DraftKings NBA Picks December 20: DeAndre's revenge take 2

Daily Fantasy Basketball: OAKLAND, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Paul George #13 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of their NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on February 6, 2018 in Oakland, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Picks December 20: DeAndre’s revenge take 2

After our massive and quite fun DraftKings NBA slate yesterday, we are left with a two game clunker here tonight. There is only one star and the slate, and he is massively overpriced. Do we have a choice here? Where is the one pick that can separate our lineups? This is going to be an ugly one. Let’s put on our HazMat suit and dive into this crap.

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bet:

Chris Paul ($8,200): Paul is the one who always gets attention once the rest of the girls have been taken home from the bars at 1:30 am. You take what’s left. Well, Paul is what’s left. He probably wont win us this slate, but he wont be losing it for us either. This is a good matchup with Miami, and Paul is good for about 33-37 DraftKings points here. Paul wont hit value, but we can do worse.

Honorable Mention:

Dennis Smith ($5,400): There was no news out of Smith’s camp yesterday, so he has to be considered very questionable here. Considering Smith tried to come back over the weekend and probably shouldn’t have, I would be a bit surprised if Dallas brought him back unless he was fully ready. I would build this morning on the assumption that Smith is out, which means we have some nice Dallas value here.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($5,200): DraftKings was just waiting for SGA to put together another good game so they could jack the price up. At this point we are purely paying for potential. The absence of Williams has actually negatively affected SGA. He has only topped 20 DraftKings points three times in the last nine games. I guess the silver lining is that they were all over 30.

Dark Horses:

J.J. Barea ($4,500): The emergence of Jalen Brunson has taken minutes from Barea, but so long as Smith is out, there is enough to go between both of them. If Smith makes his return, this situation becomes one best avoided. I do like Brunson for the lower price and because he will more than likely play more. That said, Barea has taken more shots. Treat Barea as the higher upside guy and Brunson more as the stable floor.

Patrick Beverley ($4,300): Beverley is finally getting as many or more minutes than Avery Bradley. Too bad LouWill is nearing a return. Williams is officially listed as questionable for this one. If he plays, it probably destroys the value of both Beverley and Bradley, not to mention Williams likely wont be worth is price tag either.

My pick: Beverley(PG); Brunson(PG)

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 Shooting Guards:

Best Bet:

James Harden ($11,600): Wow, how do we fade Harden? Yes, he is $2,400 higher than anyone else, but Harden is putting up ridiculous numbers lately even with Paul on the court. Last night was Harden’s fourth straight game with more than 60 DraftKIngs points. Yes, the price is inflated on the small slate, but Harden is still clearing 5x value. 250 should cash us tonight. Harden could get a third of that by himself! I don’t see a viable fade here. We all have to eat chalk.

Honorable Mention:

Dwyane Wade ($5,900): This isn’t a great matchup for Wade, but we can’t really worry about that here. Dragic is finally getting his knee cleaned out, so he’s going to be out through the first of the year. Johnson is battling migraines. This backcourt is still in flux, and Wade is one of the few that is totally healthy.

Tyler Johnson ($5,100): The Heat aren’t treating Johnson’s migraine as something that threatens his status for this game, so we will just have to take their word for it. Johnson wont start the game, but if he is a full go, there is no reason to think he wont get 30 minutes here. On a night like tonight, 30 minutes of court time at a reasonable price is as good as we can ask for.

Dark Horses:

Eric Gordon ($4,600): The Rockets set an NBA record for most made three pointers in a game last night. Gordon had five of them. This price looks really low here. This team isn’t going to stop shooting whether they hit the shots or not. The Rockets are going to be very popular tonight priced like this, but Gordon is one of those that we shouldn’t avoid.

Avery Bradley ($3,900): Bradley’s line on Monday is exactly why I never play him. Bradley had 0.75 DraftKings points in 30 minutes. 30! One rebound. One turnover. Five fouls. That will keep ownership low, but it also highlights just how low his floor can go.

My pick: Harden(SG), Gordon(G); Gordon(SG), Bradley(G), Harden(UTIL)

DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on December 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bet:

Luka Doncic ($8,400): I like Doncic more if Smith is still out, but honestly, he may be worth the trouble anyway. Doncic is playing at a very high level right now. Would I like to see him do it with Smith in the lineup? Sure. However, we may not have that luxury. I think Dallas knows what they have in Doncic and are trying to see how Smith it going to fit, not the other way around like it was early in the season. Doncic’s chances should still be there.

Honorable Mention:

Josh Richardson ($6,800): I’m not crazy about this matchup for Richardson, or most of the heat for that matter. However, with Dragic out for the near future and Johnson yet to find his stroke again, a lot of the scoring load is going to stay on Richardson’s shoulders. This is going to be a pretty high scoring game here, and even though the matchups aren’t perfect, the pace on this likely makes this the game worth stacking. Don’t worry. Everyone else has the same idea you do.

