We only have three NBA games to break down tonight, and a few of the teams really don’t look good with guys coming back from injury. Damian Lillard and James Harden were both out recently, so guys have been priced up from Portland and Brooklyn. We do have some nice value from the Suns and Raptors tonight, who have some guys underpriced with major injuries going on.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 12/14/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | |||
| Shooting Guard | Q. Grimes | $3,800 | |
| Small Forward | S. Barnes | $7,400 | |
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
The New York Knicks were without RJ Barret and Alec Burks last time out, so we saw a massive opportunity for a few guys down the rotation. Barrett will remain sidelined for tomorrow, but Burks is expected to play. This is a very interesting situation, as we know there is some value here, but it will not be as much as last time out. The starting lineup is the key here. Quentin Grimes started last time out and played 40 minutes. He exploded for over 40 FPTS and is still only $3,800 here. We do not expect to see that upside from Grimes again, but he is a great value in this spot if he continues to start.
Most of the top-end studs have ugly price tags tonight, so we love spending up for a cheaper Scottie Barnes. Barnes looks great at $7,400, as he has been doing a lot for the Raptors. This team has a lot of injuries, which has led to some massive usage for Barnes. He has gone over 40 FPTS in two of his past three games, and the Brooklyn Nets are a great matchup. Barnes should be in for around 40 minutes if this stays close, and he is easy to fit in at this price.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 12/13/21 (using DraftKings Values)
It is tough to fade anyone on a slate this small, and if you are playing a lot of lineups, you should get a bit of exposure to all the top-end options. However, one guy who is low on our priority list is Kevin Durant. Durant is too expensive here at $11,600, as he has rarely hits value at this price when James Harden plays. We also expect ownership to be too high on Durant as he went for over 79 FPTS last time, but we knew he would have massive usage with Harden out for that one.
Now, what do you get if you sign up now for $99?
• A superstar option who has to do everything for his team right now.
• A cheap wing who has been crushing lately.
• A cheap center who has been playing good minutes.
• Our strategy for handling potential late news.
Sign up today for $99 (for six months) here
Point Guard
Damian Lillard – PG ($9,700 DK) For most of the season, Lillard has been too expensive for us to mention as a priority play. However, tonight the other superstars are too expensive, and Lillard looks nice at about $2,000 less. The Blazers are also playing without CJ McCollum right now, so we expect Lillard to Take on ridiculous usage here.
Shooting Guard
Gary Trent Jr. ($5,900 DK) Trent was slightly disappointing last time out with 24 FPTS, however, he would have seen a lot more floor time if the Raptors did not blow out the Kings. Trent typically plays closer to 40 minutes if things stay close, where he played 30 last night. He has been showing some upside lately, and his usage is fantastic with OG Anunoby off the floor. The Raptors are too cheap in general here for this matchup, so we like getting to all of their starting five.
Cameron Johnson – ($4,400 DK) There is a lot to like from Phoenix tonight if Devin Booker remains out, starting with Johnson. Johnson has scored 27, 33.5, 22, 27.25, 27, and 33 FPTS in the six outings that Booker has missed time. He is priced for the absolute floor at this tag, and he has crushed value here in five of the six games. Portland is a great matchup, and we are locking in Johnson for value if Booker continues to sit.
Chris Boucher – ($4,800 DK) The price is rising on Boucher, but with only three games and a fantastic matchup we still really like him. Boucher is playing solid run for this Toronto squad right now, as he would have been in for close to 30 minutes if the last one stayed close. Boucher is yet to show his real upside this season, but we know it exists. He could easily play 30 minutes in one of these games and go off for 40 or more FPTS.
JaVale McGee – ($4,200 DK) McGee has crushed in the last few games, which is not a surprise as the Suns have been missing their other centers. DeAndre Ayton and Frank Kaminsky have missed the last two, and we have seen McGee crush. He went for 48.75 FPTS two games ago and 31.25 FPTS last time out. If we find out Ayton is going to remain sidelined here, we love getting back to McGee for value.
General strategy
We have a lot of value that may or may not be available from the Suns tonight, and as Phoenix plays in the late slot, we may not get Booker or Ayton news until after lock. A great strategy for this slate is to get some potential value guys in from Phoenix or Portland, that cost a similar amount to Johnson and McGee. That way if Booker or Ayton are ruled out you can switch to the ideal value play. The other thing we must mention here is that LaMarcus Aldridge, Deandre Bembry, Jevon Carter, and James Johnson were just announced as out for tonight. That opens up quite a bit of minutes in Brooklyn, so guys like Bruce Brown and Nicolas Claxton look nice for value here.
