Christopher Day 
Another weekend where a Win Daily subscriber won a whopping $18,000 on $180 of entries so you know we have to bring the heat for Mojito Monday’s edition of the NBA Gems!
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in these price ranges and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like in this range, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Point Guards
Luka Doncic ($11,200 / $11,000 DK)
A priority for my main NBA slate lineups, Doncic is finally settling into his standard form that we have become accustomed to. Nearing a ridiculous SIX triple-doubles in a row, where he has four and the other two coming a rebound and an assist short, respectively, Doncic may be tasked with leading a shorthanded Mavericks squad tonight on the second half of a back-to-back. With a 37.5% usage rate on the year, he’s now averaging 28.3/10.2/9.4 and 1.64 FPPM.
Steph Curry ($9,800 FD / $9,800 DK)
The game drawing the least attention at the time of writing is a Curry/LeBron duel? You have my interest. Slated to be the last game on the NBA slate barring any disastrous news, we have Curry taking on LeBron in what has been one of the league’s most storied rivalries in the past decade, as LeBron’s former Cavs faced the Warriors in so many Finals that we lose count.
Jrue Holiday ($7,600 FD / $7,200 DK)
If you’re not playing a certain Bucks star in this game, well, first of all, make sure you do. But if not, you need to consider running one of, if not both Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. In a game with virtually no defense from the opposition, Milwaukee’s star-studded starting 5 will be in great hands throughout their time on the court today and having exposure in some shape or form will be key. Despite only having a 19.1% usage rate on the season, Jrue will be key for the Bucks tonight, playing 33+ minutes and leading their offense in transition, where he is currently averaging 2.2 steals per game.
Others to Consider:
- Kyle Lowry ($7,400 FD / $7,700 DK)
- Dennis Schroder ($6,000 FD / $6,400 DK)
Shooting Guards
James Harden ($10,300 FD / $10,800 DK)
Safe to say it was a successful debut for the newly acquired Brooklyn Net. Coming off a 32/12/14 triple-double, Harden needed only 18 shots to drop 32 thanks to his 15 free throw attempts. If he can continuously attack the basket acting as the primary ball-handler, he’ll be a great asset in Brooklyn, as expected, but temper expectations should Kyrie Irving come back for this one.
Zach Lavine ($9,300 FD / $9,500 DK)
“Isn’t he overpriced?” Maybe – but that is exactly what makes him so intriguing on this NBA slate. If I told you Zach Lavine was the sixth-highest scorer in the league, you’d probably be surprised – and rightfully so – but he is. Averaging 26.9 PPG, Lavine is scoring at a higher clip than the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James, just to name a few. In a game where two of the league’s fastest teams and most defensively challenged meet up, he’s definitely on my radar tonight.
Victor Oladipo ($7,500 FD / $7,500 DK)
On the flipside of the same Houston-Chicago game, Victor Oladipo is making his Houston Rockets debut after being traded for Caris LeVert. Now this can go one of two ways – the Rockets barely use him as they are knowingly shopping him around to accumulate further assets, or they let him show off and drive his trade value up. It would be beneficial to both parties for the latter and that is truly what I’m rolling with here. Sporting a 26.7% usage rate out of Indiana with the likes of Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon on the offense end, Oladipo will be the catalyst for Houston for as long as he is in town.
Others to Consider:
- Fred VanVleet ($8,000 FD / $7,900 DK)
Small Forwards
Kevin Durant ($10,500 FD / $10,100 DK)
He takes a back seat to Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo on my list of priorities for this NBA slate, but make no mistake, Kevin Durant is in play on a nightly basis. Averaging over 30 PPG at 30.7 thus far this season, Durant’s 32% usage rate has also led to contributions on the glass and passing the ball to the tune of 6.9 RPG and 5.7 APG. Tread carefully if Kyrie is back in the lineup, similarly to the approach we are taking with James Harden.
LeBron James ($9,500 FD / $9,700 DK)
As I mentioned in the Curry blurb, LeBron and Steph love to do battle. In the past decade, they have fought for NBA supremacy on Christmas Day games, multiple NBA titles, and individual awards. With an increasing 32% usage rate, LeBron is starting to pick up steam and this is a scary sight for the Warriors tonight, who struggle to guard primary ball-handlers.
OG Anunoby ($5,800 FD / $6,000 DK)
I’ve been trying to get people to take advantage of OG’s play as of late before his price increased, and well, we are now at that point where he is not overly priced but not a great value either. With the Raptors going smaller on a nightly basis due to their struggles in the paint with the Baynes/Len combo at the ‘5’, OG, Siakam, and Boucher have been getting a ton of run. If Porzingis were to sit this one out, OG can truly thrive on the wing versus a Mavericks team that will be once again without Dorian Finney-Smith and possibly Tim Hardaway Jr.
Others to Consider:
- Pascal Siakam ($8,200 FD / $8,400 DK)
- Khris Middleton ($8,000 FD / $8,000 DK)
- Eric Gordon ($5,200 FD / $5,200 DK)
- Jae’Sean Tate ($5,000 FD / $5,100 DK)
Power Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300 FD / $10,400 DK)
The Giannis ceiling game – finally, we have arrived. In a matchup versus Brooklyn that will have little to no defense, 10.4k for Giannis is my lock for tonight’s NBA slate. With a 35% usage rate this season, Giannis is still averaging 1.63 FPPM despite the drop from last season’s 1.89 FPPM and will finally get a chance to see 36 minutes in a game that Vegas has as close as can be.
Anthony Davis ($9,500 FD / $9,300 DK)
At some point, people will see AD in the winning lineup on an NBA slate and say to themselves “How did I not lock in sub-10K Anthony Davis?”. I will be there for it on that night as I continuously have exposure no matter what the matchup dictates, but facing a weak Warriors interior of James Wiseman and the short Draymond Green/Eric Paschall duo may just be what he needs to break a slate.
Chris Boucher ($8,100 FD / $7,100 DK)
If you have been keeping up with the content this NBA season, you’d know how high I was on Boucher even before the campaign begun. Discussed in our preseason preview show, we went on to say that the Raptors will be just fine if they run Boucher enough minutes at the ‘5’. Now, averaging over 1.44 FPPM and constantly seeing a ton of minutes after starters Aaron Baynes and/or Alex Len struggle, I’m going right back to the well, especially if Porzingis sits out the second half of a back-to-back for the Mavericks.
Others to Consider:
- Christian Wood ($9,800 FD / $8,900 DK)
- Kristaps Porzingis ($6,900 FD / $8,200 DK)
Centers
Make sure to check the model here as you should for every position on an NBA slate – there is no premium pay up option for Center today on FD and I will likely be using a dual-position player on DK to fill in this spot.
Value Gems: Check the projection model here.
I will continue to stress the importance of having both the projection model and cheat sheet open when building lineups for a further player pool and to ease a decision between two players, in addition to finding additional value plays.
You can find me on Twitter @DFS_Ghost
