Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DFS DraftKings Best Player Picks for Dec. 10
There are only four games on the NBA schedule Thursday, and daily fantasy options are limited when it comes to star power. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins and Blake Griffin headline the short list of big names available.
With a small pool of talent to choose from, building a DraftKings lineup that stands out from the crowd is more difficult than usual. The Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers matchup isn't pretty, but it features several players capable of providing solid production for what they cost.
Here are five picks for December 10 to help you put together a winning roster.
SF Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder ($10,100) vs. Atlanta Hawks
In the Thunders' rout of the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday, Durant posted 32 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals—including the swipe-and-jam highlighted in the above video—in 31 minutes of action. He also knocked down four three-pointers and scored 61.5 DraftKings points, his third-highest total of the season.
Since returning from a hamstring injury seven games ago, Durant is averaging 51.4 DK points a night. Westbrook is putting up 47.6 fantasy points per contest over that time, yet Durant still costs $300 less than his teammate.
Per Odds Shark, the Oklahoma City vs. Atlanta tilt has the highest over/under of the evening at 212 points, which bodes well for Durant's stat line.
C Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls ($7,700) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Paul Gasol has posted double-doubles in five straight games while topping 40 DK points on each occasion. His overall numbers in that stretch are outstanding:
| MIN | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | FPTS |
| 30.1 | 13.6 | 4.2 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 19.0 | 50.7 |
Gasol has also recorded double-digit rebounds in eight consecutive contests and 10 of 11 overall.
His salary is $900 more that it was at the beginning of the month, but he's still an excellent value at $7,700. If he hits his recent average, Gasol will provide 6.58 DK points per $1,000.
PF Thaddeus Young, Brooklyn Nets ($7,400) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Like Gasol, Thaddeus Young is also on a double-double binge at the moment, as noted by Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily:
All 10 of Young's double-doubles have come in his past 15 games, in which he's averaging 17.7 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the floor.
The 27-year-old has recorded over 40 fantasy points in three of his last five outings, including two in a row. There's a good chance Young will hit that mark for a third straight contest when he faces Philadelphia. According to RotoWire, the 76ers are allowing 55.6 DK points per game to opposing power forwards, the most of any team in the league.
SF Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,100) at Brooklyn Nets
Jerami Grant is quietly developing into one of the premier shot-blockers in the NBA. He has 12 blocks in his past four games and is averaging 2.1 per contest since November 18, sixth-best in the league in that time.
On November 27, Grant could be had for $4,300. His salary rose steadily for each of the next five games, peaking at $5,300 on Monday when the 76ers took on the San Antonio Spurs. After averaging 28.6 DK points for a five-game stretch, Grant managed just 11 against the Spurs.
However, the matchup with San Antonio was an aberration—the Spurs led by 36 at halftime and Grant played only 21 minutes as Philadelphia emptied its bench. His price is down $200 since Monday, but there's no reason to think Grant won't bounce back to his previous form.
SF Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets ($4,200) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Making his second start of the year in place of the injured Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic logged a season-high 38 minutes Tuesday. Bogdanovic chipped in 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and three three-pointers on his way to scoring 32.25 fantasy points.
Even before his big night, Bogdanovic's numbers were already trending in a positive direction. After previously going four straight outings with single-digit fantasy production, Bogdanovic scored at least 14 DK points in his next three contests while playing no more than 20 minutes in each.
A repeat of Tuesday's performance may be too much to expect, but if Bogdanovic sees the floor for 30 minutes and notches 25 fantasy points, he'll be well worth his $4,200 price tag.
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via NBA.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.
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