DraftKings Main NBA picks December 2: You must play Cousins!

DraftKings NBA picks December 2: You must play Cousins!

We are down to five games on the last major college football Saturday. The NBA will own the weekend soon enough, but right now, we just have smaller DraftKings tournaments.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Ben Simmons ($9,600): Simmons put up 55.5 DraftKings points on the Pistons in their first meeting. They don’t have a guard that can matchup with Simmons. Come to think of it, they don’t really have anyone on the court that matches up well with Simmons. Look for another big game here.

Damian Lillard ($8,900): Lillard was awful in the first game against the Pelicans. However, I don’t see him going 3-16 from the floor again either. That was just a poor shooting night. It may have had something to do with the Pelicans defense, but not that much. Lillard is a solid pivot off of Simmons, though I don’t think he comes within ten points of his output.

Honorable Mention:

Eric Bledsoe ($7,100): Bledsoe racked up 42.25 DraftKings points in just 24 minutes against the Kings in his first meeting with them on Tuesday. Bledsoe has five straight games of more than 35 DraftKings points. He is a very strong middle tier play once again.

Lonzo Ball ($6,600): Love him or hate him, Ball is here to stay in the NBA. We can’t let out feeling about a player (or his obnoxious dad) affect usage in DFS. Ball racked up a triple double and 55.5 DraftKings points in his first game against Denver. Fade at your own risk. Ball is inconsistent, but he could put up a monster game when the matchup is right. It’s right tonight.

Jrue Holiday ($6,000): Holiday had a solid 33.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Portland. Holiday is not very consistent, but most of the time he can make teams pay for keying on the middle. It helps that the Pelicans have a good passing big man in the middle as well. Holiday has topped 40 DraftKings points in each of the last two games. He is rolling right now, and has another good matchup.

Dark Horses:

Jordan Clarkson ($4,900): Clarkson is a very dangerous shooter off the bench. He racked up 23.75 DraftKings points on the Nuggets in the first meeting. Clarkson is inconsistent because he is very reliant on scoring, but the 14 rebounds and 13 assists over the last two games may not be a mirage. I could see this continuing, so I’m buying Clarkson at this bargain price.

Jerryd Bayless ($3,400): It looks pretty certain that McConnell is out again, so Bayless is a great option on the cheap. He played 32 minutes against Boston on Thursday with McConnell out,and has topped 6x value in each of the last two games. The minutes and production are there, making Bayless a great punt play with decent upside due to the minutes he is playing.

My pick: Simmons(PG), Ball(G), Bayless(UTIL); Bledsoe(PG), Clarkson(G)

Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

Khris Middleton ($6,900): Middleton was pretty bad against the Kings on Tuesday, but he was also battling an illness. He bounced back with a big game in Portland on Thursday night, and looks to be good to go for a rematch against the Kings. The whole Bucks offense is running smoothly with Bledsoe in town, so Middleton is still a nice compliment to Giannis. His price looks low based on the matchup.

Will Barton ($6,800): Barton was a monster on Thursday, and he is going to see a ton of minutes again with Millsap, Jokic, and Wilson Chandler all out. There is plenty of value to be found in Denver, and Barton is definitely one of them even if he isn’t value priced. Someone needs to score, and Barton’s 37 on Thursday, including the game winner, make him the best option right now.

Honorable Mention:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,900): Yeah, the matchup with Denver is not one I would usually go after, but KCP is hot and he put up 36.75 DraftKings points on the Nuggets in the first game. KCP has scored more than 20 points in four straight games. The Lakers score a lot of points, so I don’t see that production declining anytime soon. KCP could be a nice under the radar play tonight since most will be on the Nuggets guards……all of them.

Gary Harris ($5,800): Harris doesn’t have the upside that Barton does, but he is going to play a huge amount of minutes as well, and can put up points in a hurry. Harris is a better defender, but worse rebounder than Barton. Other than that, they are very similar and could provide similar stat lines. Use whichever one fits your salary the best, or use both. Denver scores a ton of points too. This could look like the Michigan-Loyola Marymount NCAA tournament game from 1990. Go watch it on YouTube if you are too young to know what I’m talking about. It is still the highest scoring NCAA tournament game in histor, and the world could always use a little more Bo Kimble and Jeff Fryer in it.

Dwyane Wade ($5,600): Once Wade settled into LeBron’s house instead of the other way around in Miami, he has gotten pretty comfortable with the house rules. Wade has put up more than 30 DraftKings points in each of the last three games, and has looked pretty good running the point. Expect this to continue until Thomas is healthy enough to play, which makes Wade a pretty nice mid range option.

Dark Horses:

Evan Turner ($3,900): Turner has been very inconsistent with the Blazers since he has been unable to hold down the starting job. However, he did put up 31.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Pelicans. If you are willing to take a risk on his inconsistencies, there could be value here tonight.

Garrett Temple ($3,900): Temple and Bogdan Bogdanovic are eating up the minutes at SG lately. Hield played just seven minutes last night. That sends a pretty clear message which direction the Kings are going right now. They may be showcasing Temple for a trade or clearing Hield’s head, but at any rate, Temple and Bogdanovic are the values to chase in the Kings’ backcourt.

My pick: Harris(SG); Barton(SG)

Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,600): Giannis put up 57.25 DraftKings points in just 26 minutes in the first tilt with the Kings. If this game is a blowout, which it likely will be, Giannis will be the major reason why. He is going to get his value in half the game if need be. He is one of the most dynamic players in the game, and is matchup and blowout proof. How rare is that?

