DraftKings NBA Picks December 14: Which star is worth the money?

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 26: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena on November 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Picks December 14: Which star is worth the money? Are any of them?

We are back up do nine games for our DraftKings NBA slate tonight. There are stars. There are are scrubs. What stands out the most is the strength of the middle tier. There are a lot of bad matchups at the top, so should we eat the bad matchup or move down?

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

Russell Westbrook ($10,800): Do we realize how spoiled we are? Russ “only” got 47 DraftKings points on Wednesday, and people have been griping about it since. Russ filled the page, but only hit double digits in points. That probably wont be the case against Denver. Westbrook got 51.5 DraftKings points against them the first time. Maybe he gets more tonight. Maybe not. At any rate, this is a pretty safe pick if you want to pay up.

John Wall ($9,500): Wall feasted on Wednesday, so it appears his heel is fine. The Nets have allowed the most fantasy points to point guards this season, but only allowed 83 to Wall over the first two games combined. That would leave him a little under value tonight, but after seeing what he did against Boston on Wednesday, the only thing that slows him down here is a blowout.

Kemba Walker ($9,200): The Hornets played the Knicks on Sunday. Walker went for 50.5 DraftKings points in that one in just 31 minutes. He then proceeded to thrash Detroit on Wednesday for 60 DraftKings points. It looks wise to pay down for Kemba here. We know how streaky he can be. Walker sure seems to be on a hot streak right now.

Honorable Mention:

Mike Conley ($8,100): This is a solid matchup for Conley so long as his hamstring is okay. Given that he has been upgraded to probable, Conley should be good to go. However, I’m more interested in the status of Kawhi. If he is out again, I’m definitely using Lowry at just $100 more. If Kawhi plays, Conley is a much better pick.

Eric Bledsoe ($7,600): Bledsoe went for 45.5 DraftKings points just four days ago. In the game since then, he put up 42.25 DraftKings points. This looks like a safe spot for Bledsoe after an early December cold spell. We could be looking at 6x value here, which we will need. With larger NBA slates this year, rarely does anything under 300 cash.

Dark Horses:

Spencer Dinwiddie ($6,500): The Nets just extended Dinwiddie after his big time performance against Philly on Wednesday. He is also a capable scorer, but is fine just distributing if Russell’s shot is off. I would say that Dinwiddie get more shots within the flow off the offense, so I prefer to choose the higher floor here. As we saw on Wednesday, there is still clear upside with Dinwiddie as well.

Malcolm Brogdon ($5,600): Brogdon’s horrid game against the Pacers on Wednesday was his worst outing since the first two weeks of the season. Up until that point, Brogdon had been at at least 5x value for nearly a month. He put up 30.75 against Cleveland on Monday before the Pacers disaster. Expect a nice bounce back game from Brogdon here.

Monte Morris ($4,000): Morris has been picking up a lot of the slack off the bench as well. With the Nuggets thin at guard, Morris is seeing a little more run than usual. He was doing pretty well with the minutes he was already getting. Now Morris has 71 DraftKings points over the last two games. With Murray back it will hurt his production a little, but not much. Morris only needs 20 DraftKings points for 5x value, a mark he has hit in eight of the last nine games. He has topped 6x in five of those.

My pick: Bledsoe(PG); Walker(PG), Dinwiddie(G)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 07: D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles against the Toronto Raptors during their game at the Barclays Center on December 07, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

D’Angelo Russell ($7,300): From here on out, Russell will be known as the dart. He is a perfect dart throw in GPP formats because he shoots so much. Of course, if he is cold from the floor you aren’t going to get much out of him. This is a good matchup on paper against Washington, but Russell only has 60.75 DraftKings points in 54 minutes in the two games against the Wizards. The Nets haven’t been rolling him out there for big minutes recently, so that does limit his upside. On a larger slate we can likely do better, but this price is pretty tempting.

Jamal Murray ($6,900): Barton and Harris are both out again, so the Nuggets are going to lean heavily on Murray’s scoring ability here. He picked up the slack in two of the three games, but as with a lot of guards, Murray is pretty scoring dependent. However, with Murray being the only proven scorer in the backcourt, you can’t ignore the big upside here tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Klay Thompson ($6,200): Thompson hasn’t torched the Kings recently as bad as he used to, but he still put up 38 DraftKings points in the first meeting. On a team this loaded with star power, Thompson often goes overlooked. Most nights there is good reason for that. However, Thompson has proven over and over again that you can’t ignore him against the Kings. I like Klay a lot at this price.

