NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets – Wednesday, December 26th: A Night on the Towns
Do you play NBA FanDuel cash games? In this article, my goal will be to give you some targets at each position for tonight’s NBA action. In my ever evolving effort to find my writing niche for NBA, I hope you find this informative, and I also hope I can help build your bankroll by helping you build a winning cash lineup.
For the newbies, NBA FanDuel cash games are simply the games in the Fanduel lobby that are 50/50 or close to that to win. These are basically all of the games other than the tournaments, and guaranteed prize pool tournaments (GPP’s). Head-to-Head’s (H2H), 50/50, and double-ups would best summarize cash games.
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
Welcome to the day after Christmas edition of NBA FanDuel Cash Game Targets. I hope you had a wonderful Holiday, and I am sorry if you are back to work. In this almost daily article, I will go over players to target at each position for tonight’s 10-game main slate, starting at 7:00 ET. If you are finding this piece for the first time, here is a quick breakdown of what will happen here.
I will give one target at each of the guard and forward positions, and one center. Following the picks, will be the ever popular “sample lineup” we like to do here at FantasyCPR. All targets in this article will be safe floor, cash games plays.
With NBA DFS, I can’t stress enough how important it is to not just plug-and-play these sample lineups. There is so much info that will drop over the course of the day for NBA, and you never truly know what to expect.
If you want to be a consistent winner for NBA, lock starts at 7PM ET on most week nights. Plan on being ready to tinker those lineups last second, accounting for all of that fabulous NBA news that nobody was expecting five minutes before, or even AFTER lock. It happens all of the time, so if you set your lineup now and forget it, it’s probably not going to work out for you in the long run.
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
PG – Kris Dunn – Chicago Bulls – $7,600
Our first cash game target of the day will come with some stipulations, and some caution. First of all, playing any Bulls in cash games is tough due to their rotations, but Dunn has been playing solid minutes and producing in the absence of Zach LaVine, who has missed the last five games. There is a possibility LaVine could return for this one, and we should know more following this mornings shoot-around.
If LaVine is good to go, I think the shot attempts will at least be cut in half for Dunn, and it will likely limit his FDP production. In the five games without LaVine, Dunn has eclipsed 40 FDP three times, and is averaging close to 37 FDP per game. Fire him up without hesitation should LaVine miss another game, as Dunn will face his former Timberwolves squad, and there is revenge narratives everywhere when these teams meet.
PG – Reggie Jackson – Detroit Pistons – $5,500
Jackson hasn’t been having a great year, but he is still playing solid minutes, and should continue to get solid run with main backup Ish Smith sidelined. A match-up against John Wall and the Wizards could be a good recipe for some extra FDP for Jackson, and this game is shaping up to have quite a few solid floor type targets. While everyone’s attention will be to stack up the late game between the Kings and the Clippers, I will have more Pistons and Wizards in play.
The price is just right where I do not think this will be a popular pick today, but I am always OK with that. In 33 minutes against Minnesota just three games ago, Jackson scored 24 actual points against a weak-defense against the position, and finished with 35.4 FDP. I see similar things with this match-up against Washington tonight, and I really like pairing up Jackson with Blake Griffin for cash games tonight.
***Value Plays: Tim Frazier $4,800 – Darren Collison – $4,500***
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
SG – Victor Oladipo – Indiana Pacers – $8,500
Not a position I usually target high salary guys, but there are a couple of players here today that are just priced too low, starting with Oladipo. Basically any time Dipo is under $9K it’s time to give him a look. It was in this same match-up with the Hawks back in mid-November that Oladipo was injured and subsequently missed 12 games. He has been back for seven games now, and has posted over 50 FDP twice since being back.
The Pacers should be able to have their way the Hawks as eight point road favorites, and if the game is out of hand by the third quarter, this could be a situation where the starters rest for the fourth quarter. This one fact is the only thing making me question this play at all, but again, this price is just too low for a player of this caliber.
SG – Buddy Hield – Sacramento Kings – $6,700
I must have some exposure to this late game, and Hield is another player at the position I feel is a bit underpriced. This Clippers/Kings game will likely have an over/under game total of over 240 by tip-off, as it currently sits at 239 depending on where you look. Both teams kind of spread the minutes out a bit, but one constant for Sacramento as of late has been Hield.
Point guard De’Aaron Fox has been fantastic as well, but his salary is reflecting his play at $8,200. He makes a fine GPP play at that price in my opinion, but Hield at sub-$7K is a perfect cash play. In the last three games, Hield is averaging 36 minutes per game, and has posted no worse than 34.7 FDP which was in the Kings last game. If he gets hot here, this could be a huge game for the young shooter.
