DraftKings NBA Picks for December 15

We only have five games tonight. Should we pay up for the few stars in our DraftKings lineups? Only one of them? None of the above? 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.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Damian Lillard ($8,800): The Nuggets have given up fantasy points at will for most of the season. Lillard will be the benefactor tonight. In two games against the Nuggets so far this year, Lillard has 118.25 DraftKings points. In two games! He will be the cornerstone of many winning lineups tonight.

Eric Bledsoe ($7,800): Bledsoe has notched three consecutive 50+ DraftKings point games. Tonight he gets a Spurs team that has given up the second most fantasy points to point guards this year. This looks like another huge game for Bledsoe.

Honorable Mention:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($9,500): Giannis may be dealing with a sore ankle, and is going against one of the better defenses in the league against point guards. You have heard me lament before that Giannis does a lot more than your typical point guard. That still holds true. However, I doubt he hits 5x value against the Bulls due to the defense and the potential ankle issue.

Jrue Holiday ($6,700): Holiday has played 70 minutes in the last two games, which takes away the sleeper value of Tim Frazier. Holiday himself has played well enough to hit value over the last two games. That should continue against the Pacers. The tor seems to be a non-factor right now, and Frazier likely wont play, which could mean even more value for Holiday.

Dark Horses:

Brandon Jennings ($4,600): This is a speculative play based on Derrick Rose’s back issues. Rose was lifted from the game on Monday with lingering back issues, and is questionable tonight. The Knicks really have no reason to push Rose, so I’m guessing Jennings will get solid minutes tonight against a Warriors team that has been torched by point guards.

Langston Galloway ($3,800): With Frazier out, Galloway should be able to pick up good minutes tonight. He put up 33.75 DraftKings points on Tuesday in 28 minutes. In fact, Galloway has topped 30 DraftKings points in three of the last five games. In one of those, he played only 19 minutes. You wont have to worry about minutes tonight, so Galloway should be well above value.

My pick: Lillard(PG), Galloway(G); Lillard(PG), Bledsoe(G)

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

Dwyane Wade ($7,000): Wade has really hit his stride in Chicago lately. Wade has six consective games of more than 38 DraftKings points. That is 5.5x value at the low end! He should keep it going against a Milwaukee team that has struggled against shooting guards so far.

C.J. McCollum ($6,900): In two games against the Nuggets this year, McCollum has posted 88.25 DraftKings points. That is not quite the caliber of his backcourt mate, but it is still an amazing value for this price. He may even outscore Wade!

Honorable Mention:

Devin Booker ($5,200): Anyone who can shoot like Booker deserves consideration, especially against a team that has been soft on the outside like the Spurs. However, Booker is purely a shooter. If he compiles anything else, it is mostly an accident. If he goes cold, your lineup is toast.

Dark Horses:

Courtney Lee ($4,100): Lee has consistently hit 5x value this year against teams who are more lax defensively. The Warriors qualify here. Lee has topped 5x value in three of the last four games, and if Rose is limited tonight, he should make it four of five.

Malcolm Brogdon ($3,200): The rookie from Virginia has been getting a nice run lately because of his improved offense. He has always been a solid defensive guy, but him hitting shots on the offensive end have led to a noticeable jump in playing time. Brogdon has hit 5x value or more in three of the last four games. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is limited as well, it could lead to even more minutes for Brogdon.

My pick: Wade(SG); Wade(SG), Lee(G)

Small Forwards

Best Bets:

Kevin Durant ($9,200): Durant has missed 5x value in each of his last three games, but we all know that Melo is a bit, shall we say, uninterested in defense. Melo’s “ole” defense is well documented, and could lead to a huge game for a guy as talented as Durant.

Jimmy Butler ($9,000): Butler has put up 107 DraftKings points in the last two games. He is rolling right now, and the consistent production of Wade seems to have helped Butler more than hinder him. Wade is the safer option, but Butler has a much bigger upside, and has the SF eligibility.

Honorable Mention:

Kawhi Leonard ($8,300): Leonard has not been below 5x value in the last four games, and has been over 35 DraftKings points in his last seven. Leonard is back on track it seems, and he has a great matchup against the Suns. Leonard is the solid fade from the upside of Durant and Butler.

Paul George ($8,100): George has missed 5x value in three of the last four games. A couple of those have looked like good matchups. However, due to the volatility of production seen by Carmelo Anthony and Jabari Parker of late, George is a far safer option for just a few hundred more.