Buddy Hield ($5,800): Hield put up some big numbers against the Warriors earlier this season. He actually outdid Klay in that game. Hield racked up 44.25 DraftKings points in that matchup. Of course, Bogdan was cold in that game, and that’s not something we want to base our lineup on. However, Hield is still getting first crack at the minutes. If he comes out hot again, Bogdan is going to have trouble knocking him out of the lineup.

Dennis Schroder ($5,600): Schroder dropped another 30+ DraftKings points on Wednesday for the third straight game. DraftKings still hasn’t really adjusted the price, so I’m going to have several shares of Schroder once again. He is hitting 5x value with ease lately, and has topped 6x in two of those three games. He put up 28.5 DraftKings points in the first game against Denver, so the matchup is right as well..

Dark Horses:

Joe Harris ($4,300): This is usually a space reserved for Allen Crabbe, especially since he had a huge game on Wednesday. However, Crabbe on a sore knee with a full backcourt isn’t really something I want to mess around with. If Crabbe plays, I don’t want him or Harris. If Crabbe is out, Joe Harris is one of my favorite value plays on the slate.

Furkan Korkmaz ($3,800): Keep an eye on the status of Jimmy Butler. If Butler is out again, it’s going to be a great Furkan night! Furkan Korkmaz, that is. Korkmaz has 68.5 DraftKings points over the last two games starting for Butler. T.J. McConnell could be in play too, but seeing how well Korkmaz has played along with the first unit, I’m leaning towards the guaranteed minutes here.

David Nwaba ($3,500): Nwaba played just ten minutes in his return to the court on Wednesday, but he racked up 12.25 DraftKings points in that time. It’s likely that Nwaba will be on some sort of restriction again. If it comes out that he’s going to play 20-25 minutes, I can see a clear path to value here. Otherwise, it’s probably best left alone.

My pick: Thompson(SG), Schroder(G), Korkmaz(UTIL); Thompson(SG)

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 17: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots a free throw during the second half of the NBA season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on October 17, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

Kawhi Leonard ($9,300): This is a really nice matchup for Kawhi if he is able to take the court. Many thought that his injury during the week was nothing and that the Raptors were just holding him out on Tuesday to play Wednesday. It turns out that Kawhi is actually hurt. If he plays, keep an eye on any restrictions before locking him in. Kawhi wont hit value in 28 minutes, but he could in 32-35 minutes. At any rate, he’s still a better play than Giannis and KD tonight.

Paul George ($9,100): George racked up 54.75 DraftKings points in the first game with Denver. The only thing that really worries me here is how shorthanded the Nuggets are. If they can’t keep up, the Thunder will likely rest their starters for most if not all of the fourth quarter. George is a little less of a risk than Russ, but not a lot.

Honorable Mention:

Thaddeus Young ($5,700): Oladipo is back, but I would expect him to be a little rusty. That means Young could still be a sizeable part of the offense for one more game at least. With Oladipo’s return, I do like this play a little less, but Philly isn’t strong up front. There is still solid potential for Thad here since he doesn’t have to deal with Covington this time around.

Jeremy Lamb ($5,600): Lamb put up 27.75 draftKings points against the Knicks last weekend. You can never count on the Knicks rotations, but if anything, that could mean more opportunities for Lamb, not less. Lamb looks to be a strong play at this price, but I also see him as more of a cash game staple than GPP cog.

Dark Horses:

Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,200): Tonight it does matter which Bogdanovic you click on. Bogdan and the Kings have a tough matchup with the Warriors. Bojan and the Pacers have it much easier with Philly, regardless of if Butler returns or not. I don’t know if Bojan’s upside is high enough to really chase him in a GPP. He is a strong piece of a cash lineup, but for GPP formats, he’s really only in play if you have $5,200 left and don’t know what to do with it.

Kevin Knox ($4,800): Are the Knicks finally going to do the right thing here? Knox dominated this same Charlotte team for 50.25 DraftKings points on Sunday. The Knicks did the right thing and started him against Cleveland. Knox responded with another strong game with 34.25 DraftKings points. Want a fool proof value pick? This definitely seems to be it. That said……he plays for the Knicks. Who knows what will happen.

Jeff Green ($4,300): We need to keep an eye on the status of Otto Porter here. If Porter is out, Green is a must play. If Porter is in, Green doesn’t get enough minutes to go well above value. He started for Porter on Wednesday and put up a healthy 44 DraftKings points. If Green starts, start him!

My pick: Leonard(SF), Knox(F); Knox(SF)

CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 5: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors jokes with fans from the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 129-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bets:

John Collins ($7,200): I will tell you that I’m not crazy about this matchup for Collins, but how can we fade him right now? His price is down $600, but he has at least 43 DraftKings points in four straight and over 37 in five straight. With Boston being without Horford, this matchup may not be as bad as the numbers suggest. I do like Collins at this price.

