NBA DraftKings Lineup 12/23 brought to you by CraftBeerClub.com
Tonight is the first huge NBA slate of the season with 13 games set to tip off. My biggest piece of advice when attacking this slate is don’t play as much of your bankroll as you normally would. There are just too many unknowns in the beginning of an NBA season. How will players adjust to their new team, how will the players already on the team adjust to playing with someone new, and with the NBA Finals barley in our rear-view mirror, how will some of the bubble teams handle their first game of a long season having just played a few months ago.
We don’t have many stats to work with to start the season so I’m not going to use a ton of stats in today’s article, we will rely instead on Vegas.
- Nothing But Net | The Player with the highest ceiling
- Dunk | A second-tier player with the most upside
- Half-court shot | Value play or punt play
- Blocked Shot | Player I’m fading or limiting exposure to
**Main Slate
Guards
Nothing But Net | Luka Doncic (DAL) $10,000 @ PHO
I know, taking the best player in the highest projected game total (237.5) is really going out on a limb, but sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. Kristaps Porzingis will miss the first part of the season, leaving Doncic to pick up some of the slack. $10,000 isn’t high enough. He is by far my favorite play of the slate.
Dunk | Ja Morant (MEM) $8,400 vs. SA
There was a time not too long ago where you’d want to avoid this game at all costs. It would have been a knock-down-drag-out defensive battle. Those days are gone. This game has the third-highest projected total at 231.5. Morant in his last two games against the Spurs has averaged 52 DraftKings points.
Half-Court Shot | Jeff Teague (BOS) $4,000 vs MIL
With Kemba Walker set to miss time, Teague is the one expected to get the start in his place. This game will be lower scoring as both teams play good defense, but at $4,000 for a starting point guard, it’ll be hard to not play him.
Blocked Shot | James Harden (HOU) $10,400 vs. OKC
I want no part of this situation. Harden wants out of Houston in the worst way, and if you saw some of the photos swirling around the internet lately, Harden doesn’t look to be in playing shape — not that he was ever Russell Westbrook-like, but damn, eat a salad once in a while.
Others I Like
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- Bradley Beal $8,500
- Jimmy Butler $7,700
- Jaylen Brown $6,700
Forwards
Nothing But Net | Jayson Tatum (BOS) $9,200 vs. MIL
Tatum struggled in his games last year with the Bucks, however, in the playoffs last season we saw a different player. He took his game to a different level and if we get that player tonight, his $9,200 price point isn’t high enough.
Dunk | Zion Williamson (NO) $7,500 @ TOR
If preseason is any indication, Stan Van Gundy will not be limiting Williamson the way he was last season. He played 33 minutes in a meaningless final preseason game. As a Pels fan, this is a bit of a homer pick, but we played the “what if” game all last season with Zion, hopefully we get to see it this year.
Half-Court Shot | Josh Richardson (DAL) $5,300 @ PHO
With Kritaps Porzingis out, the Mavs are going to need to find someone to pick up the scoring, and that someone could be Richardson. At $5,300 in the game with the highest game total, he is a worthy value play.
Blocked Shot | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) $10,200 @ BOS
Say what?? Okay, hear me out. It’s a 13-game slate. You don’t need to pay up for the Greek Freak. Sure, if you’re playing 150 lineups, you are definitely getting him into your builds, but if you are playing only a few lineups, fading him isn’t a bad idea.
Others I Like
- Micheal Porter Jr. $6,500
- Rober Covington $6,100
- Carmelo Anthony $5,400
Centers
Nothing But Net | Karl Anthony Towns (MIN) $9,700 vs. DET
Andre Drummond is in Cleveland now (something I had forgotten before doing this article) and looking at the Pistons roster, they have no one that will be able to matchup up with KAT. Some combination of Mason Plumlee, Jerami Grant, and Jahlil Okafor I’m guessing.
Dunk | Andre Drummond (CLE) $8,000 vs. CHA
Speaking of Mr. Drummond. Injuries limited him last season in Cleveland and brought his salary down into the 7k range at one point. This is a guy we were paying around $10k for last February. Give me all the Drummond against a Charlotte team he averaged 48 DraftKings points against last season.
Half-Court Shot | Christian Wood (HOU) $6,300 vs OKC
It’s yet to be seen how the DeMarcus Cousins/Christian Wood minute division will go, but I would assume that, at least early on, the Rockets will limit Boogie to some degree with his injury history. That should give Wood an early season showcase.
Blocked Shot | Jusuf Nurkic (POR) $7,000 UTA
Rudy Gobert is the best on-the-ball defensive center in the game. I’m not going to risk it in this game in what should be a slower pace than what the Blazers want to play at.
Others I Like
- 1. Deandre Ayton $7,300
- 2. Rudy Gobert $6,800
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