DraftKings Main NBA picks December 9: Vucevic could be huge again

CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 04: Dwight Howard #12 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after a play against the Orlando Magic during their game at Spectrum Center on December 4, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Main NBA picks December 9: Vucevic could be huge again

There are two early games on Saturday, so we have split DraftKings tournaments. We have to get creative to gain separation in this one with just four teams to choose from. There is all sorts of value here, but we may not even need to roster the players that we want.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Kemba Walker ($8,200): I’m willing to forgive Walker’s subpar night last night. Mostly because he is playing the Lakers. The Lakers have been improving against the point, but they are still 24th in the league in allowing points to the point guard spot. Ben Simmons only had 24 DraftKings points against the Cavs the first time around. I feel better about using Walker and using the cash elsewhere than using Simmons or Westbrook against the best point guard defense in the league.

Dennis Schroder ($7,900): Schroder picked up 46.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Orlando. The Magic allow the second most points to point guards in the entire league. Schroder was in a slump before the game against Orlando on Wednesday, but he broke out of it there. I expect another strong night tonight.

Chris Paul ($7,900): Paul torched a good Jazz defense on Thursday night. He is adapting to a somewhat new role in Houston. Mike D’Antoni has him shooting more threes, and his passing is still elite. Paul missed a triple double by just one rebound against Utah. If he can do that to the Jazz, he seems like a safe play against anyone.

Honorable Mention:

Donovan Mitchell ($7,200): Mitchell racked up 41.5 DraftKings points on Milwaukee the first time around. The rookie continues to impress, taking over the scoring from the Utah perimeter. Mitchell still has his moments of inconsistency, but it’s worth the risk considering what he is capable of.

Eric Bledsoe ($6,100): Bledsoe put up 36 DraftKings points on the Jazz the first time around. Chris Paul abused Utah a couple of days ago, and Bledsoe’s track record says that he can perform against anyone. The mid level is a bit treacherous tonight with the inconsistency of Elfrid Payton and Lonzo Ball. Bledsoe is the strongest play at this level.

Kris Dunn ($5,900): Dunn struggled with Minnesota last year, but the move to Chicago has done him well. He has taken over the starting point guard gig, and now has six straight games of more than 5x value. He went over 6x in all but one of those. This is a great spot to save some money.

Dark Horses:

Alec Burks ($4,900): Rodney Hood is still out, which means Burks still has value. His recent offensive explosion has been a boon for those of us in DFS who have enjoyed the ride. The train is getting crowded, but there is still room as long as Hood is out!

Jarrett Jack ($4,300): Jack is still manning the point for the Knicks, which means he still has some value. The Bulls aren’t great defensively, so the upside is clearly there. Jack picked up a double double against Memphis in his last game, which is fairly impressive in it’s own right. I like Jack as a solid upside punt play.

Tony Parker ($4,000): The Spurs are playing the Suns. That gives everyone on the team value. The point guard position is packed for San Antonio, but Parker is the starter. He has the best shot at value. Parker likely wont get more than 30 DraftKings points, but all he needs is 20 to hit 5x value.

My pick: Dunn(PG); Mitchell(PG), Dunn(G)

PHOENIX, AZ – NOVEMBER 16: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts to a three point shot during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on November 16, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Shooting Guards:

Best Bet:

James Harden ($11,300): McCollum is a good defender, but we all know that Harden has the ability to go off on anyone. That said, I’m not sure that I want to pay the premium for him on a full night like tonight. There are plenty of other options if you are looking to spend this kind of money to anchor your lineup.

C.J. McCollum ($7,000): McCollum has only hit 5x value twice in the last ten games. This looks like a night to spend down at the position. There are no locks for value at the top. Evans is a solid option, but the Thunder are in the top five of the league against point guards. Harden is on here because of his potential against anyone. McCollum is here because he is very consistent, even if he falls a little short of value.

Honorable Mention:

Nicolas Batum ($6,300): Batum is finally starting to come around. The Lakers are not a sound defensive team, so the potential will be there for Batum. However, he lacks real ability to have a huge game so long as he is not the focal point of the offense.

Jonathon Simmons ($5,700): Simmons led the Magic in minutes and in points last night. It seems as though Simmons will do most of the heavy lifting with Fournier out this time around. It was Elfrid Payton the first time, but he is wildly inconsistent. Simmons took the starting job from Ross. Now he appears to be the beneficiary of Fournier being hurt.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,500): Charlotte is just as weak as the Lakers on the perimeter. KCP gets more opportunities here than he did in Detroit. Only Denver has been able to hold him under 5x value in the last ten games. Caldwell-Pope is one of the safer options out there at the position, but with limited upside.

Dark Horses:

Marco Belinelli ($4,100): Relying on bench scorers can be a dangerous proposition, but the upside is clearly there with Belinelli. He is the guy the Hawks turn to when they need instant offense. He can be the one you turn to when you need instant value.

Andre Roberson ($3,800): Roberson is hitting value just about every game now that he is in the starting five. He lacks any significant upside due to all of the other offensive weapons around, but if you want sure value, Roberson will give you that.

Deandre Bembry ($3,700): Bembry is getting pretty good run off of the Hawks bench due to his ability to play a couple of different positions. He has three straight games of 6x value. Bembry looks like a pretty safe play to save some money.

My pick: Simmons(SG); Caldwell-Pope(SG), Simmons(UTIL)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Small Forwards:

Best Bet:

LeBron James ($11,600): LeBron had 58 DraftKings points in his first meeting with the Sixers. He still keeps producing huge numbers across the board. I simply can’t recommend not using him. James has at least 5x value in eight of the last 11 games. He is one of the most sure things going right now.