Draymond Green ($6,800): The Kings have been pushed around on the inside lately. Even though Green isn’t much of an offensive player, he will still be pushing everyone out of the way for rebounds. With the way the Kings have been pushing the tempo, this could be a really high scoring game. This is one of those games where Draymond could flirt with a triple double.

Honorable Mention:

Marcus Morris ($6,500): Morris has racked up 85.25 DraftKings points over the last two games with injuries ravaging Boston. Baynes is back, but Al Horford has already been ruled out. That should leave Morris starting his third straight game with a superb matchup against the Hawks. Keep an eye on this to make sure that Morris is starting as he should. If he is, I would say Morris is pretty much a lock for his third straight game of more than 40 DraftKings points.

Domantas Sabonis ($6,500): Sabonis finally seems to be getting back on track, posting a double double in just 24 minutes against Milwaukee. Sabonis still isn’t going to play a ton of minutes, but Philly has also been abused on the inside. In the first meeting Sabonis went for 37.25 on the Sixers in 31 minutes. Even if he only plays 25 minutes again, he will hit value.

Noah Vonleh ($5,400): Charlotte is pretty weak on the interior. Vonleh put up 28.5 DraftKings points on them in 29 minutes in the first meeting. Vonleh should get solid minutes here as well. With the Knicks you never really know, but Vonleh has been over 30 minutes in six of the last ten games.

Dark Horses:

Marvin Williams ($4,900): Williams seems to be back after a sore shoulder slowed him down. He now has 86.75 DraftKings points over the last three games. Williams probably wont win you a GPP, but he likely wont lose one for you either. If you look at winning lineups, there always seems to be a guy like Williams in there somewhere.

Juancho Hernangomez ($4,700): Denver is still really beat up, so Juancho is going to play more than 35 minutes again. Memphis was never a good matchup for him, or any of his teammates for that matter. It wont be easy against the Thunder, but it will be easier. I see Juancho hitting 5x value tonight.

Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,500): Aminu scored in double digits yet again on Wednesday, but they kept him off the boards. I don’t think Toronto will be able to do either of the above. This could be a really nice game for Aminu. He should have no trouble hitting value tonight.

My pick: Morris(PF); N/A

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 10: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers and Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards get in each other’s faces in the third period of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 10, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. *NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.* (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Center

Best Bets:

Marc Gasol ($7,800): You are going to think I’m crazy by the end of this. I wasn’t on Embiid on Wednesday either and he was a beast. The Pacers held Embiid to 43 DraftKings points in the first meeting. I just thought Drummond’s numbers were better on Wednesday. I wasn’t completely off of Embiid. I am here. Jokic is also tough to fade with the run he is on, but Adams has handled him every time he’s faced him. That leaves Gasol against the newly returned Whiteside, who is mostly allergic to defense. There are a dozen reasons to pay down at center tonight.

Myles Turner ($7,400): Turner was a complete bust against the Sixers in the first meeting. This has been a thing throughout his career. Turner sometimes does absolutely nothing in a matchup in which he should smash. On paper, he should be able to take it to Embiid. Can he actually follow through with that tonight?

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Honorable Mention:

Serge Ibaka ($6,300): Ibaka has three straight games of more than 43 DraftKings points. Portland, more specifically Nurkic, is getting better on the interior but with the way Ibaka is rolling, we can’t completely ignore him right now.

Larry Nance ($6,200): As much as the Cavs act like they don’t want to play Nance at center, they may not have a choice. The Bucks have been weak on the interior yet again. Nance himself put up 30.5 DraftKings points in just 25 minutes against Milwaukee on Monday. He produced a great all around game in 33 minutes on Wednesday. There’s a ton of upside on Nance here.

Dark Horses:

Jarrett Allen ($5,600): If Washington had an actual center, I would go after Allen here. Markieff could play center, but to me there is still risk there. It seems more prudent to go after Washington here. Especially since Allen is a touch cheaper.

Cody Zeller ($4,900): Zeller has quietly put together a nice run lately against weaker interiors. He was even able to top 20 DraftKings points against Denver. This is a good enough matchup for Zeller here if you need value at center.

Mitchell Robinson ($3,400): This is a tough one because of the inconsistent minutes for Robinson. I could get on board with throwing Robinson out there as a punt against a weak Charlotte front. It is very hard to trust any Knick rotations though. If you don’t trust Robinson, Thomas Bryant is the same price with about the same minutes. And…..HE’S PLAYING THE NETS!

My pick: Nance(C); Turner(C), Ibaka(PF), Nance(F), Bryant(UTIL)

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