NBA DraftKings Picks – December 18th

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Welcome back, everyone! Tonight brings us a whopping 9 game NBA slate that can be easily overwhelming at first glance. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This article will break down all of my favorite plays for tonight. Good luck everyone!

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-NBA Schedule-

MIA @ PHI – At 7:00 P.M. Eastern Time

TOR @ DET – At 7:00 P.M. Eastern Time

CHA @ CLE – At 7:00 P.M. Eastern Time

CHI @ WAS – At 7:00 P.M. Eastern Time

NO @ Min – At 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time

MEM @ OKC – At 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time

ORL @ DEN – At 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time

BOS @ DAL – At 9:30 P.M. Eastern Time

GSW @ POR – At 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time

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Top PG Picks:

Devonte’ Graham: ($9,000)

Graham is the highest price-point I am willing to pay for at the PG position tonight on DraftKings. Graham has recorded at least 33 points on DK in each of his last 10 contests. He is without a doubt, the most consistent player on a nightly basis for Charlotte at the moment. Tonight he gets a great match-up against a Cavaliers team that has struggled on the defensive end all season. In fact, Cleveland gives up 114 points per game on the year and has a record of (6-21). On top of all this, PJ Washington remains sidelined with an injury that should allow for some extra offensive looks for Graham. Look for him to have a floor of 35 fantasy points on tonight’s NBA slate.

Chris Paul – DK: ($7,500)

Paul jumped in the time machine against Chicago two nights ago where he dropped 30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals in 36 minutes of action. He is on a stretch where he’s recorded at least 41 points on DraftKings in four out of his last six games. He won’t score you 30 points every single game, but his consistency with dishing out assists and grabbing steals makes him an intriguing option tonight. Look for him to be busy against Memphis and he should have a floor of 30 fantasy points.

Jalen Brunson – DK: ($6,000)

Brunson had been an easy value play over the past two games because of his dirt-cheap price on DraftKings. However, his price has now shot up to $6,000, whereas on December 14th, he cost just $3,100. His price basically doubled over the past 3 days but for good reason. He has stepped up nicely in the absence of starting PG Luka Doncic who suffered an ankle injury last week. Brunson has now recorded at least 37 points on DraftKings in each of his last two games. Tonight he gets a tougher match-up against Boston and looks for him to have a floor of 26 fantasy points on tonights NBA slate.

Jeff Teague – DK: ($5,800)

Teague is a mystery man at the moment having just put up 50+ points on FanDuel twice over the last week and a half. Then following up those great games with two in which Teague scored under 28 points. What really jumps out at me is his match-up tonight. The Pelicans give up 119 points per game this season and are ranked 30th in the NBA at guarding opposing PG’s. The game itself tonight should remain competitive throughout 4 quarters. If Teague plays 30+ minutes tonight then he should be a steal. If Karl Anthony Towns misses tonight, Teague is an even better play in my eyes.

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Top SG Picks:

Andrew Wiggins – DK: ($7,600)

I’m rolling with Wiggins tonight in the majority of my lineups; especially if Karly Anthony Towns is going to miss the game. Wiggins has recorded at least 34 points on FanDuel in nine out of his last 10 games for Minnesota. A more pedestrian start to the season might have had you worried about him, but he has really turned things around. Tonight he will play against New Orleans and they are ranked 24th in the NBA at stopping opposing SG’s. Look for Wiggins to have a floor of 37 fantasy points tonight. If KAT misses the game, he could be looking at one of his ceiling performances.

Jaylen Brown – DK: ($6,700)

I really like this play tonight on DraftKings because of how well Brown has been playing recently. He may be coming off a bad game but if anything he will only use that as fuel. He will be playing Dallas tonight and this will be the second match-up of the season for these teams. The first time around, Brown dropped 45 fantasy points on DraftKings against them. The one thing that I’m conflicted with here is Dallas’s ability to keep this one competitive without their star player. If that gives you a weak stomach at all, just stay away from Brown tonight.

Damion Lee – DK: ($3,900)

Lee has been a bright spot for the Warriors who are in major need of scorers. He has put up at least 26 points on FanDuel in each of his last two games. He just saw 34 minutes of action in Golden States last match-up which is a very positive sign. Tonight he will go up against Portland who is currently ranked 17th in the NBA at guarding opposing SG’s. On top of that Lee has already played Portland once this season and in that game, he put up 30.5 fantasy points on DraftKings. He is extremely affordable tonight and if he can hit 20+ fantasy points it would be a steal for the price.

