FanDuel DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Saturday (8/29)

The NBA returns today with a three-game slate, originally scheduled for Wednesday. The action kicks off at 3:30PM with Bucks/Magic with the Bucks looking to finish the series in five games. Houston and OKC is up next at 6:30PM. The series is tied 2-2, and Russell Westbrook will make his playoff debut. Finally, Lakers/Blazers caps off the day with a 9:00PM tip, and Los Angeles is a heavy favorite to cruise past a Lillard-less Portland team to advance to the second round.

There are a lot of high-priced options on tonight’s slate, so if you’re looking to build a lineup around the mid-range, you’re out of luck. The forward position in particular has a precipitous drop-off from the elite down to the next tier, and center is top-heavy as well. All of the games have over/unders above 220, but only the Thunder/Rockets game has a point spread in single digits (HOU -5).

As always, we’ll try to help you ball on a budget with some money-saving options at each position, highlight top-dollar players to target, and touch on some big names you may want to fade. Best of luck in your contests, today!

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Value Plays

Point Guard

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• Simons will surely see more minutes in tonight’s matchup with Damian Lillard out, and at just $4.3K, I’m willing to take a shot on him.
• Caruso is a high-risk choice here, but if you’re looking to save some salary and pivot from some of the more popular choices, he’s your man. The Lakers are (-13.5) tonight, and it wouldn’t be crazy to see Caruso get some extra minutes in a potential blowout.
• Augustin has scored at least 32 FD points in three of five playoff matchups, and at this minimal price, you’ve got to love the savings.

Shooting Guard

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• Trent is another guy who should see more run tonight, and we’ve seen him perform at a high level in the bubble already.
• Green has seen an increase in minutes (28) and FD points (23.8) over his last two games, and with the Lakers expected to close out the series comfortably tonight, you can take a chance on him at this price tag.
• If you’re looking to spend a little bit more, Schroder is very reasonably priced given his recent production. He’s averaged nearly 40 FD points over his last two games, and with Russell Westbrook back in the Rockets’ lineup tonight, OKC will need to score some points. Cue Schroder.

Small Forward

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• With Lillard out, Melo should take on some additional offensive responsibilities in what will likely be his final game of the season. Expect him to come out swinging as Portland tries to force a Game 6 in this series.
• Gallo’s price has dropped in a big way, and I’ll take the savings. He’s been hit-or-miss in the playoffs, but he’s scored at least 30 FD points twice in four games. Priced at just $5.3K, he has a great chance to return value.
• Fournier is a riskier option here, but again, we’ve got to look at minutes and ceiling. He’s seen at least 30 minutes in all four playoff games and hit 34.1 FD points in his most recent contest.
• I’m avoiding Eric Gordon ($5,500) and Danuel House ($5,000) with Russell Westbrook back in the starting lineup.

Power Forward

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• Kuz is the third wheel offensively on this Lakers team, but with LA expected to win this game handily, there’s a good chance we’ll see more of Kuzma and less of LeBron and AD tonight. There’s a steep drop at this position from Davis ($11,000) to Robert Covington ($5,300), and I’d rather take some lower-priced options than spend up for the chalkier Davis.
• Clark will once again be in the starting lineup for the injured Aaron Gordon, and he’s averaged nearly 23 FD points per game over his last four.

Center

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• The center position is a mess today with Nikola Vucevic ($9,000) and Jusuf Nurkic ($7,800) priced at the top, followed by the next tier of options beginning with Brook Lopez down at $5,700. I’m paying up for one of the top options here.
• If I had to throw a dart at some lower-priced options, however, I’ll start with Adams. He played through a bruised knee Monday but has had five days off to get healthy. With his former teammate Westbrook back in action tonight, there should be more opportunities for blocks and rebounds in addition to the added motivation of the matchup.
• Whiteside doesn’t need big minutes to score a lot of fantasy points, so if you’re looking to spend way down at center, you can take a chance on him at just $4.9K.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

• Nikola Vucevic (ORL) $9,000: He’s easily been Orlando’s best player in the playoffs, and the center position is too top-heavy to pass up the production.
• Jusuf Nurkic (POR) $7,800: With Lillard out, Nurkic should see additional offensive opportunities. He’s got a 50-point ceiling, so the price is friendly.
• Russell Westbrook (HOU) $9,400: Back in action against his former team? Priced under $10K? I’m in.
• C.J. McCollum (POR) $8,000: A very chalky play tonight, but with Lillard out, McCollum’s got 50-point upside.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) $11,500: He’s averaged 60 FD points in four playoff matchups, and I’ll pay up for him today as Milwaukee looks to close out the Magic in Game 5.

5 Notable Players to Fade

• LeBron James (LAL) $10,600: The Lakers are heavy favorites, and I don’t expect James to have to do enough to be worthy of his price on tonight’s slate. There are too many good options under $6K at SF to pay up here.
• Eric Gordon (HOU) $5,500: I’ll pass with Westbrook back in the starting five.
• Chris Paul (OKC) $8,200: He’s scored at least 40 FD points in three of four playoff games, but I’d rather pay a little bit more for Westbrook ($9.4K) or go down to some lower-priced bargains at the point guard position.
• Khris Middleton (MIL) $6,800: I’ve liked him at his recent $6.6K price tag, but he hasn’t done much to live up to that value. With better options on the slate and his price rising, I’ll pass.
• Robert Covington (HOU) $5,300: His price continues to fall due to his lack of production, and the return of Westbrook doesn’t help matters. I’ll also fade Jeff Green after a strong playoff run thus far.

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