DraftKings NBA Picks for December 13
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for December 13
There are only six games tonight, but they are plenty of stars to litter our DraftKings lineups with. Which ones should we be targeting? Where are the bargains at? Let’s take a look!
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 ($12,700): Westbrook missed a triple double by four assists on Sunday (the bum!), marking only the second time he has missed that feat in the last 13 games. We are spoiled as Westbrook owners. The fact is, Westbrook had more DraftKings points on Sunday than he did in four of his triple doubles! Westbrook is nearly a lock for 60 right now. He hasn’t missed that mark in nearly a month. You are getting what you pay for with Westbrook.
Stephen Curry ($8,400): Curry has been near 5x value in every game over the last month, but he doesn’t have nearly the ceiling that he had last year. That said, in two prior games against the Pelicans this year, Curry has 106.5 DraftKings points. That puts him at 6.3x value against New Orleans. He may be more worth the money if you are interested in fading Westbrook.
Honorable Mention:
Damian Lillard ($8,300): Aside from his struggles against Memphis, Lillard has been on quite a roll. Portland gets little contribution from their frontcourt, so much of the scoring burden falls on Lillard and McCollum. That makes Lillard a good option nearly every time out. He even topped 40 DraftKings points against a solid Clippers backcourt last night.
Derrick Rose ($6,300): With Rose in this price range, it makes him a pretty good bargain. He only needs 31.5 DraftKings points for 5x value, a mark that he has hit in six of the last eight games that he finished. Playing against Phoenix will increase his value even more. If you are into saving at PG, Rose is a great option.
Dark Horses:
Rajon Rondo ($5,900): Rondo is hard to trust. He has been under value three times in the last five games. In the other two? He had a triple-double and was one assist short of a triple-double. If you are ever going to take a chance on him though, tonight could be the night. The Timberwolves are the worst team in the league against point guards.
Andrew Harrison ($4,300): Harrison has managed to hold off Wade Baldwin, and as long as he does, he is always a good punt play. He wont hit much, if any, more than 30 DraftKings points, but he seems to consistently be in the mid-20’s. That leaves him a solid 5x value.
My pick: Rose(PG), Harrison(G); Westbrook(PG), Harrison(G)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
Klay Thompson ($6,500): It is hard to count on Thompson because he is solely a scorer. That said, he put up 76 DraftKings points on the Pelicans in the two prior games. That makes him a 6x value if he can hit that average.
Zach LaVine ($6,300): LaVine has done well against middle of the pack teams so far this year. Honestly, since he only needs 31.5 DraftKings points to hit value, LaVine is a very intriguing play. He is becoming a major threat on the outside. He could have a solid game against the Bulls, right in line with 5x value.
Honorable Mention:
Evan Fournier ($5,700): Fournier has been great when the matchup is right. The Hawks are fourth worst in the league in allowing points to shooting guards. The matchup is definitely right here. Just be aware that he has had off games.
Tony Allen ($4,700): Allen has been on fire lately, averaging 30.1 DraftKings points over his last five games. Cleveland has had serious issues with opposing shooting guards as well. Allen is in line for a big game here. He should easily hit 5x value, and could be as high as 7x.
Dark Horses:
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,400): Hardaway has played his way into a larger role with Kent Bazemore out. Bazemore is still a game time decision, so Hardaway could be in line for a good run tonight as well. Even if he doesn’t hit 30 minutes again tonight, I would expect Hardaway’s good play of late to keep him more in the rotation.
Buddy Hield ($3,300): I’ve been waiting a while to put Hield in here. The Warriors have been hurt by shooters on the outside. After a miserable first month from the field in the NBA, Hield started to heat up a little with all of the injuries in the backcourt. Even though the Pelicans are mostly healthy now, Hield is still the best shooter. If the Pelicans get down, Hield will spend more time on the court trying to bring him back.
My pick: LaVine(SG); Allen(SG)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Kevin Durant ($9,400): Durant has only hit 5x value once in the last six games. So why is he my top pick? Because he has 104.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Pelicans already this year. With defensive stalwart Dante Cunningham still out, KD is going to have free reign to wreak havoc.
Jimmy Butler ($8,700): Butler has hit 5x value in five of his last six games. While Minnesota does look like a more difficult matchup, the Timberwolves have struggled on the wing lately as well. Both Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan blew past 5x value against them in the last week. There is a good chance Butler does the same.
Honorable Mention:
Carmelo Anthony ($7,700): Melo may have the leg up on Porzingis against the Suns because he is more suited to run with them. He is still a huge part of this offense, even though he has a consistency problem this year. I’m not sure I like any of the mid-range SF’s tonight, but if you are going to use one, Melo looks best on paper.
