DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 8/20/20

With four games to choose from on today's NBA slate, let's look at how to utilize the DFS possibilities.

Here are some of the top plays on DraftKings. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Goran Dragic ($5,900) -- I don't know what was more surprising, Dragic scoring 24 points or Kendrick Nunn being a healthy scratch. Dragic added six rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes as the starting point guard versus Indiana Pacers. Dragic only started three games this season, averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 28.5 minutes. The Pacers could be without Victor Oladipo moving forward after he suffered an eye injury in Game 1. If he is out, Dragic's stock rises for Game 2, and so does reserve guard Tyler Herro's. numberFire's model predicts Dragic to record 16.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds for the Miami Heat over 27.7 minutes.

Aaron Holiday -- Holiday could draw a minute increase with the Oladipo injury, despite Edmond Sumner drawing the start of the second half of Game 1. Holiday recorded nine points, 3 rebounds, and two assists in 32 minutes. In the bubble, Holiday had two of his better games over the last two played, averaging 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. If Oladipo is out, he could end up being a steal. The Pacers rank among the bottom of the league in multiple rebounding categories, so a hustler like Holiday could rack up boards in addition to scoring.

Shooting Guard

Evan Fournier ($5,100) -- Fournier and the Orlando Magic take on a Milwaukee Bucks' squad that continued to struggle in stopping the three. Orlando went 16-of-41 from deep (39%), and Fournier only sank 3-of-7, for nine total points. He added five assists and three rebounds but didn't shoot nearly as much due to Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross getting hot. Four Magic players recorded double-digit shot attempts and in Game 2, excluding Fournier's eight, and I expect him to be one of them after Game 2. He was second on the team in minutes, finishing one behind Vucevic's 37, and moving forward, Fournier is the second-most significant player in the starting lineup.

Eric Gordon ($4,900) -- Gordon has played three games in the bubble and had his best game yet. He recorded 30.25 fantasy points and scored 21 points on 7-of-17 from the field (41.2%). With Russell Westbrook out of the lineup, Gordon's role is enhanced, and the opportunity to score more is too. He added four assists and three rebounds in Game 1, playing a bubble-high 30 minutes. He's a boom or bust DFS option versus the Thunder and OKC allows the third-most rebounds (6.96) to shooting guards. If Gordon can get more involved rebounding, he could become a sleeper in this series.

Small Forward

Jimmy Butler ($7,900) -- Butler had a solid 37-minute effort versus the Pacers, scoring a game-high 28 points and adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds. He visited the free-throw line a game-high 12 times, sinking 10 (83.3%), and he went 8-of-15 (53.3%) from the field overall. Butler took over late, hitting two back-to-back clutch three-pointers, and it's clear he's the Heat's do-it-all leader and closer when the games on the line. With a chance to go up 2-0, Butler is the number one player I'd want from either team if I had to select one. He's averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on the year, and numberFire's model projects his stat line to read 21.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists after Game 2.

T.J. Warren ($8,100) -- Of course, Warren had his moments versus the Heat in Game 1, but ultimately, came up short. He put together a valiant effort, tying for a team-high 22 points and the second-most rebounds with 8. He went 9-for-18 (50%) from the field and 4-of-5 (80%) from deep over 38 minutes, but it wasn't enough. Warren scored 30 or more in four of six games during the regular-season bubble, and I'm sure we will see another or two in the series. With the Pacers down 0-2, I'd expect Warren to take more than his previous 18 shot attempts, especially if Oladipo is out.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis ($10,500) -- Davis recorded 28 points and 11 rebounds in Game 1, and he went 8-for-24 (33.3%) from the field and 0-for-5 from deep. He's scored a majority of points at the free-throw line during the bubble, he went 12-of-17 (70.6%) on Monday and attempted nine or more in six of his last eight games. The Trail Blazers struggled to guard Davis, and it has shown on the season with their problems versus power forwards and centers. Against power forwards, the Blazers rank last in points per game allowed (25.05), last in total fantasy points per game (52.31), and let the third-most rebounds (11.96).

Danilo Gallinari ($6,600) -- Gallinari exposed the Houston Rockets defense despite still taking the loss. He scored 29 points and added 3 assists and rebounds to his total for the night. He was one of the few players to get it going, finishing 9-of-17 (52.9%) from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. Gallinari typically has great success versus Houston rebounding, averaging 10 a game during the regular season, but only posted three in Game 1 is something he should shake off. The Thunder didn't look themselves in Game 1, and being down 0-1 should motivate them enough to play more as a team. I'd expect Gallinari's scoring to drop in game two, but all other areas would increase. numberFire's model backs that with 20.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.

Center

Steven Adams ($5,600) -- This is a no-brainer against the Rockets small-ball lineup. He feasted in Game 1, posting 17 points and 12 rebounds. That was his first double-double in four games and since his opening game in the bubble. The Rockets on the season, allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to centers (55.52), sixth in points (22.96), and fifth in rebounds (16.16). He was an efficient 7-of-13 (53.8%) on the game, and Houston ranks 26th in points in the paint allowed (51.5). Adams should average a double-double through this series.

Bam Adebayo ($7,500) -- Adebayo recorded a double-double in Game 1 with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks to his totals. On the season, Adebayo is averaging 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over 29.0 minutes in three regular-season contests versus the Pacers. He was dominant on both ends of the floor and had a game-high +23 plus-minus. Butler is the leader of this team, but Adebayo makes the difference adding another player with all-around talent that also happens to be 7-feet tall. numberFire's model pegs Big Bam with 16.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in Game 2.

Vaughn Dalzell is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Vaughn also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his account, username vdalzell. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.com