Thursday provides a six-game slate that includes four of the six highest-scoring teams in the league and the four lowest-scoring teams. Those who prefer to empty the wallet on some guaranteed production should look towards the final game of the night between the Rockets and Warriors, but the lower-scoring teams should still have one or two players worth owning at their current prices.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/01/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.

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DraftKings DFS Guards

Stephen Curry - PG, vs. HOU ($9,200)

Curry hasn’t dominated like he did a year ago— his totals are down due to the arrival of Kevin Durant, and his 42.1% three point percentage is also the lowest of his career. However, that is largely the result of three road games in which he shot a combined 3-for-31, and he is shooting a robust 51.9% from deep at Oracle Arena.

The two-time reigning MVP Award winner will have an opportunity to put on a show Thursday night, in what is likely to be an incredibly high-scoring affair against the Rockets. Houston has allowed at least 24 points to the opposing team’s leading scorer (Curry’s 29.6 points per game at home lead Golden State) in each of its last four games, and Curry is a good bet to keep that streak alive.

Evan Fournier - SG, @ MEM ($5,800)

Fournier has emerged as the top scoring option for the Magic, leading the way with 17.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 17 of Orlando’s 18 games this year, including seven performances with at least 20 points. The 20-point threshold is attainable once again on Thursday against a Memphis team that is without Mike Conley, James Ennis and Chandler Parsons, possibly among others.

Memphis has yielded at least 20 points to an opposing shooting guard 10 times in 19 games played, including each of the last four contests— DeMar DeRozan dropped 24 (along with nine rebounds and six assists) on Wednesday night. At just $5,800, Fournier is a solid play against a banged-up Grizzlies team playing their fifth game in seven days.

Wade Baldwin IV - PG, vs. ORL ($3,300)

Baldwin is shooting just 31.5% on the season following a lackluster 1-for-6 showing against the Raptors on Wednesday. Andrew Harrison, on the other hand, played a team-high 35 minutes and scored a career-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Baldwin is still expected to see a large uptick in minutes following Conley’s injury, and could even be used more than Harrison on the second night of a back-to-back.

As mentioned above, the Grizzlies will once again be without at least Conley, Ennis and Parsons for Thursday’s night game— Vince Carter and Zach Randolph will be game-time decisions. That could potentially leave Marc Gasol as the only active player currently averaging more than nine points per game. There will be plenty of looks to go around, and Baldwin can be a major beneficiary. Harrison is a safer pick for those looking at the Memphis backcourt, but Baldwin could be worth a dice roll. At $3,300, he would allow for a ton of financial flexibility, and he has the ability to catch fire. If Elfrid Payton (ankle) is ruled inactive, both Harrison and Baldwin should see an increase in value.

 

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Blake Griffin - PF, @ CLE ($8,700)

Griffin is one of just nine players with at least 20 points and eight rebounds per game so far, averaging 21.1 and 8.7. The 27-year-old has eight double-doubles in 18 games played this year, but has failed to reach that mark in any of his last three games. He will be the only rotational player for the Clippers not to have participated in Tuesday night’s double-overtime thriller, however, so he will be fully rested when the Clips travel to Cleveland to take on the defending champs.

The Cavaliers have allowed 22 points and nine rebounds to Joel Embiid and 34 and 12 to Giannis Antetokuonmpo over their last two games— both players lead their respective teams in scoring. Considering Griffin is Los Angeles’ leading scorer, he could be in for a similarly productive night on Thursday.

Harrison Barnes - SF/PF, @ CHA ($6,200)

With Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Barea sidelined with injuries, Barnes has been the only consistent source of offense for the Mavericks. The 24-year-old is averaging 20.5 points and 5.5 rebounds through Dallas’ first 17 games, scoring in double figures in every game to date.

The Hornets have surrendered 24 points to Tobias Harris, 35 to Carmelo Anthony and 30 to Kawhi Leonard over the last five games, and Barnes could join that list despite being on the latter portion of a back-to-back.

Josh Richardson- SG/SF, @ UTA ($4,800)

Without Dion Waiters and Justice Winslow, who combined for over 26 points per game, Richardson should play a large role in Miami’s game plan. The 23-year-old is the most likely candidate to step up, seeing as he has scored at least 12 points in eight of his 13 games played and is capable of having a big night.

Across the four games in which he has seen at least 30 minutes of action, Richardson has averaged 16 points and 4.3 rebounds, as well as more than one block and one steal. If thrust into a larger role on Thursday night, he should have no problem at least hovering right around those averages, producing a stat line that would surely justify his $4,800 price tag.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Nikola Vucevic - C, @ MEM ($6,200)

Vucevic is in the midst of a four-game double-double streak, and has actually pulled down double-digit rebounds in eight consecutive contests. The 26-year-old center is putting up 12.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game on the season, making him one of just nine centers to average at least 10 and 10.

Memphis, Orlando’s Thursday night opponent, does not offer a particularly appealing matchup, with Marc Gasol leading one of the league’s top defenses. However, Hassan Whiteside, Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin have all managed to slip a double-double past the Grizzlies this season, and Vucevic is on a roll that suggests he could follow suit. Plus, he is cheaper than Gasol, Brook Lopez, DeAndre Jordan and Rudy Gobert. It may be smart to go with more of a low-cost option at the center spot, but Vucevic should return solid value for those not willing to take the risk.

Greg Monroe - C, @ BKN ($3,900)

Monroe might be the best value play of the night at just $3,900. The 26-year-old has managed just 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds on the year, but he has seen his role increase in the last three games, averaging 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 25.6 fantasy points over that span.

He will have a chance to continue this stretch of success on Thursday against a Nets team that is ranked dead last in opponents’ points per game (114.5) and opponents’ rebounds per game (48.5) They just surrendered 21 points and 23 boards to DeAndre Jordan, and while this did come during a double-OT marathon, it’s impressive, nonetheless. DeMarcus Cousins unsurprisingly put up 37 and 11 on Brooklyn earlier this season, but the Nets have also given up big nights to more unlikely players— 14 and 11 to Meyers Leonard, 20 and six to Timofey Mozgov. Monroe, who is more offensive-minded than fellow big man John Henson, should have a good shot at his fourth double-double of the year.

 

 

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