DraftKings NBA Picks for December 22
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for December 22
There are only five games tonight, but the Clippers are in action, which means that there are bargains available because of the injury to Blake Griffin. We should be able to get any stars that we want on our DraftKings roster. How many do we want is the question.
Last night my second lineup placed well in the money. Hopefully it helped some of you out as well. Not making last minute changes worked out last night!
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!
If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for a free entry into the Fantasy Football Millionaire contest. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that free entry into a solid bankroll!
Point Guards
Best Bets:
Chris Paul ($9,400): As expected, Paul racked up 51.5 DraftKings points in game one after Blake Griffin went down. This should be about the normal output for Paul now. He has another soft matchup against the Spurs tonight, who are tough in the middle, so Paul may have to shoulder even more of the scoring load. No matter how you look at it, Paul is a great play tonight.
Isaiah Thomas ($8,000): For those of us that faded Thomas in his return expecting him to be limited in minutes, we were wrong. Thomas played 38 minutes, scoring a career high 44 points and racking up 65.75 DraftKings points. He only picked up 32 in the first meeting with the Pacers, so don’t expect a repeat of Tuesday, but he is a solid be for somewhere in between.
Honorable Mention:
Stephen Curry ($8,100): This is not a knock on Curry, but rather a reflection of how little he will play once this game gets out of hand. The Warriors have back to back 30 point wins in which Curry played no more than 30 minutes. He will still score in the high 30’s, but that isn’t enough for his price. Expect another 30 point victory against the 7-20 Nets, and a slightly below average fantasy night for Curry.
Goran Dragic ($7,400): The Heat are slowly getting healthy, but Dragic’s productivity has remained above his price point. Dragic has topped 5x value in four of the last six games. He has a nice matchup with the Lakers tonight, so 5x value is well within reach.
Jeff Teague ($7,100): After a slow start in Indianapolis, Teague is now blistering hot. Teague has topped 40 DraftKings points in give of his last six games. He didn’t do so well the first time around against Boston, but with the way the Pacers as a whole are playing, Teague should be right around 5x value.
Dark Horses:
Jeremy Lin ($5,700): Lin saw his minutes increase to 25 on Tuesday, and he has been very consistent since his return. Lin has had between 25 and 28 DraftKings points in every game since his return. His ceiling is very limited because of the minutes restriction, but he has been an automatic 5x value over the last week.
Tyler Johnson ($5,500): Johnson went off for a career high 32 points and 50.5 DraftKings points on Tuesday night. He has still played more than 30 minutes a night, so it is likely that he will see plenty of open looks against the Lakers tonight.
My pick: Paul(PG); Thomas(PG), Teague(G)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
Klay Thompson ($6,500): Thompson relies exclusively on scoring, so he is mostly a risk. However, it should be a risk worth taking tonight against the porous Nets defense. Thompson should get plenty of open looks, though the same caveat applies as with Curry. This game could be over by halftime, and Thompson could see single digit minutes in the second half.
Avery Bradley ($6,100): Bradley put up 35 DraftKings points in the first meeting against the Pacers this year. With both Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey ailing, Bradley could do even more damage tonight. He has been under 5x value in each of the last three games. However, the matchup is right tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Lou Williams ($5,600): His playing time has not slipped much with the return of D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young because LouWill remains one of the few scoring threats on this team. Miami is getting healthier, but Williams should still manage to get enough shots up to make value at this price.
J.J. Redick ($4,700): The numbers favored Redick on Tuesday and he nearly hit 40 DraftKings points against the Nuggets. He could come close to that again tonight against a Spurs team that has been awful against outside shooters. Redick picked up a lot of slack with Griffin out on Tuesday. He should be a big help again.
Dark Horses:
Courtney Lee ($3,800): The Magic were torched by Miami from the outside on Tuesday night. Lee doesn’t have the offensive chops that many of Miami’s guards go, but he is dangerous enough to hit 6 to 7x value at this price.
Danny Green ($3,500): The Spurs have already announced that Manu Ginobili will rest both Thursday and Friday. This should open up plenty of minutes for Green, who has 48.25 DraftKings points over the last two games. Green has a lot of ability, but he has struggled so far this year. He seems to be on the verge of breaking through.
My pick: Redick(SG), Green(G); Bradley(SG)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Kevin Durant ($9,000): Durant struggled against the Jazz, but many have so far this year. Tonight he will get back on track against the Nets. If he plays 30 minutes, he should be a lock for 5x value, and likely more. Who is going to stop him?
Carmelo Anthony ($7,700): Melo is shooting nearly 60% from the field over the last two games after spending all of December well under 50% from the field. He is rolling right now, and he has a good matchup against Orlando. With Porzingis maybe having his hands full on the inside, Melo could do some serious damage once again.
Honorable Mention:
Justise Winslow ($5,100): He is still shaking some rust off, but with Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington, and Rodney McGruder out, Winslow’s usage is through the roof. The sheer volume of minutes played and shots taken makes him worth running out there. He is going to have a huge game when his shot starts dropping again. It could be tonight.
