DraftKings NBA Picks for December 9
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for December 9
We are up to nine games for tonight with many stars back in action. Should we construct our DraftKings lineups around Westbrook or Harden? We know that there are bargains because Miami is in action again tonight!
Don’t forget to follow @fantasycpr on Twitter for lineup updates as we get them leading to the tipoffs of the games! I am not always able to get back in here and fix my picks when someone sits for the night, but we will update it on Twitter.
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I am going to change one little thing. I usually create two DraftKings lineups, so I am going to start posting the both of them since the one I post usually winds up being the lower scoring of the two.
If you want a second opinion, head on over to Fantasypros. They will use their algorithm to help you find the best bang for the buck. They can also be customized to do the turbo and late tournaments, and they will also build around your favorite stack!
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Point Guards
Best Bets:
Russell Westbrook ($12,800): Before you say Westbrook isn’t worth it, let me just remind you that he is one assist shy of ten consecutive triple doubles. Let that sink in. Can you afford to fade that production? He has 11 straight games of more than 5x value, which is very hard to do at this price. The sky really is the limit for Westbrook.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,000): Giannis is back up over 10k again thanks to dominating Portland on Wednesday night. The Hawks are solid on the perimeter, but Giannis does everything. Those stats don’t apply when you consider all of the rebounds he gets as well. Giannis has 12 blocks over the last four games. Name another guard that can do that. Most forwards have trouble doing that!
Honorable Mention:
Kyle Lowry ($8,100): Lowry had a big game last night (49 DraftKings points) against Minnesota. Many are going to look at the matchup against Boston and stay away from Lowry. Don’t be one of those. Isaiah Thomas has already been ruled out, so Lowry could be in store for another nice game.
Goran Dragic ($7,500): It’s hard to get value out of Dragic at this price, even with most of the Heat backcourt not making the road trip. His ceiling is in the mid to high 40’s though, so 6x value against Cleveland is within the realm of possibility. He is worth playing just because of the massive workload that he well receive yet again.
Dark Horses:
Deron Williams ($6,000): D-Will is a bit of a pariah in fantasy circles. Maybe it’s because of the injury issues of the NFL’s D-Will (DeAngelo Williams). Maybe it’s because of his own injury issues. At any rate, you can’t argue with Williams’ production lately. He has been above 5x value in each of the last four games. A tilt with Indy tonight promises that he will extend the streak to five.
Brandon Jennings ($5,300): The Knicks have been pretty quiet regarding Derrick Rose‘s back issues, but the safe money is on Jennings starting again even if Rose is able to play. Jennings put up a solid 24.5 DraftKings points, which is roughly what he was putting up off the bench. Whether Rose plays or not, Jennings looks like a solid play again.
My pick: Westbrook(PG), Dragic(UTIL); Dragic(PG), Williams(G), Jennings(UTIL) if Rose is out
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
James Harden ($11,400): Harden is a solid plan B to Westbrook. This is a marquee matchup in Oklahoma City, so you can expect both players to show up for this one. Will Westbrook outscore Harden by $1,400 worth? What you think the answer to that question is will determine who you build your lineup around.
DeMar DeRozan ($7,900): DeRozan was only 7-20 from the field last night against Minnesota, but he still put together 45 DraftKings points against the team that had given up the least to shooting guards. The Celtics are right in the middle of the pack, and the Celtics may have to do a little adjusting with Isaiah Thomas out. Bradley will still be charged with guarding DeRozan, but I still see a third straight 40+ DraftKings point game for him.
Honorable Mention:
Lou Williams ($6,600): Nick Young, D’Angelo Russell, and Jose Calderon are still out, so look for LouWill to do some more damage tonight. He has averaged 44.3 DraftKings points per game with those three sidelined.
Avery Bradley ($6,500): I have a feeling that Bradley may carry more of a role in the offense with Thomas out tonight. He already has four straight games with at least 5x value. He should have an easier time charting his fifth.
Dark Horses:
Marcus Smart ($5,500): Smart actually played less minutes in his start on Wednesday than his season average of 30. Still, he should be above 5x value against the Toronto backcourt picking up another start with Thomas out. He may be heavily owned though, but if you want either Harden or Westbrook, he is a cheap starter on a good team.
Wesley Matthews ($5,100): Matthews has been a consistent force with J.J. Barea out. He has averaged 31 DraftKings points per game with Barea out, leaving him at exactly 6x value. He is a great punt option to afford a stud or two.
My pick: Smart(SG), Matthews(G); Matthews(SG) Smart(UTIL) if Rose plays
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
LeBron James ($9,600): Will the King still have that fire playing MIami that he did last year? He doesn’t even recognize this incarnation of the Heat. Chris Bosh is gone. Dwyane Wade is in Chicago. Mario Chalmers is gone. Can King James still get the same thrill sticking it to Josh McRoberts, Udonis Haslem, and the Birdman? What the Heat have left is about eight healthy players taking on the World Champs. Good luck!
Paul George ($8,000): George has seen his DraftKings output escalate in every game since his return. He put up 45 on Dallas in their first meeting this year. He put up 49.25 against the Suns on Wednesday. Can George increase his output yet again? At any rate, I still like him to his 5x value with relative ease.
