We only have five games tonight, and so far, the injuries for this slate are relatively mild. We still have some huge names out like Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler, but those guys have been out for a while, so their teams have been priced up. We still have a good amount of value tonight, and we like the like of things as that value will not be as easy for people to find. Our free content will focus on a priority from the top and bottom end, as well as one star we are fading here. Our premium content will cover the rest of our favorite plays as well as some potential news we are waiting on.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 12/21/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | L. James | $11,100 | |
| Shooting Guard | M. Beasley | $4,800 | |
| Small Forward | |||
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
The Lakers have played a handful of games recently with Anthony Davis sidelined, which has led to some massive opportunities for LeBron James. James is the most expensive play we have tonight at $11,100, but his production lately is far better than anyone else on the slate. James has gone over 59 FPTS in four of his past six games, and no one else that plays tonight consistently shows that upside. If James has another big night without Davis here, he will likely be a must-have tonight.
One guy we have really liked across the past two slates is Malik Beasley. The Timberwolves are without Anthony Edwards right now, so Beasley is playing a much bigger role. He is playing well over 30 minutes in the starting unit, and he has the kind of usage he was seeing last year. He went for 33 FPTS two games ago, and 25.75 FPTS last game on 30 percent shooting. He is way too cheap at $4,800 for the number of shots he is getting up, so we are very interested here.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 12/19/21 (using DraftKings Values)
We have been getting to Chris Paul a lot lately, as he has had the ball in his hands more with Devin Booker sidelined. However, Paul has been priced up about $1,000 in that span, and Booker is now back. Paul looks a lot worse in terms of upside here, and he is too expensive at this point.
Now, what do you get if you sign up now for $99?
• A budget guard who has been seeing a nice opportunity.
• One cheap option who has been on fire from Miami.
• A star center we really like tonight.
• A key questionable tag we are waiting on.
Point Guard
Jaylen Nowell – PG ($3,300 DK) Nowell usually doesn’t see much floor time, but he has been playing around 19 minutes a night in the games that Edwards has been sidelined. Nowell has been great in the last two games, going for 23.75 and 26.5 FPTS respectively. Nowell should be more expensive given how productive he has been, so he stands out as a cheap budget option.
Shooting Guard
Max Strus – ($4,700 DK) The Heat have been dealing with a ton of injuries lately, and more guys keep being added to the sidelines. Strus has earned an increased role in the gutted rotation, as we have seen him play 34 minutes in each of the last two games. He went for 34.5 FPTS last time out and 45.75 FPTS in the game before that. It is odd Strus is not more expensive here, as if he goes for 35 to 45 FPTS again he will likely be the best play on the slate.
Josh Hart – ($5,700 DK) Hart is one of those guys who is always a better DFS producer than you would expect him to be. He has been especially productive as of late, scoring well over 30 FPTS in five of his last six games. Hart went for 43.75 FPTS last time out, and we know he has that upside. The Pelicans have a nice matchup against Portland tonight, so there is no reason not to like him tonight.
Dorian Finney-Smith – ($5,000 DK) Finney-Smith has been playing a ton of run lately, as the Mavericks are missing a few guys. He has been playing close to 40 minutes in close games, and that is not going to change tonight. He went for 35 FPTS last time out, and that upside will be there with this much floor time. Kristaps Porzingis is also questionable tonight, and Finney-Smith will look even better if he ends up out.
Karl-Antony Towns – ($9,900 DK) Towns has been producing at a higher rate lately, and he stands out after James as the top stud on the slate. With Edwards out, there is a lot of upsides for Towns to take over the game, and we like this matchup against the Mavericks. We have a lot of nice value plays tonight, so we are happy getting to both Towns and James in our lineups.
General strategy
The big piece of news we are waiting on right now is Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavericks are already missing guys, so plays like Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway jr., and Finney-Smith already look good. If we find out Porzingis is also going to be sidelined all three of those guys become massive priorities. Another big name we are waiting on is Derrick Rose as if he remains out the Knicks will likely continue to give Kemba Walker massive run. Good luck tonight and keep an eye out for whatever else breaks.
