NBA DFS picks August 21: My name is Luka

NBA DFS guard plays

If you’re still on the fence about Luka, consider this: he played just 28 minutes due to foul trouble in Game 3 and still almost got a triple-double. The Clippers still haven’t really handled him so far in this series. Luka is still a great place to pay up, and he might be the only Mavericks player that I’m wild about using. The Clippers are still one of the better defensive teams, after all.

Donovan Mitchell has been the engine driving the Jazz in the first two games of this series, but now his price is up and Conley is back. I used him a lot over the first two games, but I think he’s a decent fade here, especially on FanDuel where SG is loaded.

Caris LeVert is carrying the Nets. That will be even more on display with Joe Harris leaving the bubble. We may have to look to the gutted Nets for value, but LeVert is still the little engine that could, even with little around him.

For the money, Fred VanVleet is one of the best plays on either site. Lowry and Powell are decent options, but VanVleet consistently leads that team in scoring. VanVleet is maybe the only exposure I’ll have to the Raptors with a blowout even more of a risk with Harris out. Powell is still too cheap on DraftKings though. He’s a strong punt if you need value.

A lot of Boston players feel like smart plays with Hayward out, but are they? As we saw yesterday with the Heat, they dominated the Pacers and almost none of them paid off in NBA DFS circles. I view Boston in much the same way. Philly is dead in the water with no home court advantage. Jaylen Brown is the only guard I would consider, and I likely wont use him. There are better options for the price, especially on DraftKings, and better options at a loaded position on FanDuel.

Lou Williams is back in playoff form but is not up to playoff price on either site. It’s tough to punt SG on FanDuel, but LouWill is a great option on DraftKings where position flexibility allows you up to five guards in your lineups.

For what it’s worth, I would use Conley over both Ingles and Clarkson, but I’m leaning towards a full fade of both backcourts. Utah is deep and Jamal Murray was shut down by the Jazz in Game 2 even without Conley. Expect more keying on Murray, which makes him an easy fade at the price.

Garrett Temple is one of the few Nets that has been able to score on the Raptors. LeVert is desperately going to need his help with Harris out. I love Temple for the price on DraftKings and at SF on FanDuel. I will have him in nearly every lineup.

Philadelphia’s rotations in Game 2 looked like they had thrown in the towel already. Their only mission is to get out of Orlando without Embiid getting hurt. I don’t trust anyone on the team. Josh Richardson is the only decent option for the price on either site, but he has no upside on this shell of a team.

Reggie Jackson is totally overmatched, but he’s going to see good minutes at a bargain basement price. He and Seth Curry are really the only options I would consider under $4,000 on DraftKings. It’s harder to use Curry on FanDuel because SG is so loaded.