Fantasy Basketball: NBA Draftkings Top Salary Value Plays – Year End

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my “Top Salary Value” plays for NBA Draftkings! We took the week off due to the Holidays and I hope everyone had a good one. But now I’m back, looking to help you cash out in all of your daily contests! Remember, we are looking for the best value plays that will give us more points for the bucks. So lets get to diving into this Monday slate with some research! Good luck and end the year right with cashing out!

NBA Draftkings – The Breakdown

So as usually, with any NBA Draftkings slate, we’re going to look at a players stats, usage rate, previous game stats, the opposing teams defensive stats versus the players position, and their salary. A big part of daily fantasy sports is a players salary. We build our lineups around key players and if they are players like Lebron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook ,or Giannis Antetokounmpo then they come along with a hefty price tag. We need a player to hit at least five times their value with their salary to make it “worth it” in a sense but what we really want and need is for it to be around six or possibly even seven times their value. For example, the other night Russell Westbrook was priced at $10,900 versus the New Orleans Pelicans so we needed him to hit 54.50 fantasy points to return five times his value. Sadly, he did not. This is why we’re switching up the article format and trying to dig even deeper with our NBA Slates.

Now we might not always have multiple players (minimum two) discussed at every position on every article because the NBA has the weirdest schedule this season.

Lets not waste any more time and kick off the research for this 5 game NBA Draftkings Slate. As always though, I will be sticking with Draftkings as I rarely play on Fanduel anymore. Good luck and lets cash out! Also don’t forget to participate in the Free Roll on FantasyDraft which FantasyCPR host daily!

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Steph Curry vs. Phoenix Suns

Salary: $9,600 – Needs to score 48 fantasy points or more to exceed value

With a small NBA Draftkings slate, Steph Curry comes in at a reasonable price with Russell Westbrook and James Harden being more expensive then him. He has exceeded value in 3 of his past 5 games, scoring 41.3, 57.5, 27.5, 53.3, and 49.3 fantasy points. But the Warriors haven’t been looking like the Warriors at all this season. They have became one big dysfunctional family basically. But they get to face the G-League Phoenix Suns tonight and do we really expect Steph Curry or any of the other Warriors to not show up to play. Curry is averaging 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assist per game while averaging around 35 minutes per game. On the defensive end of things, Suns are allowing point guards to average 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assist per game, giving up for a double double tonight for Steph Curry. The last time Steph Curry faced the Phoenix Suns, he scored 29 points, 8 assist, and 4 rebounds. We should see a repeat of this performance easily tonight and even better as the Warriors need to bounce back and get back to their dominating ways.

Other Valuable Option

Dennis Schroder vs. Dallas Mavericks

Salary: $5,400 – Needs to score 27 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Look, Dennis Schroder is and has been playing above his value and on a team with Russell Westbrook as the leader, that is a great sign. The Oklahoma City Thunder get to face the Dallas Mavericks, a team that Schroder has a nice history against in his career. In 10 games, Schroder has averaged 18 points, 4 assist and 3 rebounds against them. In their November match-up, Schroder dropped 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assist. Easily returning his value. In his previous five games, he has scored 21.8, 15.8, 14.8, 28.8, and 37.5 fantasy points He had a small streak of not even breaking value but has turned it around in the past two games. Dallas does defend the point guard position decently and allows them to average 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assist per game. We should see Schroder get the minutes and do what he usual does off the bench tonight versus the Dallas Mavericks.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Luka Doncic vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Salary: $8,100 – Needs to score 40.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Now there is only one true top option at shooting guard tonight but it will hinder your abilities to build a good lineup if you use James Harden. The man is priced at $11,400 and he would need close to 60 fantasy points just to even hit value tonight. So lets step it back a couple notches and go with Luka Doncic, a rookie who can return value. In his past five games, Doncic has scored 52, 34.8, 47.8, 50.3, and 42.5 fantasy points. He is averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assist per game while playing around 32 minutes per game. Now, he doesn’t have a good sample size versus the Thunder but when he did face them in November, he recorded 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assist against them. With such a small slate, this could be another prime, low-owned player.

