NBA DFS picks August 21: My name is Luka, the one man gang

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CLEVELAND, OHIO – MARCH 04: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates with teammates during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 04, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

NBA DFS forward plays:

Kawhi Leonard has taken over the Clippers in the playoffs. George is still a decent option, but he’s coming nowhere near value in this series. Kawhi has topped 50 in both games. That said, if you’re paying that kind of money, Luka has far more upside than Kawhi. So does Jokic.

Embiid is a fine option, but Jokic will get you the same production with a chance at more for $500 less on DraftKings and $700 less on FanDuel. That’s a big deal. If you want to punt at center, I think the lowest I would go is Jarrett Allen, which isn’t really a punt. I want to play Boban. I just don’t know if I can do it.

Jayson Tatum is a different man in the playoffs. This year has been no different. He is owning Philly. That’s not going to change. He’s a far better option than Kawhi, and might be my second favorite play on the entire slate next to Luka.

Inconsistency can be expected, especially for a young guy like Michael Porter. That said, The Nuggets need him to compete with Utah. They are missing the scoring of Barton and Harris, which means they need Porter to remain aggressive like he was in Game 2. I like his upside for the price, but his floor is lower than most in his same price range.

Marcus Morris is having a great series for the Clippers and shouldn’t slow down. Harrell is eating into the production of Zubac. Morris is outdoing both of them at a much more reasonable price.

Brooklyn has a lot of fight in them, which is why I find myself using a lot of guys like Temple, TLC, and Allen. Their bench is non-existent, which means huge minutes for guys like Temple, LeVert, TLC, Allen, and Tyler Johnson. Who you can trust is a different matter entirely, but all but LeVert are reasonably priced.

Royce O’Neale’s pitiful Game 1 has his price way lower than it should be. He’s a stat sheet stuffer even if he doesn’t score, so he’s a lock for 5x value and is an acceptable punt at PF on FanDuel. You’ll have to punt somewhere over there.

Next. Fantasy football sleeper pick: Nyheim Hines. dark

This feels like a day to choose your star and fill the lineup with mid-range players. I’ll start most builds with Luka and VanVleet, then look to Morris and Nets for value plays.