that the Nets have only tinkered with their roster further, and it seems that VanVleet is once again in a position to build on the 26.7 points and 6.0 assists per contest average that he has accumulated against Brooklyn this season. The Raptors began to be uber-cautious with VanVleet inside of the bubble, yet he still managed a 36-point showing and a pair of double-doubles. With the Nets running out a backcourt lacking the playoff experience and defensive chops to slow both VanVleet and Kyle Lowry, rolling with the more reasonably priced and higher-upside member of the Toronto backcourt makes for a worthy investment.
Alec Burks - PG/SG, PHI vs. BOS ($3,900)
Burks’ price tag crescendoed during the regular-season finale, just to take a sharp downward turn ahead of Game 1. Fortunately for him, his role appears to be the same, leading the second unit as the primary shot taker. His last four contests have seen him average 32.7 DK points, and with Shake Milton having taken over starting PG duties, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility for head coach Brett Brown to ride Burks’ hand should he catch fire. Having closed the season on a four-game stretch that saw him shoot 54.4 percent overall and 45.5 percent from long range, this minimal price tag will also help owners pack high-end stars into lineups while retaining a high-upside scorer.
Jordan Clarkson - PG/SG, UTA vs. DEN ($3,800)
With the news coming down Sunday that Mike Conley would be departing from the bubble to attend the birth of his child, Clarkson immediately became one of the premier low-priced plays on the board. He is likely to still come off the bench, but with the Jazz thinner at the guard spot than usual, he should see increased ball-handling duties in addition to the 14.3 field goal attempts that he averaged during eight bubble contests.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Paul George - SF, LAC vs. DAL ($8,100)
While some stars cruised through the conclusion of the regular season, George has come out in playoff form. In six bubble contests, George averaged 25.5 points, hitting the 20-point plateau in each game. In those outings, he averaged eight triples attempted on a nightly basis, hitting at exactly a 50 percent rate. Factoring in his multi-category contributions across the board, George represents a safe floor for those able to roster him in cash contests. His 120 oRTG during the regular season against Dallas also bodes in his favor.
Michael Porter Jr. - SF/PF, DEN vs. UTA ($7,100)
Porter represents another player whose price tag seems to have been affected by his playing over his final two regular-season outings. In the four bubble contests where he received his normal minutes allotment, he averaged a whopping 53.8 points, which would put him vastly above value. With Will Barton (knee) unavailable for Game 1, owners can expect Porter to retain a similar role as to when he reeled off four consecutive double-doubles over the past few weeks, one of which came against the Jazz.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Ivica Zubac - C, LAC v. DAL ($4,100)
Had Zubac been priced where he spent most of the most restart, owners could have avoided him with Montrezl Harrell (personal) likely to return to the mix. But after seeing a significant dip, he stands out as a particularly worthy cash play, especially in light of the rebounding role that he has found himself on in Orlando. Tossing aside his first and final game, Zubac averaged 12.8 points and 12.5 rebounds in a six-game stretch; against the Mavericks, he will not be matched up against a true center, which could pave the way for uncontested rebounds on the defensive end of the floor. His minutes allotment carries some risk, but he enters the playoffs playing his best basketball of the season.