Other Valuable Option

Andrew Wiggins vs. New Orleans Pelican

Salary: $5,900 – Needs to score 29.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

I dislike everything about Andrew Wiggins on just about every single night of a slate. Wiggins is averaging 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assist on the season, which hasn’t had a big difference since Jimmy Butler departed for the Philadelphia 76ers. But tonight, he has a pretty good match-up versus the New Orleans Pelicans who allow shooting guards to average 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assist per game. In 16 games, Wiggins has averaged 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assist versus the Pelicans. In November, when facing the Pelicans, Wiggins had 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assist against them. Wiggins has returned his value though three times in his past five games, scoring 32.5, 21.5, 44, 19.8, and 33 fantasy points. He always has the potential, but it’s Andrew Wiggins, we don’t expect it to happen when we expect it.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier 

Kevin Durant vs. Phoenix Suns

Salary: $9,700 – Need to score 48.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

We have a pretty good set of small forwards on tonights NBA Draftkings slate but Kevin Durant tops it all, especially at the price of $9,700. With the Phoenix Suns slacking against small forwards pretty bad, allowing them to average 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assist per game. Durant has faced the Phoenix Suns 37 times already, he averages 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assist against them, nearing the double double average. But on the season, Kevin Durant is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assist. In his previous five games, Durant has scored 58.5, 68, 43.3, 63.5, and 36 fantasy points. In the last match-up in October, Durant didn’t put up the best performance but he only played 26 minutes where he scored 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assist but the game was a blowout. As long as Phoenix doesn’t play like the G-League team that they look like and if Devin Booker plays, expect Kevin Durant to play more then 30 minutes and put up better numbers against them.

Other Valuable Option

Robert Covington vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Salary: $6,500 – Need to score 32.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

The New Orleans Pelicans slack against the small forward position pretty bad so that makes Robert Covington another valuable option plus he is a huge salary relief. He doesn’t need have a huge value return, just 32.5 fantasy points which he has only surpassed twice in his past five games. He scored 37.8, 29.3, 25.8, 51.8, and 27.5 fantasy points in those games. Covington is averaging 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. Nothing too impressive and in his small sample size versus the Pelicans, he only averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assist versus them. When they played in November, Covington recorded 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assist. We need a similar but slightly better performance tonight though for him to exceed value. Here’s to hoping he returns and exceeds the value and helps in building a top line for a take-down.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Julius Randle vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Salary: $7,900 – Needs to score 39.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

With Nikola Mirotic out, it just leaves Julius Randle along side Anthony Davis for tonight’s match-up versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that Randle dominates. In 12 games, Randle is almost averaging a double double against the Timberwolves with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assist. While on the season, he’s almost averaging a double double also with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assist. This just screams a top play with Julius Randle. In his last five games, Randle has scored 34.5, 30.3, 34.5, 41, and 48.8 fantasy points. Randle will see his minutes increase and usage with Mirotic out, especially against a team that is allowing power forwards to average 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assist. Lock him in as a top play, especially with his price tag.

Other Valuable Option

Jayson Tatum vs. San Antonio Spurs

Salary: $6,000 – Needs to score 30 fantasy points or more to exceed value

The San Antonio Spurs have been a surprisingly decent, and sometimes awful, team this season. Jayson Tatum The Spurs are allowing power forwards to average 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assist giving Jayson Tatum a pretty good match-up tonight, especially at his price tag. In his two games against the San Antonio Spurs, Tatum is averaging a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. In his previous five games, Tatum has scored 35.8, 24, 46.5, 12.3, and 34 fantasy points, hitting value in three of those five games. Averaging 31 minutes per game, Tatum is averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. The Celtics do rely heavily on Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, but Tatum gets his opportunities and when he does, he can easily exceed his value, especially at the low point total of 30 fantasy points.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Deandre Ayton vs. Golden State Warriors

Salary: $7,300 – Needs to score 36.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Averaging a double double in his rookie season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, Deandre Ayton gets to face the Golden State Warriors who he dominated in their first match-up. The Suns are the G-League team of the NBA but Ayton was able to drop 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assist against the Warriors once this season. We should be able to see a similar performance from the rookie.

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The Warriors are still without DeMarcus Cousins and are rotating between Kevin Looney and Jonas Jerkbo. They are allowing centers to average 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assist this season. Ayton has also been on a dominate streak, scoring 52.8, 60.5, 32, 34.8, and 61.5 fantasy points in his last five games. It’s hard to pass him up, especially with his price tag and this match-up against the Golden State Warriors.

Other Valuable Option

Karl Anthony-Towns vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Salary: $9,300 – Needs to score 46.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Now you would think Karl Anthony-Towns is the top option at center, going against the New Orleans Pelicans but he’s only in play if you have the salary to afford him. Averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assist on the season, KAT also puts up good numbers against the Pelicans. In 12 games, he has averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assist against them. In his last match-up against them in November, he was able to put up 25 points and 16 rebounds, giving the argument to even build a lineup strictly around him.

He has had back to back dominate games with 70.3 and 86.5 fantasy points, almost breaking the 9 and 10 times his salary value. But the Pelicans do have a pretty good big man line to go against with Anthony Davis and Julius Randle tonight but we can also expect Anthony Davis to be going to the locker room once or twice, making this match-up even better. So with small forwards being at a pretty good depth, the centers position is up there also but I would look to sticking with Deandre Ayton and Karl Anthony-Towns as both have had good numbers once this season already with the teams they are facing.

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