Luol Deng ($4,600): The veteran has managed to hold off the rookie Brandon Ingram for now by providing consistent production. Deng He has reached 5x value in each of the last seven games, and is showing no signs of slowing down. He lacks the upside of Ingram. Deng is the sure points. Ingram is the wild card. Both could be good plays against the short handed Heat.
Dark Horses:
Aaron Gordon ($4,500): Gordon is a significant risk because of his lack of consistent production. However, he wont see many games with this friendly of a matchup. He busted out big against the Clippers over the weekend. Can he capture some of that magic against an average Knicks team?
Bojan Bogdanovic ($4,400): The Raptors dominated Bogdanovic on Tuesday night, breaking his streak of three straight games over 5x value. He doesn’t need much at this price, and considering the likelihood of a blowout against the Warriors, he could see a few extra shots in garbage time.
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute ($3,300): San Antonio is solid up front, but with his price this low, Mbah A Moute could be a great bargain once again. He is starting with Blake Griffin out, so I have no problems playing him at this price against anyone.
My Pick: Anthony(SF), Mbah A Moute(F); Winslow(SF), Deng(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Draymond Green ($7,800): Green continued his dominance on the court against Utah on Tuesday. He has hit 5x value in seven of the last ten games, and should have no issues tonight against the Nets. The good news is that Green has still managed to get his value despite not playing more than 32 minutes in any of the last three games.
Kristaps Porzingis ($7,600): Even with Melo stealing the show over the last two games, Porzingis has put up 68.75 DraftKings points over the last two games. Those served as nice rebounds after he was dominated by Draymond Green last weekend. Look for another solid game here from Porzingis.
Honorable Mention:
Serge Ibaka ($5,900): Ibaka is not the player he once was, but he has proven to be solid when the matchup is right. The Knicks can throw a lot of bodies at him, but can any of them take him out of his game? Ibaka has been in double digits in each of the last three games. His rebounding and blocking ability always keeps him near 5x value. His newfound scoring should put him over tonight.
Trevor Booker ($5,600): Booker isn’t much of a scorer anyway, so I’m not all that worried about Draymond Green guarding him. Booker has missed 5x value in each of the last three games, but tonight looks like a great matchup for him.
Dark Horses:
Thaddeus Young ($5,400): The Pacers seem to be hitting their stride as a team even with (or perhaps because of) the absence of Monta Ellis. Young has put up 69 DraftKings points over his last two games, and looks like a great bargain tonight against Boston. Young racked up 30 DraftKings points on the Celtics in their first meeting.
Anthony Bennett ($3,100): It was Bennett, not Luis Scola, that picked up most of the slack with Brook Lopez resting. Bennett’s 26 DraftKings points outing in only 21 minutes against Toronto should lead to an uptick in minutes for him tonight.
My pick: Young(PF); Booker(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Hassan Whiteside ($9,200): Whiteside has been dominant lately. He has averaged 50 DraftKings points over his last six games. The Lakers are having problems against opposing bigs, especially ones that are long and athletic like Whiteside. He should at least come close to that 50 point average tonight.
DeAndre Jordan ($6,900): Jordan didn’t dominate in the absence of Blake Griffin, but he didn’t need to. Jordan played only 29 minutes against Denver in a game that got out of hand. He still put up his fifth straight game of over 5x value. At this price, he remains a great bargain.
Honorable Mention:
Al Horford ($6,800): Horford has topped 42 DraftKings points in three straight games, which leaves him at nearly 7x value. Horford has the skill set to maneuver around Young and Turner on the inside. He could be a sneaky value at this price when most will settle on Jordan.
Myles Turner ($6,600): Turner racked up 40.5 DraftKings points in his first game against the Celtics this year, but they Celtics were without Al Horford. Horford’s presence could complicate things for Turner, but the fact remains that Turner is on a roll lately. He has reached at least 5x value in six of his last seven games.
Nikola Vucevic ($6,400): Few players are as frustrating as Vucevic. He put up 49.5 DraftKings points on a solid Miami interior on Tuesday. Two days prior, he laid a 22.25 DraftKings points egg against Toronto, which was supposed to be a great matchup. He has another good one on paper tonight against New York, but can you trust him?
Dark Horses:
Pau Gasol ($5,700): Gasol has quietly put up six consecutive games of over 5x value. In a couple of those, he was well over 6x value. It seems as though many DFS players forget about the boring Spurs. They are fine with that. They are still putting up numbers. Just like Gasol should again tonight against the Clippers.
Joakim Noah ($4,100): Noah had perhaps his finest performance of the season against the Pacers on Tuesday night, putting up 32.75 DraftKings points. Noah’s production has been mostly inconsistent, as have his minutes. Tuesday was the first time he has played 30 minutes in more than a month. Is that a harbinger of things to come, or was it just an outlier?
My pick: Whiteside(C), Horford(UTIL); Jordan(C), Turner(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!