Thursday's five-game slate promises several high-scoring affairs, as eight of the 10 teams scheduled to play fall in the bottom half in opponent's points per game. It also offers a lot of parity, with only one player (Anthony Davis) demanding more than $10,000. Sure, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant or both could go off for 40 points against the Knicks, but there is a lot of value to be had in the $6,000-$8,000 range, as well.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/15/16. 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

Eric Bledsoe - PG, vs. SA ($7,800)

Bledsoe is one of the hottest players in the league, posting three straight games with at least 30 points and 50 fantasy points. He managed over 20 points per game a year ago, but injuries cut his season very short. The 27-year-old has played in all 25 games so far this year, and has averaged 20.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals. He is also shooting .451/.309/.831 to date. The Spurs, typically a strong defensive team, have yielded the 29th most points to opposing point guards— largely due to the ineffectiveness of the aging Tony Parker. Thursday night’s matchup provides Bledsoe with a solid opportunity to continue his scoring binge. Rajon Rondo, the last starting point guard to be active against the Spurs, fell one assist shy of a triple-double last week, and Zach LaVine and John Wall have also had big performances against San Antonio in recent games. Bledsoe is well worth his $7,800 price tag.

C.J. McCollum - PG/SG, @ DEN ($6,900)

In his second year as a full-time starter, McCollum has become one of the most dangerous shooting guards in the league. The 25-year-old out of Lehigh is averaging 22.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 48.0% from the field, 47.1% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the free throw line. He should have no problem maintaining or even raising those numbers against a Denver defense that is 26th in points per game, 25th in opponents’ field goal percentage and 29th in turnovers forced. Opposing shooting guards have surpassed 20 points in four consecutive games against the Nuggets — Sean Kilpatrick, Bradley Beal, Evan Fournier and Wesley Matthews — and McCollum, who has already totaled 44 points in two games against Denver this year, is a better scorer than anyone in that group. At $6,900, he is one of the more intriguing plays in Thursday’s slate.

Rodney Stuckey - PG/SG, @ NO ($3,600)

Stuckey shot just 3-for-12 on Wednesday night against the Heat, but still managed 20.75 fantasy points, stringing together 10 points, five rebounds and three assists across 22 minutes. He took the third-most shots on the team, so as long as he sees similar floor action on Thursday, the 30-year-old should be able to produce at an even higher level. Monta Ellis will miss his second straight game with a groin injury, so Stuckey is a near lock to churn out at least 20 minutes and double-digits shot attempts against the Pelicans. Guards Troy Daniels, Nik Stauskas, Jamal Crawford and Leandro Barbosa have all had success off the bench against the Pelicans in the last two weeks. At $3,600, Stuckey can provide both value and roster flexibility.

 

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Kawhi Leonard - SF, @ PHO ($8,300)

Leonard slowed down a bit from his hot start to the season, but is still working with 24.7 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.5 blocks and 2.0 steals to go along with a 47.0% shooting percentage, a 39.0% three-point percentage and a 91.8% free throw percentage. The Suns, San Antonio’s Thursday night opponents, are allowing the second-most points per game in the NBA, and as the Spurs’ leading scorer by a wide margin, Leonard should be in for a big night. Kevin Durant, Gordon Hayward and Paul George — all leading scorers on their own teams — have all had their way with the Suns in recent weeks. A player who can fill up the stat sheet like Leonard can is worth more than $8,300 against the defensively-challenged Suns.

Jabari Parker - SF/PF, vs. CHI ($6,300)

Parker has broken out in his third NBA season, averaging 19.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists with a .470/.351/.760 shooting line to date. He has been especially hot of late, with 21.3 points per game through seven contests in December, including exactly 27 points in three of his last four games. He will look to continue that trend on Thursday night against the Bulls— his hometown team. Forwards LeBron James, Harrison Barnes, Tobias Harris, Kawhi Leonard and Andrew Wiggins have all enjoyed success against the Bulls over the last couple of weeks. Parker has yet to record a double-double this season, but he should still be able to put up a stat line that exceeds his $6,300 price.

Ed Davis - PF/C, @ DEN ($3,300)

Davis hasn’t had a large role with the Trail Blazers, averaging a career-low 4.3 points on a career-low 48.9% field goal percentage over the first 27 games of the season. However, he has been productive throughout his entire career, and could once again display that production if given a boost in minutes (currently 18.9). Al-Farouq Aminu, who plays over 24 minutes per game, will sit out again on Thursday with a back injury, and Davis should benefit from the playing time that is up for grabs. Noah Vonleh and Meyers Leonard both actually saw more minutes than Davis on Tuesday, but were largely ineffective. Davis has the most upside of that trio, and could yield strong value at just $3,300 on Thursday night.

 

DraftKings DFS Centers

Draymond Green - PF/C, vs. NY ($7,900)

Green’s numbers are actually down across the board this season — including his shooting percentages — but he is still more than capable of dominating on a given night. He is coming off a triple-double (plus four blocks and two steals) against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, and has a favorable matchup at home against the Knicks on Thursday night. Over the past four games, two big men — Tristan Thompson and Tyson Chandler — have pulled down at least 20 boards against the Knicks. With Zaza Pachulia doubtful for the contest with a wrist injury, Green should be able to improve upon his team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. The Knicks have already given up two triple-doubles this year (LeBron James, Russell Westbrook), so it’s not unfathomable that Green, who averaged 13.0 PTS, 10.5 REB and 10.0 AST in two games against the Knicks last year, could reach double-digits in three categories for the second straight game.

Myles Turner - C, @ NO ($6,000)

Just 24 games into his sophomore season, Turner has brought his season averages to 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He is shooting 52.7% from the floor, 35.0% from deep and 80.4% from the stripe. The 20-year-old is coming off of a huge fantasy night against the Heat, in which he posted 11 points, seven boards, two assists, five blocks and a steal. New Orleans, Indiana’s next opponent, has allowed an opposing big man to rack up double-digit rebounds in six of its last seven games. While Turner has pulled down at least 10 boards just four times this year, he does lead the Pacers in that category, and the ball could continuously find him on Thursday night against the second-worst rebounding team in the league (47.6%).

 

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