Honorable Mention:
Rudy Gay ($6,700): Gay continues to be pretty solid with his fantasy output this season. He isn’t the model of consistency like he was last year, but he has still put up over 5x value in seven of his last nine games. He also racked up 44.75 DraftKings points on the Knicks in their first meeting. Expect Gay to be above 5x here.
Jae Crowder ($5,700): I will admit that this looks low for Crowder’s price. After all, he has scored in double figures in eight straight games. However, Wednesday marked his first double-double of the season. He is getting his rebounding back on track, and it could well be that Crowder is a bargain at this price again.
Dark Horses:
Wayne Ellington ($4,500): Ellington continues to play a ton of minutes as a healthy member of the Heat, and though his ceiling remains low, what he gets you for this price is well above what you should expect. Ellington has eclipsed 5x value in three of four games since the injury bug decimated the Heat backcourt.
Brandon Ingram ($4,400): Ingram has still had some growing pains, but this is a spot where it could pay off big to take the gamble. Ingram struggled in his first game against the Suns, but he only played half the game. He has been averaging over 30 minutes a game since Thanksgiving. He has yet to realize his potential, and he isn’t just going to explode overnight, but I would be a bit surprised if he didn’t hit 6x value or more.
My pick: Ellington(SF); Crowder(SF), Ellington(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Kristaps Porzingis ($7,700): So he struggled against Cavs. His teammates did too. What is alarming though is that Porzingis has hit just 19 of 60 shots from the floor over his last four games. The volume is there, but he is in a slump right now. That had made him a DFS risk, but the Kings have struggled defending the PF slot. Can he get back on track here?
Paul Millsap ($7,500): I think the Hawks have him listed as questionable just to give the Bucks some hope. Millsap carried the same designation on Wednesday and piled up 47.75 DraftKings points. That marked his third straight game of at least 5x value. Expect a sixth so long as the Hawks don’t pull him at the last-minute.
Honorable Mention:
Julius Randle ($6,000): Randle has back to back games of over 5x value against two pretty solid teams in Houston and Utah. Tonight he gets a Suns team that he picked up 31.75 DarftKings points against in their first meeting. Randle is a strong play at a position that looks somewhat weak tonight.
Dwight Powell ($4,700): Dirk Nowitzki is still out, which means Powell will likely get another start. That is great news for us DFS bargain hunters. Powell has three straight games of over 25 DraftKings points, and has hit 5x value or better in five of his last six. Deploy him with confidence!
Dark Horses:
Jon Leuer ($4,300): Jon Leuer is boring. You wont see him in many DFS lineups because he is a backup. That said, he plays a lot of minutes for the Pistons, and is a 5x value machine, hitting that mark in seven of his last ten. He has very little upside, but you know exactly what you are getting from him.
Patrick Patterson ($4,000): Pascal Siakam is an afterthought even when he is on the court for Toronto. Patterson comes off the bench, but he plays 30 minutes regularly and has been at least a 6x value in five of his last eight games.
My pick: Powell(PF), Patterson(F); Powell(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
DeMarcus Cousins ($10,900): Cousins will be forgotten tonight because there are so many other placed to spend money. He ravaged a Dallas frontcourt that had been strong against opposing bigs. He gets a Kings team that is fifth in the league in fantasy points allowed to centers. Don’t expect Boogie to care. Cousins has over 53 DraftKings points in ten of his last eleven games, and is averaging 60.4 in that span. Westbrook is the only one that can match that consistency.
Andre Drummond ($7,600): Jonas Valanciunas picked up a double-double off the bench last night against the Timberwolves. What will Drummond do to them as a starter? The only caveat here is that he has to stay on the floor. Sometimes fouls are an issue for Drummond.
Honorable Mention:
Dwight Howard ($7,200): Howard has not been all that consistent of late, but as you saw against the Heat on Wednesday, he can still bring it. Howard abused Hassan Whiteside en route to 57.25 DraftKings points. His production took a hit with Millsap out, but with Millsap back in, Howard has someone to take pressure off of him. He could perform well above his price range in the meantime.
Nikola Vucevic ($5,900): His move to the bench has made Vucevic a very consistent producer. He has been above 31 DraftKings points in every game that he has come off the bench. That is a floor of 5x value. If you aren’t paying for Cousins, this is consistency at a great price.
Dark Horses:
Tristan Thompson ($4,900): Thompson is an after thought on offense, but that hasn’t stopped his production. Despite scoring only three points on Wednesday, Thompson has 35.5 DraftKings points. He has been an animal on the boards lately, hauling in 14 rebounds over the last two games. He should have no problem against a Miami team that was abused by Howard and Millsap on Wednesday.
Tyson Chandler ($4,400): Chandler provides much-needed defense for the Phoenix interior. He is not much of an offensive force anymore, but he can still put up solid numbers for his price. He has been over 5x value in three of his last five games, and put up 28.5 DraftKings points against the Lakers in their first meeting.
My pick: Vucevic(C); Cousins(C)
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend. We will also have the college football bowl picks against the spread. You don’t want to miss any of this!