RADIO
This is going to be one of our most competitive nights this season. Ten games on the slate and because each one has so much potential, I'll briefly go over each game starting with the Cavaliers and Warriors. This game is pretty clearly the one to skip out on. You could go Steph Curry or Kevin Durant, but the blowout potential is so high it's risky. You are better off going with Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney or Jordan Bell, assuming the Warriors resort to the backups quickly. Between the Magic and Nuggets, both Nikola's (Jokic and Vucevic) will be ready to see plenty of usage as the focal points of their respective teams during their uptrends. Look for Aaron Gordon to find himself open more times than not and Jamal Murray will have to pick up some serious slack due to the Gary Harris injury. The Wizards have been playing poorly and the Hawks have a chance to finally get a win against a decent team. John Collins and Trae Young have meshed well together, but yet to produce simultaneously. Look for them to establish some momentum by beating the Wizards in Atlanta.
This next game will be the one to watch. Both Brooklyn and Oklahoma City have been playing well and despite the Nets being under-talented, but they can still defend at a high level. Not to mention they have enough isolation scorers to keep the game close, especially in the late stages. Spencer Dinwiddie is always a good play against better teams, as well as DeMarre Carroll who should see a ton of minutes. Carroll is a very risky play, but he's cheap and he is guaranteed to produce in some way. For the Thunder, Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook (of course) should be the most productive, with Paul George paying more attention to defense tonight than anything else Still look for George to hit a few extra threes tonight in his 3-&-D role. The Grizzles and Clippers already don't like each other that much and their games usually come down to the wire. Look for the main contributors in this game, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Lou Williams, Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, and Montrezl Harrell all have equal upside, mainly cause neither team is really focusing on player development outside of a rookie or two. The minutes will be there for the starters so roster them. The Bucks and Pistons both have enough momentum to make this all about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Blake Griffin, so look for the shooters on both teams to have upside. Reggie Bullock, Langston Galloway, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are the players I'm targeting. As usual, the last few games of the night are Western Conference-heavy. The Timberwolves have the talent to destroy the Hornets, but they don't have someone to stop Kemba Walker. Walker has been keeping Charlotte in games all season and until teams find a way to stop him specifically, the Hornets will continue to bother the top-tier of teams. If Malik Monk or Nic Batum find any type of consistency, the Hornets are likely going to win. If Jeremy Lamb can keep Robert Covington busy for a majority of the game, expect the rest of Charlotte to benefit from Walker dissecting the Minnesota defense. The Mavericks are coming off a close game last night so the Pelicans should be able to find Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis for easy sources of production. As good as Luka Doncic has been, it'll be difficult for him to carry Dallas into another victory in two nights. We have a playoff preview between the Raptors and 76ers, so bank on J.J. Redick, Joel Embiid, Landry Shamet, Serge Ibaka, and Kyle Lowry to carry their teams. Don't fade Kawhi Leonard tonight because I didn't mention him. The Spurs are slipping hard and they need defensive structure before they really start beating teams like they used to. LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma are the only four players I'll be looking at from this game. Brandon Ingram has upside, but he does every night and still fails to contribute consistently.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/5/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Shelvin Mack - PG/SG, vs. LAC ($3,500)
Taking a backup isn't always the greatest strategy, but Shelvin Mack produces in limited minutes and still has the talents of a starting point guard. Patrick Beverley would be enough to keep me away, but I just don't see Mack taking up all of Beverley's time and defensive usage. Outside of Beverley, the Clippers only really have Avery Bradley for backcourt defense. Look for Mack to really abuse his size advantage against the Clippers and exceed his projected. Both frontcourts have upside, but since this will be a slow-paced game, look for the players who will generate the most offense in the halfcourt to be the most productive.
Jimmy Butler - SG/SF, at TOR ($6,900)
This is a pick purely based on his criminally low price. Any time Jimmy Butler is available for less than $7K, you have to go out of your way to fade him. He isn't contributing in other categories as much as we would like, but the lack of consistency opened up a perfect window for DFS players to capitalize. If you want to be bale to roster a few superstars, use Butler as a perfect middle of the road option that carries little to no risk, with oodles of upside...Yes. Oodles.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kent Bazemore - SG/SF, vs WAS ($4,400)
I'm really banking on this being the Kelly Oubre versus Kent Bazemore that nobody asked for, but we get anyway. Oubre on one hand, struggles. He doesn't defend well whatsoever and doesn't hit enough shots to make up for the lack of defense. On the other hand, Bazemore hustles around the court and despite his defensive weaknesses, he still finds way to get the ball and find teammates. He hasn't been incredibly consistent this season, but it's clear the Hawks want Bazemore with the ball. He has upside every game he doesn't face an elite defender and even then, he can still get to the rim and get open shots on just about anyone.
Dewayne Dedmon - PF, vs WAS ($3,900)
I didn't mean to mention to Hawks players in a row but a good pick is a good pick. The Wizards have barely any frontcourt talent and Dewayne Dedmon has expanded his range over the past two seasons. As Dedmon falls further and further into the veteran role with a young team, look for him to find more minutes against more established teams. Dedmon has no problem giving up production for the sake of the team, but when he is asked to produce he crushed his projected. He rebounds well, focuses on defense and offers perfect spacing on offense. Since the Wizards are struggling, Atlanta will want to target the weak spots, meaning John Collins and Dewayne Dedmon will produce.
DraftKings DFS Center
Mason Plumlee - PF/C, at ORL ($3,800)
Let's say the Nuggets do come out firing without Gary Harris. It's not improbably, but he is one of their top two-way players and Denver will need to find outside scoring from somewhere else. This won't mean Mason Plumlee is going to help with that, but if Nikola Jokic decides to increase his shot attempts from three, Plumlee and Paul Millsap will be tasked with the paint responsibilities. This is where Plumlee's upside comes from and he should be able to dominate the likes of Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba. We might not see him showing off his passing, but hey, I didn't NOT mention his passing ability.
