DraftKings NBA picks December 31: Sweet VanVleet

4 of 8

Damion Lee #1 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to play(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

Fred VanVleet ($8,400): VanVleet continues to produce almost at the level of Lowry. This has turned into a guard-centric team with all of the injuries up front, and will remain so against a Cleveland team that is tougher up front. This is another good matchup for the Raptors, so expect another strong outing from their guard tandem.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($7,000): This is a tough sell because Dallas is tough on guards, but SGA was a beast against an equally tough Toronto team with Schroder out on Sunday. If Schroder is out again, SGA is in play no matter what he costs or who he plays. The upside is enormous, but I’m worried about the floor if Schroder is back.

Honorable Mention:

Damion Lee ($6,200): Lee is stupid cheap, as in it’s stupid that he’s this cheap. Lee has 127.25 DraftKings points over the last three games, and those were with Russell healthy. Not only has Lee shown his chops as a capable scorer, but he’s a superb rebounder from the perimeter. He’s the high-energy player that the Warriors need since Draymond doesn’t seem to have it every game this year.

Alec Burks ($5,300): Burks should take over the role of outside scorer with Russell missing this game. We saw Burks put up some pretty big games when Russell was sidelined earlier this year. That may not happen against the Spurs, but I still think Burks flirts with 6x value tonight.

Dark Horses:

Eric Gordon ($4,700): Gordon put up 28.25 DraftKings points in 22 minutes in his first game in nearly 50 days on Sunday. Gordon may not see many more minutes than that, but he wont need to. He is an elite scorer in short bursts, which is part of what makes him invaluable to a team like the Rockets. It doesn’t hurt for DFS purposes either.

Patrick McCaw ($4,200): The Raptors have run McCaw ragged lately. He has played 112 minutes in the last three games and has gone well over 5x value in the last two. Apparently the Raptors like what he’s bringing to the table now. As long as McCaw remains in the starting lineup, he looks like a safe pick with ample upside.