NBA DFS Risers Playbook for Draftkings and FanDuel December 29
Welcome to the Team Rise or Fall NBA DFS Risers Playbook for DraftKings and FanDuel. This morning we will highlight some standout Vegas totals, pace ups spots, notable injury news, and my preferred way to attack the slate.
Tonight we have a very nice 10 game slate that should be much better than the chalk-fest that was the Monday 5 game slate. We have a few teams on the second half of a back to back – Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Denver Nuggets. We’re going to want to keep an eye on the number of minutes those teams played their starters to see if they are going to be sat to keep them fresh for the long season.
Notable Vegas Totals
Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards O/U 234
This is going to be a track meet. The Chicago Bulls are second in the league in pace behind only the Golden State Warriors. The Bulls are winless in three games this season and will look for their first win on the road. Zach LaVine leads the Bulls in scoring averaging 24 points per game. Colby White has been a bit disappointing so far this season but has seen his price drop on DraftKings and FanDuel. Wendell Carter Jr doesn’t have a whole lot of competition at center which should allow him to continue to see 30+ minutes at a discounted price.
The other side of the track will be the Washington Wizards who are also winless through three games. The Wizards get back point guard Russell Westbrook who saw a price drop on FanDuel. Bradley Beal saw a price jump after his big game in Westbrook’s absence. The other option to keep an eye on is center Thomas Bryant. Bryant has been efficient in his shot selection benefitting from all the attention that Westbrook and Beal draw.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns O/U 223
The Pelicans usage is concentrated on Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. They both played over 35 minutes. Lonzo Ball is producing good peripheral stats that make him enticing, recording multiple blocks and steals in every game. If you have the stones for it, Eric Bledsoe’s price dropped to under $5k on FanDuel but for some reason saw an increase on DraftKings – go figure.
On the other side of the court, the addition of Chris Paul to the Suns has brought in a solid floor general for the young team. Paul is nearly averaging a double-double per game. Shooting guard Devin Booker is known as a prolific scorer and leads the team in scoring averaging nearly 23 points per game. Center DeAndre Ayton will be in a tough matchup with Pelicans center Steven Adams. I would caution proceed with caution before locking him into lineups.
Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings O/U 223.5
The Nuggets will be on the second leg of a back-to-back tonight, while on Monday they easily dispatched the short-handed Rockets. Big man Nikola Jokic was amazing Monday night putting up a stat line of 19/12/18. Jokic is a threat to put up those types of numbers every time he’s on the floor, just know you will pay a premium as he’s seeing an increase in price on both sites. After a few subpar games, Jamal Murray has seen his price decrease on both sites. At his current price tag, I don’t mind taking a shot on him hoping you get one of the ceiling games we saw him have in the bubble.
The Kings are 2-1 on the season looking to build on their winning record. These two teams faced each other on opening night with the Kings taking the win in overtime. DeAaron Fox leads the Kings in scoring averaging 19 points per game. The interesting thing to see is that four of the five Kings starters score in double figures. Buddy Hield is capable of scoring in bunches and is averaging 17 points per game.
Pace Up Spots
Washington Wizards
A pace up spot for a team that’s already 4th in the league – yes, please! If you wanted to game stack this one, I wouldn’t fight you about it. The Wizard offense provides a very narrow path to fantasy points and as previously mention Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and Thomas Bryant are my favorite options.
Boston Celtics
Boston is currently in the bottom third of the league in pace but will have a nice pace up going against the 11th ranked Pacers. The 1-2 Celtics will look to even out their record in what should be a very good game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will need to take charge and provide the offensive firepower.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers rank dead last in pace through three games this season. They’ll face a Minnesota team that that ranks 8th. If Kawhi Leonard were to miss his second straight game, Paul George would be the main benefactor. One would imagine someone would need to step up and help fill that scoring void as well – I’m looking at you, Lou Williams.
Key Injury News
Kevin Love – Cleveland Cavaliers – OUT
Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors – OUT
Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers – GTD
Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat – GTD
Karl Anthony-Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves – OUT
Early Targets
Larry Nance Jr – We saw the numbers he put with Kevin Love out opening night. Love will miss tonight’s game with a calf injury. I don’t see these Knicks big men as stoppers.
Thomas Bryant – This game will be a track meet with two of the highest paced teams in the league. I want to make sure I have exposure to this game. I much prefer his price tag on FanDuel over DraftKings.
Goran Dragic – This is going to be dependent on the Jimmy Butler news we’ll get later today. He looked great on Christmas day when Butler left the game.
T.J. Warren – I think he’s a value at his current price. He has a ridiculous upside that we saw last season and it could just be a matter of time before he hits a ceiling game.
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Remember this is an early look. Should you want specific targets from our NBA coaches check out our building blocks closer to lock.
Questions or comments? Feel free to hit me up in discord or on Twitter @EdArias87