Thabo Sefalosha ($4,600): Sefalosha has hit 5x value in each of his last three games. Even if Bazemore is back, I would expect him to be at least partially limited. That leaves Sefalosha up for another game of near 30 minutes. Which means he should get at least 25 DraftKings points again.
Dark Horses:
Kyle Korver ($3,900): Korver remains one of the best open floor shooters in the league even if he doesn’t so much else. Korver still plays plenty of minutes off the bench, and he has hit 5x value in each of the last three games. The Magic will allow some open shots on the perimeter, so Korver has a good chance to shoot his way to 5x value again.
Solomon Hill ($3,400): Hill is still starting, but his production has dipped with the Pelicans getting a little more healthy. Hill plays at SF though where Cunningham and Tyreke Evans usually would play. They are both still out, so look for Hill to flirt with 6x value again.
My Pick: Hill(SF); Durant(SF), Hill(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis ($11,300): After a couple of difficult games against Phoenix and Philadelphia, Davis gets a reprieve against Golden State. Davis has put up 131.5 DraftKings points in just two games against the Warriors. Yes, that makes him a nearly 6x value at this exorbitant price.
Paul Millsap ($7,900): A few games off did wonders for Millsap. In the three games since his return, Millsap has averaged 49.5 DraftKings points per game. The Magic are right in the middle of the pack against power forwards, so don’t expect them to cut into this average much, if at all.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Love ($7,800): Love could provide matchup problems for a Memphis team that is more geared towards defending a traditional power forward, not one that spends half the game on the perimeter. The athleticism of Green and Randolph will be tested here, making Love a nice fade option from the top picks.
JaMychal Green ($5,800): Green has defied matchups lately due to his rebounding ability. You can tell that he has worked to take this part of his game to the next level, and I think you can say that he succeeded. Green has only missed 5x value once in his last nine games. He may be under 30 for the first time in six games though against a Cavs team that is tough up front.
Dark Horses:
Gorgui Dieng ($5,600): Dieng has found some level of consistency lately, hitting 22 or more DraftKings points in nine of his last ten games. He is very low in the offensive pecking order on this team, but Dieng still manages to carve out around ten shots a game and get close to double digit rebounds. That will keep him around 5x value with his price here.
Al-Farouq Aminu ($3,700): The good play of Ed Davis in Aminu’s absence has driven his price down to the point where Aminu has hit 5x value in back to back games. If Portland were to ever realize that Meyers Leonard doesn’t really help them, Aminu could really get you value.
Jared Dudley ($3,500): You will have to keep an eye on T.J. Warren‘s status since he is nearing a return, but if Warren is out again, Dudley should still get 25-30 minutes. Lately that has ended up being 20 or more DraftKings points.
My pick: Davis(PF), Millsap(F), Dieng(UTIL); Green(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,600): Towns still struggles with good interior teams, so playing him against the Bulls is a little bit of a risk. Statistically, they are right in the middle against centers, but Towns hasn’t been all that consistent lately anyway. He dominated Golden State, who was solid in the interior in his last game out, so maybe he is back on track.
Dwight Howard ($6,900): Howard will be going against the team that drafted him, so he may have a little added incentive here. Howard has been wildly inconsistent lately. There hasn’t really been any middle ground. Given the history, this looks good for Howard.
Honorable Mention:
Mason Plumlee ($5,500): Plumlee has had some issues with tough defenses, but even then, he has not been held below 20 DraftKings points. Given the game he had last night against the Clippers, he doesn’t look like much of a risk against the Thunder.
Steven Adams ($5,300): Adams has put up some big numbers in the last three games, and is showing the promise that he did in last year’s playoffs. He will have his hands full with Plumlee and Ed Davis, but if he keeps shooting like he has, it wont matter. Adams has missed only two shots in the last two games. That’s right. Adams is 15-17 from the floor over the last two games. Think about that for a minute.
Dark Horses:
Zach Randolph ($5,100): The Grizzlies have already said that Marc Gasol is going to sit out. Tristan Thompson has done a great job defensively up front for Cleveland, but Randolph has had a nice season. At this low of a price, he is worth a flier since he will likely play starter’s minutes.
Tyson Chandler ($4,900): The Knicks are statistically the worst in the league against centers. Chandler went bonkers on a decent New Orleans team on Sunday. What can he do to the Knicks? 7x value is certainly possible!
Robin Lopez ($4,800): Lopez wont score many points, but he provides enough rebounds and blocks to keep him at or above 5x value. His lack of scoring limits his potential, but his defensive prowess means he is unlikely to leave you with a clunker. That is a valuable commodity at this price.
My pick: Chandler(C); Lopez(C), Chandler(UTIL)
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!