Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Lineups For December 18th

There are only four NBA games on tap for tonight. Your options are fairly limited tonight, but there are several high dollar players available.

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Here are my FanDuel lineups for December 18th:

Dec 17, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) shoots the ball during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Point Guards:

Bargain:

Patrick Beverley, Rockets ($5,600): Beverley had a big game against Denver this time around. Beverley had a whopping 12 rebounds in this game! He likely won’t have as easy of a go of it against the Pelicans, but another 30 point game is a distinct possibility.

Worth The Cost:

Russell Westbrook, Thunder ($10,800): No one’s price has increased as exponentially as Westbrook’s, but it is warranted. He now has a whopping seven straight games of more than fantasy points, including three straight of over 50. The only person that might be hotter than Westbrook right now is James Harden, and even that might be a toss-up.

Stephen Curry, Warriors ($10,200): Curry has a nice little run of three straight games of over 40 fantasy points, but he has not topped 50. His numbers are good, but they pale in comparison to Westbrook’s. Then again, so do almost everyone else’s.

Risky Play:

Aaron Brooks, Bulls ($3,500): This is a high-risk, high-reward scenario. If Derrick Rose sits, Brooks reaches must-start status against the M*A*S*H* unit known as the New York Knicks. Even if Rose plays, he likely won’t be at 100%, and will rest more than usual. If you’re feeling frisky, Brooks is your guy.

My Lineups:

A: Beverley and Brandon Knight ($12,800): Knight has three straight 30 point games right now. I originally wanted to go with Rose, but I don’t trust him.

B: Westbrook and Beverley ($16,400)

Next: Up Next: Winning The 'Hard' Way

Dec 10, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (5) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Guards:

Bargain:

Tim Hardaway Jr, Knicks ($4,900): Hardaway has four straight games of over 20 fantasy points, and the Knicks might only have eight players available tonight. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are both out. So are Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Andrea Bargnani. There is a very good possibility that Hardaway will play 45 minutes out of necessity more than anything else. He is bound to put up some numbers for as much as he will play.

Worth The Cost:

James Harden, Rockets ($10,600): He has two 50+ fantasy point games, and two 60+ games in his last four. I can’t give you one reason not to play him right now.

Jimmy Butler, Bulls ($8,100): The Bulls are beat up too. There is a good chance that Rose and Taj Gibson won’t play. Joakim Noah is penciled in for a return, but someone needs to score from the outside. That someone is Butler, who has not been under 20 fantasy points in a game in over a month.

Risky Play:

O. J. Mayo, Bucks ($4,800): Mayo is a dark horse for fantasy greatness tonight. There is a good possibility that he starts in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo if he is unable to go. With John Henson and Larry Sanders out, and Ersan Ilyasova a game time decision, Mayo might be worth a gamble.

My Lineups:

A and B: Harden and Hardaway ($15,500)

Next: Up Next: Bargain Basement SF's?

Oct 31, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd talks with forward Khris Middleton (22) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Small Forwards:

Bargains:

Khris Middleton, Bucks ($4,900): Middleton did not draw the start last night in the first game post Jabari Parker, but he did outperform Jared Dudley by a large margin. He seems to be the Buck worth gambling on, at least for now. That could change when Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson come back.

Quincy Acy, Knicks ($3,600): Acy has been thrust into the starting lineup with all of the injuries to the Knicks tonight. Acy won’t wow you with any of his stats, but he should get you somewhere near 20 fantasy points. For a low dollar guy, that would be a great boost to your team.

Worth The Cost:

Draymond Green, Warriors ($7,500): Green doesn’t score much, but he doesn’t need to. He is aggressive on the glass and a good passer, so he will always be a solid FanDuel contributor. Case in point: Tuesday against Memphis, he only scored four points, but still had 34 fantasy points thanks to ten rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. The fact that he is not dependent on scoring points makes him a very low-risk option for daily games.

Rudy Gay, Kings ($8,600): If he is in Sacramento’s lineup, he needs to be in yours as well. He has had at least 34 fantasy points in every game in December. How’s that for consistency?

Risky Plays:

Kevin Durant, Thunder ($9,600): Durant went over 30 minutes of playing time for the first time this season on Tuesday, but “only” scored 32.6 fantasy points. The good thing is that the minutes restriction seems to be lifted. He is going to break out any day now. Will it be tonight against Golden State?

My Lineups:

A: Green and Dudley ($11,100)

B: Acy and Harrison Barnes ($9,000): Barnes is showing no ill effects of wearing a mask. To me, he is a little more reliable than Middleton, Acy, or Dudley if you can afford him.

Next: Few Healthy Options At PF

Dec 6, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) shoots during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Power Forwards:

Bargains:

Donatas Motiejunas, Rockets ($6,000): Motiejunas had another productive game alongside Dwight Howard last night. the Rockets like the way this is going, and so should fantasy players. Motiejunas has only been under 20 fantasy points once in the last two weeks, and he is averaging 26 fantasy points a game with Howard back.

Marreese Speights, Warriors ($5,200): He will get some extra minutes again tonight with Andrew Bogut out. On Tuesday, he racked up 30 fantasy points against the Grizzlies sans Bogut. He seems to be a solid play tonight.

Worth The Cost:

Pau Gasol, Bulls ($9,100): Joakim Noah is back, which is good news for Gasol. He has put up better numbers with Noah in the lineup. He also gets to take on the battered Knicks frontcourt. Quincy Acy is likely going to start at PF with Amare Stoudemire out. Gasol could have a monster night.

Anthony Davis, Pelicans ($11,200): In his return to the court on Tuesday, he lit up FanDuel for 49.3 fantasy points in just 35 minutes. He is fine, people. Nothing to worry about here.

Risky Play:

Nikola Mirotic, Bulls ($5,400): Taj Gibson missed shootaround today, and is still listed as a game time decision. I would guess he is not going to play, which opens the door for Mirotic. Also, this game could get ugly fast with the Knicks’ patchwork lineup. Mirotic could be in line for big minutes, but he could also only play 15 minutes if the Knicks find a way to stay in the game.

My Lineups:

A: Motiejunas and Speights ($11,200)

B: Gasol and Motiejunas ($15,100)

Nov 23, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) reacts to a call in action against the Golden State Warriors at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Center:

Bargains:

Steven Adams, Thunder ($4,000): Adams has averaged 22.5 fantasy points per games over his last four games. He has a firm grip on the center spot in Oklahoma City right now. 20 points for 4K is a great bargain.

Omer Asik, Pelicans ($5,400): He is averaging 26 fantasy points per game over his last nine. He is a consistent producer if you can’t afford the leap to the top tier tonight.

Worth The Cost:

Dwight Howard, Rockets ($9,300): He has 99.3 fantasy points in his two games back. He is still a dominant force for the Rockets, as made evident by his 50 points, 29 rebounds, and seven blocks in those two games.

Risky Play:

Samuel Dalembert, Knicks ($3,500): The Knicks frontcourt is decimated right now. There is a good chance that Dalembert plays more minutes tonight than the 41 that he has in the last three games combined. Then again, Jason Smith could see most of those minutes if Dalembert struggles.

My Lineups:

A: Howard ($9,300)

B: Adams ($4,000)

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