DraftKings NBA Picks for December 27
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for December 27
There are only four games in the NBA tonight. Should we choose Westbrook or Harden to build our DraftKings lineup around? Can we use both? Should we steer clear of both? Let’s check out our options!
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:
Isaiah Thomas ($7,900): Thomas has scored at least 23 points in all six games since returning from a strained groin. He obviously isn’t feeling any ill effects. The Grizzlies are the best team in the league at handling point guards, but Thomas put up 65.75 DraftKings points on them in the first meeting. And before you go thinking that this was one of the games that Conley missed, it was not. Thomas did that to Conley. Just food for thought.
Goran Dragic ($7,100): Dragic has posted at least 5x value in six of his last eight games. True, he was awful in the first meeting against the Thunder (17.25 DraftKings points in only 24 minutes), but the way he has been playing lately, it’s hard to see Dragic not getting close to 5x value.
Honorable Mention:
Russell Westbrook ($12,500): The Thunder and Heat have squared off once already this year. That game resulted in Westbrook’s worst outing of the season (36.25 DraftKings points in 27 minutes). While I will admit that the Heat likely wont be able to hold Westbrook to that low of a total again, He still needs 63 DraftKings points to reach value. Is he nearly 30 points better this time around? I have my doubts.
Mike Conley ($6,400): Conley put up some big numbers against Thomas in the first meeting as well. Conley had 40.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting. That isn’t quite along the lines of what Thomas did to him, but that would be quite an outburst for his price. Conley has not been consistent since his return, but this could be what he needs to get going again.
Dark Horses:
D’Angelo Russell ($5,100): Despite the repeated absences of George Hill, the Jazz have still managed to lock down opposing point guards. Russell did manage 25.25 DraftKings points against Utah in their first meeting, and he is riding a streak of five straight games over 5x value.
Shelvin Mack ($5,000): Mack put up 19.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting against the Lakers, so he only hit 4x value. However, Mack has hit 5x value in five of his last eight games. He is cheap enough to warrant taking a flier on.
My pick: Thomas(PG); Westbrook(PG)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
James Harden ($11,400): If Patrick Beverley is out, Harden could take over at point guard for tonight, which obviously increases his already high value. Harden has put up 153.25 DraftKings points in three games against Dallas so far this season. That puts him a shade under 5x value, but I would be willing to bet he hits that mark if he starts at the point.
Avery Bradley ($5,900): The scoring binge of Isaiah Thomas has taken away some of Bradley’s fantasy value, but he put up 28.25 DraftKings points against the Grizzlies in the first meeting when Thomas had a monster game. With Bradley’s price down this far, he is a strong bet to at least be very close to 5x value.
Honorable Mention:
Eric Gordon ($5,500): Gordon has topped 31 DraftKings points in five of his last six outings. If Harden slides over to point, it could open up even more opportunities for Gordon. Gordon has put up 79 DraftKings points in three games against Dallas so far. That leaves him at a little above 5x value.
Wesley Matthews ($5,400): J.J. Barea is out again, and the Rockets are in town. Both of those things are good news for Matthews. Wes has 99.5 DraftKings points in three games against Houston, which puts him at nearly 6x value against the Rockets this year. I see no reason why he wont flirt with it again.
Dark Horses:
Lou Williams ($4,900): Williams’ price is the lowest it has been since November because the Lakers are healthy and the Jazz defense is tough. That said, LouWill has 87.5 DraftKings points in only two games against Utah this year. His output will likely be a little lower due to the healthy bodies that the Lakers have available, but expect Williams to still see a healthy dose of minutes with which to do more damage to Utah.
Seth Curry ($3,600): The injury to Barea has resulted in an increase in minutes for Curry. He has responded with over 5x value in five of his last six games. Curry could be a nice steal again tonight.
My pick: Harden(SG), Curry(G); Harden(SG), Gordon(G)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Gordon Hayward ($8,000): Hayward notched 42.5 DraftKings points in his only other game against the Lakers this year. He still has a few stinkers now and then like the game against Golden State last week, but most games Hayward is right around that 40 point mark. Expect him there against the Lakers again.
Harrison Barnes ($6,300): It has been a good first year in Dallas for Barnes. Barnes has been over 5x value in five of the last six games. He has averaged only 28.5 DraftKings points in three games against Houston so far this year, but he is arguably playing better now than he has at any point this year.
