Oh DeMarcus Cousins. Why must you torment me so? You are so due for a huge bounce back game, but how can I possibly pay that price? Now I know what Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were feeling 2500 years ago.
In this article, I will be providing you with Daily NBA picks for DraftKings for 12/8/15. The picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays.
Without wasting anymore time, let's get down to it!
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DraftKings DFS Point Guards
Elfrid Payton (at DEN, $6,400)
It’s hard to pass up the usual suspects of Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. However, these three studs all have deceivingly unappealing matchups for cash game plays when compared to their prices. So it makes sense to roster a couple of value picks at the point. You can’t find better value at the position than Payton. He has scored 30.5, 31.25 and 46 total DraftKings fantasy points over his last three. He is in a groove right now and will get the team that gives up the third most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
Patrick Beverley (at BKN, $4,700)
The strongest punt play on the board, Beverley has dropped three straight double digit scoring games while seeing only a minor increase in his price. But he has to be a punt in a tournament. His 1.9 assists per game average is way too low to depend on for fantasy production in cash games. And the Nets play a slow pace that could play against Beverley and his owners. He is just playing so well right now compared to his price that his owners have been given 6x return and he is almost too hot to pass up.
DraftKings DFS Shooting Guards
James Harden (vs NO, $10,600)
Nothing fancy here. Just good ole’ fashioned “take the best player available against the league’s worst defense against said position.” Harden’s numbers are down a bit this season, but he is seeing a higher usage rate - north of 33 percent - from his 2014-15 campaign.
Rodney Hood (vs SAC, $4,900)
The Utah Jazz. Oy. I absolutely despise previewing Jazz matchups. I dislike it even more when I watch the games. They play the league’s slowest pace and you cannot depend on any one player on any given night. Maybe, just maybe, Tuesday night will be different. The Kings and their break neck pace will come to Salt Lake City, leading to some type of offset of Utah’s pace. Sacramento also brings a defense that has allowed the most points to opposing two guards over the last five games. Hood’s three-point shooting is down nearly 100 points from last season, so eventually he should come back up to earth. I’ll take a gamble that it’s Tuesday night.
DraftKings DFS Small Forwards
LeBron James (vs POR, $10,000)
Take your pick and pay up for a small forward. Between King James, Kevin Durant and Paul George, there really may be the smallest difference in DKFP total when Tuesday’s slate is done. KD is looked otherworldly since his return from injury, but has seen a bit (just a bit) of a production dip over his last two. PG13 has been a stud all season stuffing the stat sheet, but has a matchup with the perfect team. That’s why I’m going LBJ. In all formats, the King is just about an automatic play. For the season, he is averaging 48.8 DKFPPG - 50.8 over his last 10 - and he has finished under 41.3 DKP just once this season. Sorry, Al-Farouq Aminu, but your 105 DRating is no match for LBJ’s 26.2/7.8/6.5/1.3/0.6 line.
Gordon Hayward (vs SAC, $7,000)
Don’t look now but Hayward has averaged 23.3 points, 5.3 boards and 4.3 dimes over his last three. Perhaps most convincing to fantasy owners is Hayward’s minutes. He has now played over 35 minutes over his last five games and with the injury to Rudy Gobert, he will need to take continue playing and scoring at that pace. It’s been working so far for the Jazz, so why would it stop against the Kings?
DraftKings DFS Power Forwards
Draymond Green (at IND, $8,100)
As much as I’d like to think DeMarcus Cousins will bounce back and punish the Jazz front court, he is simply too expensive to take a gamble on. I’ll go with the safer pick in Green. The forward known as "The Dancing Bear" to his teammates has been an absolute gold mine of DFS production this season, regardless if he scores in bunches or not. The points, rebounds and blocks have increased since last year, but the big jump for him has been in the assist department. His 7.2 assists per game is a 3.5 per game improvement from last year, making him a legit triple-double threat every time he suits up. I’ll take a triple double at that price.
Derrick Favors (vs SAC, $7,900)
Thaddeus Young (vs HOU, $7,100)
Torn between the two Yellow Jackets, I thought it would be a good idea to feature two of the more prominent power forwards in the league that have come from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Though Favors has more actual upside considering the loss of Gobert in the front court, Young has been an absolute daily fantasy darling. Favors has averaged over 44 DKFPG over his last ten, compared to Young’s 33.7 over that same span. If I had to pick, I’d take the cheaper option for value. But Favors is still a solid pick.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Marc Gasol (vs OKC, $7,300)
The center position is looking pretty rough for the most part on Tuesday. Nikola Vucevic makes for an interesting play against Denver and Dwight Howard is a possibility in Brooklyn. Of course if you go that route, then you get Dwight Howard and all that baggage. I like Gasol in a bounce back game against the Thunder. He has played a massive amount of minutes over the last 15 games which has led to some nice fantasy production, including at least eight boards and two swats in his last four games. The day off on Monday should give him some added stamina for the big matchup against OKC.
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