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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 25, 2020. Dale Johnson provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Tuesday marks the first time the 2020 NBA playoffs will have just a two-game slate with the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors completing their sweeps on Sunday. The Miami Heat followed suit on Monday with their first round sweep of the Indiana Pacers.
With only four teams on display Tuesday, we will have to get creative with our picks and look for some value to match with the big guns like Luka Doncic ($11,000) and Kawhi Leonard ($10,000). The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers (-6.5) have the highest projected point total of the night while the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz (-3.0) are not too far behind. The early game starts at 6:30 pm EST, but remember to check back before tip-off for injury updates.
Without further ado, here are our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/25/20. 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
Mike Conley - PG, UTA @ DEN ($6,700)
They say to ride the hot hand and Conley is absolutely scorching. After returning from the birth of his son and completing quarantine, the Jazz are 2-0 and Conley has at least 26 points in both games. In fact, in Game 3, Conley scored more points than he had minutes played in a blowout win. The Nuggets have tried switching up their lineups, yet have not found an answer to Conley on the defensive end with Conley 17-for-26 from the field in his two playoff games. Conley will most likely regress sooner or later, but he is still cheap enough to take a chance with the Jazz looking to close out the series.
Lou Williams - PG/SG, LAC vs. DAL ($6,400)
There are a few things inevitable in the world: death, taxes and Williams being a finalist for sixth man of the year. Williams did it again on Sunday, going 13-for-20 from the field and 36 points off the bench in 34 minutes. Williams is the Clippers number option off the bench and has provided some much needed scoring against the high-powered Dallas offense. Williams almost single-handedly kept Los Angeles alive in Game 4 and almost stole away the win. The Clippers find themselves in an incredibly important Game 5 and will need to rely on Williams yet again if they are going to avoid going down 3-2 against the seventh seed.
Monte Morris - PG, DEN vs. UTA ($4,000)
Morris shifted into the starting lineup on Sunday with Denver looking to switch things up and throw Utah off their game. Morris put up a modest stat line of seven points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals in the close loss. After not breaking 30 minutes in the playoffs, Morris played a playoff-high 36 minutes on Sunday. Morris only shot 3-for-10, but a couple more made shots and a made three and he would have put up 5.0x value in Sunday's slate. The Jazz are vulnerable against guards and Morris won't remain cold forever. Even with a 0-for-4 performance from deep by Morris, the Jazz allow the best three-point percentage to opposing guards in playoffs this year. With Gary Harris (hip) still doubtful, Morris should get a bunch of run here.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Marcus Morris - SF/PF, LAC vs. DAL ($5,800)
With Paul George heavily struggling this playoff series, Morris has picked up some of the slack on both ends of the court. Before a stinker in Game 4, Morris was averaging 15.7 points on 56.3 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 three-pointers and 2.0 steals in 33.0 minutes. The Clippers have won both games when Morris has shot above 50.0 percent in this series. With a pivotal Game 5 and likely shootout, Morris will most likely be a safe bet in the forwards position.
Jerami Grant - PF, DEN vs. UTA ($4,700)
Grant was another player who made some lineup changes Sunday after an embarrassing loss in Game 3. With Grant in the starting lineup, Denver was much more competitive, before ultimately losing a close one. Grant fouled out, but played 36 minutes and had 12 points on 50.0 percent shooting, four rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers. The 36 minutes in a tight game bodes well for Grant's performance in Game 5 as Denver tries to avoid an upset. When Grant logged between 30-39 minutes in a game this season, he averaged 14.5 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers and 1.2 blocks per game.
Maxi Kleber - PF/C, DAL @ LAC ($4,200)
With Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out in Game 4, Kleber got more run as the small-ball center and ultimately helped the Mavericks squeak out a win. With Porzingis a game-time decision on Tuesday, Kleber will likely find himself in a similar workload again. Even if Porzingis plays, he will likely be limited and Kleber was already starting next to him in the previous playoff games. Ivica Zubac of the Clippers does not match up well against the quicker, long-range style of play Kleber possesses. At just $4,200, Kleber makes for a nice pick and play option on Tuesday.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Boban Marjanovic - C, DAL @ LAC ($3,800)
Similar to Kleber, Marjanovic's value is tied to the health of Porzingis. Marjanovic saw his most run in the 2020 playoffs with 16 minutes and dropped a quick 10 points and seven rebounds in a Game 4 overtime win. Marjanovic has not been known to log heavy minutes, but he is known for making an impact and putting up numbers in a hurry. Porzingis is a game-time decision for Tuesday after undergoing an MRI and experiencing knee soreness. If Porzingis is unable to go again, Marjanovic will be in a good position to out-value his price tag. Getting 5.0x value would be huge in a two-game slate.
