DraftKings NBA picks August 1: Pascal’s version of the triangle

DraftKings NBA forward plays:

Pascal Siakam may have the most upside on the entire slate. The Raptors are running him out there with both Ibaka and Marc Gasol which means he’s on the perimeter where teams really can’t guard him. I like Ibaka some, but Siakam is my favorite Raptor and might be my favorite play from that whole game.

Embiid is going to destroy Indy with no Sabonis. The only thing I fear here is Philly winning big and resting Embiid and the rest of the starters for the last quarter. For the record, I hate the entire middle tier of centers tonight. Pay up for Embiid or Jokic or punt with JaVale McGee. Everything else is a strap besides maybe Ibaka, and that’s a stretch.

I still prefer Paul George over Kawhi for the price, but I don’t see an issue running them both tonight. There’s plenty of value to go around and the Pelicans aren’t a great defensive team.

If you’ve read my articles at any point this year, you know I’m pretty high on Ingram, but not when he’s only $100 less than George. George is the play in any format, and I would likely take Butler over Ingram if using two from the same price range.

T.J. Warren may be leaned upon for a lot if both Oladipo and Brodgon sit. Even if one or both play, they need someone to help take the scoring load of Sabonis. He’s a safe mid-range play tonight instead of playing roulette with OG, Powell, and Gallinari.

Royce O’Neale is going to play plenty of minutes for the Jazz. They proved that on Wednesday. He’s a nice play for the price. So is Kyle Kuzma, but I’m less enthused about Kuzma due to high ownership and the fact that he’s tangling with a good Raptors team.

Either Paul Millsap or Jerami Grant is going to have a big game. Good luck landing on the right one, because the other will score low enough to destroy your lineup.

There are several elite punts at any position tonight, especially with the Denver and Indiana value. I recommend playing in the middle tier exclusively for GPP, or playing four minimum price players with four stars. Those will be the least common builds. Everyone’s going to punt with Porter but you can separate yourself by running Waiters, Craig, Redick, Doug McDermott, or McGee.