RADIO
Daily NBA DFS action inside of the Orlando bubble is beginning to feel a bit like Christmas, isn’t it? And not just in the sense that the presents delivered by the league feels overwhelming, but also in the literal, schedule sense that the stacking of games throughout the day reminds one of those vaunted Christmas slates where owners sweat their standing for an extended period of time.
With that in mind, let’s spread out some picks for Monday across the slate. No matter your work predicament, there will be basketball played for nearly 10 hours and that means that there are picks to glean.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/3/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineup lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Ja Morant - PG, MEM v. NO ($7,300)
Maybe it’s because the NBA literally created a system that funnels swaths of team's in the Western Conference to hunt down the Grizzlies and the No. 8 seed, but it appears that Memphis has thrown out the window the idea of restricting Morant in any capacity.
His first game in the bubble saw a double-double in a career-high 41 minutes; his second act? Nearly a triple-double. Now? A matchup against the ultra-pace friendly Pelicans, one that warrants the largest projected total on the slate. Concerns about a back-to-back? Not for Morant, who actually shoots better from three-point land (56.2 percent) and has a higher usage rating (26.2%) with zero days off in between games than with one or two. Morant is an elite play is any contest Monday and should have enormous exposure for the nationally-televised game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG/SG, OKC v. DEN ($6,000)
For those owners who have long awaited a price drop in order to dip their toes into the water of the Gilgeous-Alexander market, Monday’s slate is cause for rejoicing. The standout second-year guard can be had at a price tag that is reminiscent of much earlier in the season, even as he put together yet another consistent performance in his Orlando bubble opener.
When the season was shut down in March, Gilgeous-Alexander was just beginning to percolate offensively, now having shot 53 percent from the field in nine contests since the All-Star break. Denver has been above average at defending opposing guards this season, but with Jamal Murray (hamstring) likely out of the equation and Gary Harris (hip) in street clothes, targeting one of the league’s most consistent backcourt producers seems like an excellent way to afford higher-priced stars in cash formats.
Dillon Brooks - SG, MEM v. NO ($5,100)
Every consistent NBA DFS player has a statistical guilty pleasure that they target and value more than another owner would. Personally, mine is shot attempts, which is why Brooks is on my radar once again Monday.
In his first two games inside the Orlando bubble, Brooks has combined for 36 shots, 16 of which were from behind the arc. A common knock on Brooks’ production is his foul trouble and lack of shot efficiency -- in addition to diminished assists contributions -- but when faced off with an opponent as defensively absent-minded as New Orleans has shown themselves to be this season, his price tag not exactly fluctuating allows owners to hone in on what feels like a discount. Brooks is likely to have high cash play exposure, but with a 31-point, 25-shot game versus the Pelicans earlier this season under his belt, there’s no format that I dislike the idea of rostering him.
Monte Morris - PG, DEN v. OKC ($5,000)
With the expectation that Morris will remain among the starting five, owners can expect him to see grandiose levels of ownership Monday. While the price tag has caught up to his projected new role with Murray (hamstring) slated to be out of the mix, the additional 12.2 minutes and 3.0 points per contest that Morris averages this year when among the starting five is a significant jump.
Factoring in that Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (knee) are also both out Monday, Morris will continue to see an expanded role on the offensive end.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Brandon Ingram - SF/PF, NO v. MEM ($8,100)
It’s difficult to conceive a more difficult way to ease oneself into the new rhythms of the NBA bubble than being harassed by the Jazz and Clippers on back-to-back nights, yet that was exactly Ingram’s experience. For those abandoning ship on the high-volume scorer due to his 24 minutes played Saturday, the blowout nature of the loss helps explain away some usage concerns. And how has Ingram responded in the next game this year when having produced a clunker in the scoring column? Check these out:
Nov. 2: 7 points vs. Oklahoma City
Nov. 4: 40 points vs. Brooklyn
Dec. 7: 14 points vs. Dallas
Dec. 9: 31 points vs. Detroit
Dec. 23: 19 points vs. Portland
Dec. 25: 31 points vs. Denver
Jan. 4: 16 points vs. Sacramento
Jan. 6: 35 points vs. Utah
Jan. 11: 16 points vs. Boston
Jan. 16: 49 points vs. Utah
The correlation that Ingram takes his perceived statistical diminishment personally holds weight. Factor in that Monday’s meeting with Memphis will be charged up due to the breakneck speed that both teams play at, and Ingram represents a terrific GPP candidate.
Kyle Kuzma - SF/PF, LAL v. UTA ($4,400)
On the season, Kuzma remains just a 30.8 percent shooter from long range. But in his first two games of bubble life, he has gone 7-for-14 from deep, making him a threat offensively that he has been lacking with consistency throughout the entirety of the year.
Most promising for Kuzma enthusiasts are the immediate returns on his minutes in those games -- 32 and 28, respectively -- an indication that his role as the primary scorer on the team’s second unit is entrenched, even as notorious offensive stalwarts Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith loom. Those in cash plays may opt for a more consistent option, but those eyeing upside should take Kuzma’s hot stretch and run with it based on his past production and proven ability to score in droves.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN v. OKC ($9,400)
The competition to narrow down a choice for the center spot Monday will be fierce. As previously mentioned, with Murray unlikely to be a part of the mix, Jokic will take on a larger role as distributor of the ball, which very much puts him in the range of potential triple-double territory. And it’s not as if there isn’t precedent -- even with Murray having suited up.
Back on Dec. 14, Jokic put together a massive 28-14-12 triple-double when matched up against the Thunder. Of all the teams that Denver has played multiple times this season, Jokic’s 159 offensive rating against Oklahoma City ranks as tops among all opponents. So while his price tag is steep, Jokic is in a prime position to return to form against a squad that he has had considerable success against in 2019-20.