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,400): Giannis had 50.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Utah. that is a little bit under value, but not enough to really worry about. That said, James is a safer option. The ownership should be lower on Giannis tonight, and his potential is always pretty high.

Honorable Mention:

Brandon Ingram ($6,900): Ingram has been huge for the Lakers so long as he can stay out of foul trouble. He has high potential against a Charlotte team that is pretty poor on the wings. This should be a pretty high scoring game,and Ingram is the best offensive option that the Lakers have.

T.J. Warren ($6,700): Someone has to score with Booker out. That someone is Warren. This is not a good matchup against San Antonio, but Warren is easily the most accomplished scorer on the team outside of Warren. His volume of shots is going to be enormous. I still like the potential here.

Rudy Gay ($5,800): Gay has been playing at a high level lately. Just in time for Kawhi to come back. This could be Gay’s last run as a starter for the foreseeable future, and he should go out with a bang against Phoenix. The Suns bad defensively at every position.

Dark Horses:

Justin Holiday ($5,500): Holiday has hit at least 5x value in six of the last seven games. He is the best scorer that the Bulls have, so Holiday is worth throwing out there at this price against the Knicks. His reasonable price and a good mathcup make him a pretty low risk option.

Joe Ingles ($4,900): Ingles put up 33.75 DraftKings points in the first game against Milwaukee. Ingles consistently puts up far above his value, especially in a good matchup. This is one of those matchups.

Marvin Williams ($4,100): His inconsistency is tough to swallow, but as he showed last night, Williams can do some damage when given the chance. If Frank Kaminsky is out again, I love Williams at this price.

My pick: James(SF), Ingram(G), Ingles(F); Holiday(SF); Warren(F)

DALLAS, TX – NOVEMBER 14: LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at American Airlines Center on November 14, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

LaMarcus Aldridge ($8,400): Aldridge put up 36.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Phoenix. There are all sorts of reasons to stay off of Aldridge tonight, a potential blowout being one of them. The Suns lack punch without Booker, but they will at least act like they can score. There is too much risk for me here. I am likely looking elsewhere.

Carmelo Anthony ($6,600): I was surprised that Melo didn’t pick up the slack with Paul George out on Thursday. George is questionable tonight, and if he is out, Anthony should help against Memphis. The Grizzlies have been weak up front since they let Randolph go. This would seem like the best place to attack Memphis tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Kyle Kuzma ($5,200): Kuzma could eat Charlotte up tonight. They are the second worst team in the league against power forwards. We saw Markkanen take it to them last night. Tonight could be Kuzma’s night.

Greg Monroe ($5,000): If Tyson Chandler is out again, I am all over Monroe. Monroe has at least 30 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. The Suns haven’t quite figured out where Monroe fits in when Chandler is healthy, but Monroe can also play the four if the Suns decide they want to go big against the size of San Antonio with Booker out.

Dark Horses:

Ersan Ilyasova ($4,800): Ilyasova put up 26.75 DraftKings points on the Magic on Wednesday. The Hawks are still strapped for bigs, so Ilyasova should see significant run at a low price once again. This matchup is even better with the news that Aaron Gordon is out. Ilyasova could be a great bargain play tonight.

Marreese Speights ($3,100): Speights hasn’t seen much run so far this year, but he is going to be a hot commodity with Aaron Gordon out. All signs point to Speights starting. While his minutes threshold is unknown, all they have for depth up front behind Vucevic and Speights is Biyombo and Khem Birch, who has only played five NBA minutes this season. This looks like a big workload for Speights here, though it could be Biyombo that has a bigger night.

My pick: Speights(PF); Kuzma(PF)

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 03: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks reacts after a dunk in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Center:

Best Bet:

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,400): Porzingis could dominate the smaller Bulls up front. He was inefficient in his first game back from injury on Wednesday, but the minutes were there. Porzingis is a load to handle for any team, but especially for a Bulls team that plays small most of the time.

Nikola Vucevic ($8,300): Vucevic has 116.75 DraftKings points in just his last two games! One of those was against this same beat up Hawks team. Vucevic was good for 61.5 DraftKings points in that one. I wouldn’t expect that from him, but 6x value is likely his floor.

Honorable Mention:

Dwight Howard ($7,600): Howard was unbelievable against the Bulls last night, putting up numbers like he did in Atlanta many years ago. Howard had 25 points and 20 rebounds with 67.5 DraftKings points. He gets a Lakers team that has also struggled in the middle tonight. While I would temper expectations in the second night of a back to back, both games were in Charlotte, so that lessens the risk a little.

Rudy Gobert ($6,000): Gobert has yet to get his full compliment of minutes yet, but this price is insanely low for his skill set. Milwaukee is awful defending centers. The night that Favors had against them a few games ago is the floor for what Gobert could do tonight. He could be a great bargain, even if he only plays 28 minutes again.

Dark Horses:

Ed Davis ($4,200): It’s tough to look for value in Portland tonight since they will still be tangling with Capela, but $4,200 for a starter at any position is usually a pretty good bargain. Davis is a soldi role player, and was able to put up solid numbers early in the season when Nurkic was out. Davis could be a decent value today, but there is a ton of value at center, and the others don’t have to deal with Capela.

Richaun Holmes ($3,600): Holmes has been playing well lately, even in a timeshare with Amir Johnson. Johnson will start with Embiid resting, but Holmes is going to see significant minutes off the bench. Holmes has outplayed Johnson lately, so I am inclined to go with Holmes in GPP formats. Johnson is more of a cash game play.

My pick: Vucevic(C), Holmes(UTIL); Vucevic(C)

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