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Top SF Picks:

Brandon Ingram – DK: ($8,000)

Ingram continues to have a breakout season for the Pelicans as he has now recorded at least 39 points on DraftKings in eight out of his last ten appearances. He is one of the main focal points on the offensive end night in and night out. Tonight he gets a stellar individual match-up as Minnesota is ranked 24th in the NBA when guarding opposing SF’s. This game should have a high total score and will be very fast-paced. Look for Ingram to have a floor of 36 fantasy points on tonight’s NBA slate.

Tobias Harris – DK: ($7,300)

Harris continues to find his way into my lineup due to his great scoring and rebounding abilities. He doesn’t always pop off in the rebounding category but that makes since when considering who he shares the floor with. He has taken at least 17 shots in each of his last 5 games which just goes to show you that he’s not afraid to let it fly. Tonight he will take on the Heat and easier in the year when these two teams played, Harris put up 36.5 fantasy points. Look for his floor to be right around that same number.

Will Barton – DK: ($6,400)

Barton continues to be an absolute force for Denver this season and the best part about it is that no one is gunning for his minutes. He has put up 31+ points on DraftKings in six out of his last ten games and he’s the type of player you want on your fantasy team because he can do a little bit of everything. Tonight he has an awesome match-up against Orlando who ranks 25th in the NBA against opposing SF’s this year. With that being said, look for Barton to have a floor of 32 fantasy points on FanDuel.

Derrick Jones Jr. – DK: ($4,500)

Derrick Jones continues to play well coming off the bench for Miami. He has now recorded at least 23 points on DraftKings in each of his last four games. Miami is still dealing with some injuries which have been allowing Jones Jr. to get extended minutes. His price has been on a steady climb as it has increased from $3,600 back on December 10th to $4,500 now. He doesn’t have the easiest match-up in the world, but his unique skill-set should be enough to get it done. For this price, he would need to put up roughly 25-30 fantasy points for it to be a good return.

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Top PF Picks:

Pascal Siakam – DK: ($8,800)

Siakam is turning it up a notch over his past couple outings where he compiled 30+ points in both games. He has recorded at least 35 fantasy points on DraftKings in eight of his last ten games. Everyone was calling him Kawhi’s replacement at the beginning of the season and now it’s starting to make sense. Siakam will take on Detroit tonight for the second time this season. In the first match-up, Siakam put up 48.3 points on DraftKings. After all, Detroit ranks 24th in the NBA at stopping opposing PF’s.

Kevin Love – DK: ($6,800)

Love has been up and down for the majority of the season and that figures to be the way it goes for the remainder of the year. He is surrounded by a bunch of young guys on a losing roster. However, given the narrative here, it makes sense for Cleveland to give him all the minutes he can handle in order to make him trade-ready. There is no reason for a team like Cleveland to hold onto a guy like Kevin Love. Tonight he will take on Charlotte and I fully expect him to exploit that defense. Look for Love to have a floor of 32 points on DraftKings tonight.

Eric Paschall – DK: ($4,600)

Paschall is expected to re-take the court tonight after missing the last two games with an injury. He has an excellent match-up on paper going into tonights match-up Vs. Portland. Earlier in the season, Paschall dropped 55 points on DraftKings against Portland. However, I am not saying he will replicate this kind of production tonight because Golden State is a lot healthier now than they were at the time. Either way, he is expected to be back in the starting lineup tonight without any minutes restrictions. Look for him to have a floor of 26 fantasy points on DK tonight.

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Top C Picks:

Karl Anthony Towns – DK: ($10,700)

KAT is currently listed as questionable going into tonight’s game which is very unfortunate. If he plays in this game, he should absolutely dominate. He will own the glass, he’ll own the paint, and he’ll be able to knock down outside shots with ease. After all, New Orleans is ranked 23rd in the NBA at guarding opposing C’s. Overall, he has a very expensive price tag. I would wait until closer to tip-off before throwing KAT in there and leaving it. He’s a no brainer in my book tonight.

Nikola Vucevic – DK: ($7,000)

Vucevic has had two solid games since making his return from injury earlier this week. In his first two games back, he has combined for 32 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. Tonight he will take on Denver and earlier in the season against them Vucevic put up 37.3 points on DraftKings. When you look at what he is capable of and then factor in his price-tag; its a steal. Even if he just gets 35 fantasy points tonight, it would still be worth it.

Tristan Thompson – DK: ($5,900)

Thompson has one of the better match-ups of the night when given all the C’s on the slate. He is going up against Charlotte who is ranked 30th in the NBA against opposing C’s. The Hornets have been getting beat up in the paint all season long and I do not expect Thompson to make it any easier for them tonight. Charlotte is also ranked 27th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage. Thompson is lining himself up for a field day. Look for him to have a floor of 30 fantasy points on tonight’s main slate.