Honorable Mention:
Justise Winslow ($5,300): Winslow struggled in his first game back, but in the four games since, he has averaged 29 DraftKings points per game. He is getting more run with Dion Waiters and Wayne Ellington still out, and is doing pretty well with the extra minutes so far. The Thunder are in the bottom five of the league in defense against small forwards. Winslow could be in for another good game.
Luol Deng ($5,300): Deng has been on a roll lately with the Lakers playing him more than 30 minutes per game. Deng has not been under 5x value in his last 12 games. While Brandon Ingram is still getting solid minutes, it is the veteran Deng that is leading the youngsters in the starting unit. He only has 46.5 DraftKings points in the two previous games combined against the Jazz, but he only played 30 minutes in one of those games. He is still a solid choice here.
Dark Horses:
Joe Ingles ($4,300): The Jazz are easing Rodney Hood back into action. Partially because he is still battling an illness and partially because of his poor shooting. Hood may eat into the minutes that Ingles gets, but it’s obvious who is playing better right now. Ingles has 82.75 DraftKings points over his last three games. He could be a great value again tonight.
Andre Roberson ($3,800): He is not starting in place of Victor Oladipo – that would be Anthony Morrow – but Roberson still plays twice the minutes that Morrow does. He has six straight games of over 5x value. He should be a lock for seven while he is still this cheap.
My Pick: Winslow(SF); Roberson(SF)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Zach Randolph ($5,100): Randolph has adapted well to his bench role, averaging over 5x value on the season. Boston held him a little under that mark last week, but this is a weak night at the PF slot. I trust Randolph more than Randle right now. The Celtics are statistically in the bottom ten against power forwards. I will trust that season long average over one off shooting night from Randolph.
Montrezl Harrell ($4,800): Harrell appears to have a leg up on Nene for the starting center job with Clint Capela out. Harrell has three straight games with 27 or more DraftKings points. He is still a fantastic value at this price no matter who he plays.
Honorable Mention:
Julius Randle ($5,800): Utah has held Randle under 50 combined DraftKings points in the two games combined this year, but Randle’s minutes are increasing lately. Randle has four straight games of more than 30 DraftKings points. While he may not top that against a solid Jazz front, don’t be surprised if he gets close.
Dirk Nowitzki ($4,700): Dirk will likely be limited in the second game of a back to back, and he may sit out all together, so make sure you monitor this leading up to game time. He only played 15 minutes in his return and 17 last night, but he has still hit 5x value in both games. Dirk lacks the high upside since he will likely only play about 18 minutes, but he is still enough of a force to get you value.
Dark Horses:
JaMychal Green ($4,400): He is the yang to Randolph’s yin. He is the upside to Randolph’s consistency. He had 27 DraftKings points against the Celtics last Monday. If he can do that again, he will be one of the better values of the night.
Thomas Robinson ($3,200): The former Kansas standout may have finally found a home. Robinson has four straight games over 6x value as the backup to Julius Randle. If you need to go cheap, Robinson has been trending up, and has been a great value even in just 20 minutes per game.
My pick: Harrell(PF), Green(F); Harrell(PF), Robinson(F)
Center
Best Bets:
Rudy Gobert ($7,700): Gobert has abused the Lakers in two games this season. He picked up 89.75 DraftKings points over those two games. Gobert is riding a streak of 11 straight games of more than 35 DraftKings points. There is nothing indicating that he will fall below that tonight.
Marc Gasol ($7,200): Gasol put up 44.25 DraftKings points on the Celtics last week. Nothing has changed over that time except for the venue, but will Gasol really be that much worse on the road? Don’t count on it.
Honorable Mention:
Hassan Whiteside ($8,700): Whiteside easily has the most potential of anyone playing tonight, but the Thunder held him to just 23 DraftKings points in the first meeting. That said, Whiteside has eight consecutive games of over 40 DraftKings points. Which one will you get tonight?
Enes Kanter ($4,900): Kanter has put up 99 DraftKings points over his last three games. Oh, and he torched Miami for 40.5 in the first meeting. Steven Adams? He had 22.5. If you are rolling with an OKC big tonight, make it Kanter.
Dark Horses:
Dwight Powell ($3,900): The return of Dirk Nowitzki will cut into Powell’s minutes, but not quite yet. With Dirk only playing 17 minutes, Powell should still see around 20, which is plenty of time for him to hit 5x value.
Nene Hilario ($3,300): Harrell is the starter right now, but Hilario is still playing around 20 minutes per game backing him up in Capela’s absence. Nene struggled against Memphis, but he has hit 6x value in the other three games with Capela out.
My pick: Gobert(C), Kanter(UTIL); Kanter(C), Powell(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!