Danilo Gallinari ($6,600): If you want to attack Dallas, do it on the wings. Gallo put up 35.5 DraftKings points in the first game against Dallas. He has been a strong scorer for the Clippers when healthy. Gallinari’s health problems have been mostly absent this season. It looks like we can safely ride him right now.

Dark Horses:

Wesley Matthews ($4,800): Matthews is a nice piece for Dallas, but he is also becoming more scoring dependent than he used to be. That gives Matthews a healthy amount of risk, but if it’s any consolation, Vegas has this game as being higher scoring than the other. At least we have two close spreads tonight.

Derrick Jones ($4,400): Jones has gone mostly unnoticed in the Miami rotation, but he has at least 23 DraftKings points in five straight games. He is a very good value play tonight. We don’t often find any consistency at this price, and we’re going to need it to cram in Harden with all of the decent mid-level plays.

My pick: Gallinari(SF); Doncic(SF), Gallinari(F)

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 13: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 13, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 99-89. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bet:

Tobias Harris ($7,800): Dallas did a pretty good job on Harris in the first meeting, holding him to 28.75 DraftKings points in 36 minutes. I don’t expect a big game from Harris here like he had against Portland, so I understand a fade here. He is not one of the guys that I absolutely have to have on this slate. That said, he is one of the more solid producers available, and something can be said for that on a garbage slate like this.

Honorable Mention:

Harrison Barnes ($6,000): Barnes is one of those guys that is really consistent, but rarely hits the score you want for the price you pay. Tonight is not one of those nights. Rarely does Barnes find himself in a smash spot, but tonight certainly is. He torched the Clips for 44.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting. Sure, Doncic wasn’t nearly the factor then that he is now, but Barnes should still hit 6x value. If you can find 6x value throughout your lineup on a night like this, you are going to come out with a lot more money than you put in.

Bam Adebayo ($5,000): Bam played well enough with Whiteside out that the Heat have rewarded him with a regular rotation spot. That has taken away from guys like James Johnson who were big last year, and honestly, it kind of muddles up the rotation a little bit for DFS purposes. Bam is getting at least 25 minutes a game though, so he is the one worth playing.

Dark Horses:

Kelly Olynyk ($4,700): The only thing consistent about Olynyk is the minutes. That’s a good thing when mining for value on a two game slate. Look for the guys who have consistent minutes in the rotation and fill out your lineup that way. It wont always work out, but it gives you the best chance to maximize your value.

P.J. Tucker ($3,700): Houston failed to bring Ariza back, so they are comfortable with Tucker manning one of the forward slots. Tucker doens’t always to a lot with his minutes, but he has had games where he really plays well. Tucker matches up pretty well with Miami here, so I expect one of his games in the mid to high 20’s tonight. This is another of my favorite value plays.

My pick: Barnes(PF), Tucker(F); Tucker(PF)

SAN ANTONIO,TX – APRIL 1 : Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets hangs on the rim after a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on April 1 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Centers

Best Bets:

Clint Capela ($8,000): This is a smash spot for Capela. Whiteside isn’t a great defender, and Capela has played exactly 35 minutes in four straight games. He has more than one fantasy point per minute in all of those games, and that includes matchups with Utah and Memphis. He is going to abuse Whiteside here.

DeAndre Jordan ($7,400): Jordan ate the Clippers alive in the first meeting in Dallas. I’m willing to bet that he does the same in his return to L.A. Will Jordan rack up 54.25 DraftKings points again? Maybe not, but who’s going to stop him? 40 seems likely at the very least, which keeps Jordan as one of the best values on this slate.

More from FanSided

Honorable Mention:

Hassan Whiteside ($7,000): Capela has really upped his defense this season, and Whiteside is going to feel the wrath of that. Whiteside is still an elite shot blocker and an excellent rebounder, so I think his floor stays relatively safe, but he has very little upside here, especially since he is essentially splitting minutes with Bam.

Montrezl Harrell ($5,800): Harrell mostly played through his sore shoulder, but it looks a lot better now. Harrell has back to back games of more than 30 DraftKings points, and fortunately for us, the DraftKings price has been slow to follow. It wont be once he drops another 30 here.

Dark Horse:

Marcin Gortat ($3,400): This is a tough sell because none of the Clippers centers did anything against Jordan in the first matchup besides Harrell. Boban only played five minutes. I would think that the Clippers would want to use his size against Jordan, but if Boban doesn’t start, you can’t trust the minutes. You know Harrell is getting good run off the bench, so if Gortat starts and you need a value play, this is your only choice at center. Your best option is likely paying up here.

My pick: Jordan(C), Harrell(UTIL); Jordan(C)

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