LeBron James ($11,400): At some point the King will slow down, play less minutes, and take games off. That’s what we have been hearing for the last two years at least. It’s not happening now. James has decreased his minutes a little, but he has still topped 58 DraftKings points in eight of the last ten games. The only teams to hold him under were Dallas and Detroit, two of the toughest teams against small forwards. The matchup with a Memphis team that likes to sit on the ball and mug people isn’t one I care for, but I’m not sure anyone can slow down LeBron right now.

Honorable Mention:

Tyreke Evans ($6,900): Evans started at the point last night even with Mario Chalmers back. Chalmers didn’t play well. Harrison outplayed him in just nine minutes! Honestly, the Memphis offense was out of sorts all night. Was is the Spurs defense or was it a small forward trying to run the point? I prefer Evans from a DFS perspective if he is running the show because it gives him more assists with the rest of his production about the same. Evans is a solid play anyway, but he goes up my list if he starts at the point again.

Brandon Ingram ($6,300): Ingram dropped a career best 50.25 DraftKings points on the Warriors Wednesday night. He is a key component of this fast paced offense, and one of the most consistent cogs in it. Ingram didn’t do much in the first meeting because Ball did everything. I don’t know that I would stack Lakers, but I would use at least two against Denver tonight. Ingram is the most consistent piece of the offense if you opt to go that direction.

Robert Covington ($5,900): I like Covington almost every time he takes the court. He scores his 30 to 35 DraftKings points without being flashy, goes home, comes back, and does it again. Covington has little upside, but he is always just a shade over 5x value and isn’t highly owned. He put up 31.75 DraftKings points on Detroit the first time around. Use him if you need a sure 30 tonight.

Dark Horses:

Chandler Parsons ($3,800): Memphis has a horde of small forwards, but with Evans manning the point, they have been able to use more of them. Parsons had a solid return to the court last night, and due to his scoring prowess is my pick of the litter if you are value hunting in Memphis. Parsons doesn’t start, so he lacks upside, but at this price he will usually get you what you are asking for.

Ben McLemore ($3,500): McLemore is starting and is one of the best pure shooters on a team that desperately needs one. McLemore put up 26 points in the two games against the Spurs. Statistically, the Cavs are even weaker on the wing. This is the time to roll McLemore out there.

My pick: Covington(SF), McLemore(F); McLemore(SF)

Power Forwards

Best Bet:

Kevin Love ($7,700): Hey, remember when no one wanted to tangle with the Memphis frontcourt? Now they are the worst team in the league when it comes to allowing fantasy points to power forwards. Love has racked up 105.75 DraftKings points in the last two games against weaker fronts in Atlanta and Miami. He looks poised to dominate again.

Honorable Mention:

Dario Saric ($5,400): Saric struggled in the first meeting with Detroit, but he also played just 20 minutes. Saric has played more than 30 minutes in seven of the last ten games and has gone over 5x value in six of those. There is a little bit of risk here, especially if he is in a position where Drummond is on him, but Saric has found his stroke lately. I could see a solid game from him tonight.

Willie Cauley-Stein ($5,200): Cauley-Stein put up a double-double on the Bucks on Wednesday, but still only ended up with 23.5 DraftKings points. That was his lowest total of the last four games. I am considering WCS on a smaller slate, and because he only played 24 minutes because of foul trouble. There is a chance he gets back in the 30’s tonight.

Dark Horses:

Kenneth Faried ($4,800): I keep hoping that somewhere in Mike Malone’s small little mind that he will remember what a force Faried can be when he turns him loose. Faried has 81 DraftKings points over the last three games despite playing just 76 minutes. His value is capped so long as Malone is the coach, but Faried is at least a consistent producer at a low price right now.

Dante Cunningham ($3,300): There is about a 99% chance that the Brow wont play tonight since he couldn’t walk off the court without help last night. Cunningham is not a low-rent dynamo thrust into a starting situation. He is the sixth best scoring option on a five man team. However, he can still hit 6x value if he gets starting minutes, which he should tonight.

My pick: Faried(PF); Love(PF), Faried(F)

Center:

Best Bets:

DeMarcus Cousins ($10,400): Cousins has been an absolute monster with Anthony Davis out this year. Start him in any format tonight. He racked up 66.75 DraftKings points on Portland with a healthy Davis beside him in the first meeting. He could be even better tonight!

Joel Embiid ($9,700): Embiid struggled (for him) to 42.25 DraftKings points against Drummond in the first meeting with Detroit. However, he played just 28 minutes because of foul trouble. If Embiid can stay on the court for the 33 minutes that he has been lately, he will hit value. Even against Drummond. Embiid is a solid option if you are going to be cute and fade Cousins.

Honorable Mention:

Andre Drummond ($8,400): Drummond picked up 44 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Philly, but perhaps his greatest contribution was racking up fouls on Embiid. Drummond is an elite rebounder and has upped his offensive game as well. His floor is among the highest of any in his price range, which makes Drummond very safe with decent upside.

Marc Gasol ($7,900): Gasol is an across the board contributor and the best offensive threat that Memphis has. That makes him worth a look at this price range any time he is not playing a top five defense. The Cavs are decent in the middle with Love picking up the slack, but the loss of Thompson, their best defensive player, still hurts. Gasol can take advantage here.

Dark Horses:

John Henson ($4,800): Don’t get cute and try Thon Maker. He simply doesn’t touch the ball enough right now to be a factor. Henson is the guy you want. Henson has at least 5x value in seven of the last eight games. He was right there against the Kings earlier this week. Henson should get there again, but he lacks upside since he only plays half the game.

Deyonta Davis ($3,200): Davis could be something for those of you that are truly adventurous. Despite playing only 14 minutes last night, Davis picked up 17.5 DraftKings points and outplayed both JaMychal Green and Jarrell Martin. This may or may not lead to more minutes, but if it does against Cleveland, Davis can do some real damage.

My pick: Cousins(C); Cousins(C), Henson(UTIL)

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