***Value Plays: Terrence Ross $4,700 – Alec Burks $4,700***
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
SF – Robert Covington – Minnesota Timberwolves – $6,600
Sticking with the theme of keeping it balanced today, there are a couple of small forward targets that should be able to reach their value here. The Wolves will be in Chicago to face the Bulls, and while all of the focus will be on the revenge narratives all over the place, Covington is still producing and still has value here at just $6,600.
My gut is telling me Chicago keeps this game close, and it appears as though other than Derrick Rose, most Timberwolves are priced a little low. We know the big minutes these starters play, so it is always safe to consider these guys for cash games. While Rose looks more of a GPP play, Covington is looking like a lock here for cash games for me.
SF – Trevor Ariza – Washington Wizards – $6,000
The price is getting up there, but technically we need right around 35 FDP from Ariza at this price to get us where we need to be. Ariza had three fantastic games before finally coming back to Earth in a tough match-up with the Pacers. He only managed 13.8 FDP in that one, and the minutes were down to just 27. Looking at that and seeing he is $6K most people are going to just skim past, but not so fast.
That was the second game of a back-to-back, and let’s not forget that marathon overtime game against the Suns, in which Ariza played 54 minutes in the night before. The fact that he played even 27 the next night is fairly impressive. Ariza won’t contribute much to this offense, but he should be able to grab a few steals and will always play solid defense. I am going to give him a shot at this price, and this will likely be another unpopular pick.
***Value Plays: Kelly Oubre Jr. $4,900 – Mikal Bridges $4,600***
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
PF – Blake Griffin – Detroit Pistons – $9,100
Yes I am going to fade the only stud in cash today in Anthony Davis, who should destroy Dallas, but until I see some value open up I am sticking with Griffin. Blake has been kind of quiet the last couple of games, failing to reach 40 FDP in both, but if Jeff Green starts again over Markieff Morris and is forced to play defense against Griffin for a good chunk of this game, I can see him having a monster game.
I want to stress that as soon as the ability to comfortably move up to AD presents itself, I will figure that out, but for now, the balanced attack with paying up for Oladipo, Hield and Griffin instead of digging for value at shooting guard is a little more favorable at the moment.
PF – Rodions Kurucs – Brooklyn Nets – $4,000
One value play I am all aboard today is the Nets Latvian 2nd round pick Rodions Kurucs. The rookie is getting some run with Allen Crabbe on the shelf, and has been impressive in his last two games while getting the starting nod. Averaging 33 minutes per game in those two starts against Phoenix and Indiana, Kurucs posted FDP’s and 32 and 33.6, respectively. Crabbe could return and slide back into the starting lineup, but even if he does, I doubt Kurucs gets any less run.
The Nets will face the Hornets at home, and as a game with a 220.5 game total, it could go a bit overlooked. My thoughts are that the Hornets for the most part are too expensive for cash games, and I can never seem to get D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie right, so I’ll save those guys for GPP’s. One thing is for sure with this one, if Crabbe misses another game, Kurucs is the perfect value lock.
***Value Plays: Markieff Morris $4,900 – JaMychal Green $4,700***
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18
C – Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves – $9,100
The big KAT is struggling, as he has failed to post a double-double in three straight games. There will some more appealing plays for a few hundred dollars cheaper, but I think Towns ends up the highest scoring center on the slate. In seven career games against the Bulls, Towns is averaging roughly 21 points and 14 assists per game, and he absolutely destroyed them earlier this season.
That first meeting was actually Towns best game of the season, as he posted a massive 68.6 FDP game with 35 points and 23 rebounds. Because of his recent play his priced has dropped to a point where I feel he will be a solid cash play, despite the fact that others to consider also have things in their favor. Regardless, the Wolves need to start winning on the road, and this as good of a spot Towns can have.
***Value Plays: NONE***
***Also Consider: Nikola Vucevic $8,900 – Julius Randle $8,500***
NBA FanDuel: Cash Game Targets: 12/26/18 – Sample Lineup!
The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.”
PG – Reggie Jackson – $5,500
PG – Darren Collison – $4,500
SG – Victor Oladipo – $8,500
SG – Buddy Hield – $6,700
SF – Robert Covington – $6,600
SF – Trevor Ariza – $6,000
PF – Blake Griffin – $9,100
PF – Rodions Kurucs – $4,000
C – Karl-Anthony Towns – $9,100
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