Carmelo Anthony ($7,400): This is a good matchup for Anthony, and if Rose sits, he will be a more focal point of the offense. Porzingis has benefitted more, but there is plenty to go around for Melo as well.

Dark Horses:

Danilo Gallinari ($5,300): Gallinari still sees a lot of minutes and takes a lot of shots. It has led to 57 DraftKings points against the Blazers in two games this year. He should be safe to use here as his rebounding should at least keep you close to value tonight.

Andre Iguodala ($3,500): Iggy is perfect for the Warriors, but he often is the invisible man on fantasy radars. Maybe that shouldn’t be the case. Iguodala has hit 5x value or more in six of his last eight games. This could be a blowout tonight, which could mean an increased run for the veteran.

My Pick: Gallinari(SF); Leonard(SF), Iguodala(F)

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

Anthony Davis ($11,500): Davis is the only bona fide star on display tonight. He has cooled down since a torrid late November – early December, but we all know Davis can get back to that production almost at will. He put up 54 DraftKings points against a weaker Warriors front on Tuesday. He could destroy Indiana. Davis is the only legitimate threat at 60+ DraftKings points tonight.

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,000): Porzingis still has consistency issues, but he has put up 119.5 DraftKings points over the last two games. The Warriors have been shredded by power forwards this year. Statistically, they are the worst in the league. It’s hard to say Porzingis wont be there again.

Honorable Mention:

Draymond Green ($7,900): Green put up a triple-double on Tuesday against the Pelicans. He is the most consistent threat the Warriors have because of his defensive prowess, and his athleticism keeps him on the court a lot. Memphis is the only team that has been able to keep him under value this month. Don’t count on the Knicks being the second team to do it.

Kyle O’Quinn ($5,100): O’Quinn has averaged 33.25 DraftKings points per game this month. We mentioned the Warriors’ issues up front already. Even though he only plays around 25 minutes, he can do a lot of damage while he is in there.

Dark Horses:

Terrence Jones ($4,300): Consistent playing time has become an issue for Jones, even with Dante Cunningham out. It may get worse with Tyreke Evans making his return tonight, but I tend to think that Solomon Hill will see the largest decrease in playing time. Jones has good upside, but you never really know how many minutes he is going to get. The matchup against Indiana looks like a good one though.

David Lee ($3,500): Lee had a solid start for the resting LaMarcus Aldridge last night. Tonight he gets a Suns team that has been gouged by power forwards. Aldridge will get most of the run, but even if Lee only sees 20-25 minutes, he should have no problem reaching 5x value.

My pick: Porzingis(PF), O’Quinn(F); O’Quinn(PF)

Center

Best Bets:

Nikola Jokic ($6,500): People are going to be all over Jokic tonight with the short slate and his recent performance. Jokic has averaged 38.6 DraftKings points per game since Thanksgiving. He is the unquestioned king of the Denver frontcourt right now. He is about the only one that is not susceptible to a huge minutes decrease on a whim, so he is a great play against an average Portland front.

Myles Turner ($6,000): Turner has been almost as good as Jokic lately, and his matchup with New Orleans is more favorable than that of Jokic. Turner has averaged 34.1 DraftKings points over his last five outings, and also plays more minutes than Jokic. He is a suitable fade option.

Honorable Mention:

Mason Plumlee ($5,600): Denver hasn’t been all that great defensively on the interior, and Plumlee has taken it to the Thunder and the Clippers over the last two games. Plumlee put up 81 DraftKings points in those two games, and could come close to 40 again against the Nuggets.

Tyson Chandler ($5,400): Chandler has dropped 87 DraftKings points over the last two games against the weak interiors of the Pelicans and Knicks. The Spurs are statistically worse than both of them, so we could be looking at another big game from Chandler.

Dark Horses:

Robin Lopez ($4,600): Lopez is an afterthought in the Bulls offense, but he is good enough on the defensive end that he usually ends up right around 5x value. He has hit that mark in five of the last six games, and shouldn’t have a problem doing that against the Bucks tonight.

Kenneth Faried ($4,000): Now, this is a tough one. In two games against Portland this year, Faried has put up 68.25 DraftKings points in 58 minutes. Now the tough part. Faried has only played more than 25 minutes twice in the last ten games, and only once in December. He played just eight minutes against Dallas. It has nothing to do with behavior or foul trouble. Faried can be a dominant force when he plays. Denver just doesn’t play him anymore. They must be tanking for a lottery pick or something.

My pick: Chandler(C), Jokic(UTIL); Chandler(C)

Next: FanDuel Picks For December 15th

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!