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We have six NBA games to break down for tonight, and as of now, there are a bit fewer guys ruled out. With that said, there are still some huge pieces sidelined which is all we need to find a ton of value. Once again, our favorite team is going to be the Sacramento Kings, as they are still way too cheap with De’Aaron Fox in the league’s health and safety protocols. We also really like the Chicago Bulls tonight, who still have a few guys out for a fantastic matchup.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 12/20/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | T. Haliburton | $7,000 | |
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | |||
| Power Forward | D. DeRozan | $9,300 | |
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
Tyrese Haliburton has been a priority in the two games that Fox has sat, and he is a lock again tonight. He has absolutely smashed in both opportunities, going for 47 and 54 FPTS respectively. Haliburton has been seeing massive usage, and he is the primary playmaker for the Kings right now. We expected Haliburton to be at a much uglier price tag given his popularity and production in the last two, but the fact that he is still only $7,000 makes him a no-brainer.
The Chicago Bulls were shut down entirely for a few games as they had too many guys in the league’s health and safety protocols. We saw them return last night, and they do not have a lot of bodies. As a result, their core healthy guys had to take on a ton of run. DeMar DeRozan saw massive usage without Zach Lavine, and he went for over 52 FPTS. DeRozan should take a ton of shots again tonight, and we are betting on them going in against this Houston defense.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 12/19/21 (using DraftKings Values)
Donovan Mitchell has gotten too expensive for us at $9,700, as it takes everything going right for him to hit value here. Mitchell has not hit 50 FPTS once in the past ten games, so it is surprising that he is this expensive. We have a lot of places we want to put our salary tonight, so we are happy to fade a guy like Mitchell.
Now, what do you get if you sign up now for $99?
• A priority guard from the Chicago Bulls.
• A stud from Sacramento who is way too cheap.
• One forward we are looking at for his massive upside.
• A cheap center that has been playing massive minutes.
Point Guard
Alex Caruso – PG ($5,100 DK) With a few key guys out last night we got to watch the Carushow. He put up 11 shot attempts in 38 minutes and ended up going for 33 FPTS. Caruso is too cheap here as we expect he must play massive minutes again tonight. The absence of Lavine is great for his usage, and we know he is always a monster when it comes to defensive stats.
Shooting Guard
Buddy Hield – ($5,800 DK) There is a lot to like again from the Kings tonight, as these guys have hardly been priced up with Fox out. Hield was fantastic last game, as he went for 43.8 FPTS in over 39 minutes. He saw a lot of usage, as the Kings needed his scoring. We expect he plays a similar role if this one stays close, and at this price, he could easily smash again.
Dillon Brooks – ($6,400 DK) Brooks has been doing more in terms of scoring for a while now with Ja Morant out of the mix, so we really like him at this price point. Brooks has gone over 35 FPTS in four straight games, and he went for over 49 FPTS last time out. He is going to get a ton of shots up in this spot, so there is always some great upside he has a good shooting night.
Chimezie Metu – ($4,700 DK) Metu continues to look great for value from Sacramento, as he is playing a nice role in the starting lineup right now. He has played well over 30 minutes in both of his last two games, scoring 38.75, and 25.5 FPTS respectively. Metu should be on the court for most of the game here, and we do not have as many value options as we did last night.
Tristan Thompson – ($4,300 DK) Thompson has played 29 minutes in each of the last two outings, which is no surprise as the Kings are missing all their other big men. Thompson has been solid in the last two, going for 28.25 and 20 FPTS respectively. There is a lot of room for Thompson to be more productive with this much floor time, and he stands out as a budget play.
General strategy
We are hoping that we do not get too many more names ruled out, as it would be a refreshing change of pace to get one slate that is not completely washed by injuries. We still have a ton of absences defining who we like tonight, as the value priorities are going to be all about getting to the Kings without Fox. Keep an eye on the news here, as it is likely we have a lot more value available by lock.
