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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 31, 2020. Jesse Borek provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve likely already begun ruminating about who you could stack up alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden, which isn’t really all that much of a deviation from much of the 2019-20 regular season. But where things differ Monday is in the compressed player pool to choose from, which is where we come in.
Unlike on traditional-sized slates, two-game nights allow for some slight error in deviation from production. To spice things up even further, one series (Miami/Milwaukee) is just beginning, while another (Houston/Oklahoma City) could be on the verge of concluding; in the former case we have little intel, while in the latter we have an immense base to work from.
Here are our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/31/20. 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
Chris Paul - PG, OKC v. HOU ($8,200)
With the Thunder’s season on the line Monday, there’s likely little path to forcing a Game 7 that doesn’t involve Paul having a slate-changing performance. With six assists and seven turnovers over his last two games, Paul is definitely more of a GPP option. But looking back to Game 1, Paul came just an assist shy of a triple-double and has delivered at least 20 points in three contests during the series.
Goran Dragic - PG, MIA v. MIL ($6,600)
The consolidation of minutes at the point guard spot for the Heat against Indiana was one of the biggest storylines of the first round, with Dragic being the major beneficiary. As Kendrick Nunn saw action in just two of the Heat’s first four games, Dragic should have unimpeded minutes at the point, which becomes all the more intriguing when considering how high-octane of a pace that the Bucks enjoy playing at.
George Hill - PG, MIL v. MIA ($4,200)
As of Sunday night, Eric Bledsoe (finger) was still tagged as questionable; should he ultimately miss the contest, Hill will have massive ownership, and rightfully so. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.8 assists in the series against Orlando, shooting 52 percent from the floor overall and 40 percent from behind the arc. Even in the case that Bledsoe does ultimately suit up, Hill still presents a safe floor, in addition to getting Bucks exposure.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Robert Covington - SF/PF, HOU vs. OKC ($5,800)
While the return of Russell Westbrook has thoroughly flummoxed the Rockets’ backcourt group and their pricing, Covington appears immune to the former MVP’s return to the mix. The 22 points and six triples that Covington delivered in Game 5 were highs for him since joining the bubble, with his price tag having risen all of $100. He has averaged 6.2 three-point attempts in the series, shooting at a 45.2 percent clip. After Houston finished +36 with Covington on the court Saturday, there’s little reason to cap his minutes in Game 6.
Duncan Robinson - SG/SF, MIA v. MIL ($4,900)
During the regular season, no team allowed more made three-point buckets than Milwaukee at 14 per game. For the Heat, no shooter attempted -- or made -- more threes during the regular season than Robinson. The two sides have met three times this year, all of which have resulted in Robinson sinking at least three triples, including their most recent meeting -- Aug. 6 -- in which he drained five and finished with 21 points.
Darius Bazley - PF/C, OKC v. HOU ($3,800)
While Bazley mainly benefited from the blowout nature of Game 5, his price tag is low enough to consider that he may have carved out a more considerable role for himself entering Game 6. It’s difficult to foresee Danilo Gallinari producing as little as he did his last time out, but the positional flexibility of Bazley gives him some appeal in both cash and GPP contests.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Steven Adams - C, OKC v. HOU ($5,800)
The Rockets appear content with letting Adams remain a perpetual double-double threat, more focused on exploiting him in other facets. For owners, the safe floor that Adams presents in a small slate will be imperative. Shooting 64.9 percent from the field while averaging 11 points and 11.6 rebounds during the series, Adams is unlikely to face much competition on the glass, giving him some significant upside.
Brook Lopez - C, MIL v. MIA ($5,300)
Lopez has strung together four consecutive double-digit scoring outings entering Game 1 on Monday, while remaining a shot-blocking force. Much in the same ilk that Nikola Vucevic presented rebounding and block opportunities in the first round, Bam Adebayo will pave the way for Lopez to play a vital role on both ends of the floor against Miami. All three regular-season meetings between the two teams led to Lopez hitting multiple threes, averaging 16.7 points overall, the third-highest total he delivered against any team.
