Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings NBA Optimal Lineup for December 14
For an optimal DraftKings NBA lineup on Monday, utilize a stars-and-scrubs approach mixing sturdy studs and solid bargains.
Two-thirds of the Association will compete in a slate featuring discounts for daily fantasy players willing to swim through the catalog. For building blocks, Anthony Davis gets a good matchup against the guard-heavy Portland Trail Blazers. John Wall's price skyrocketed to $9,700, but the Washington Wizards star warrants the investment following four consecutive 26-point outings.
None of the highlighted values will elicit grand excitement, but they all have more playing time and/or advantageous matchups headed their way. Roll them out, particularly in cash contests, to clear up finances for top mercenaries.
| PG | John Wall, WAS | @ MEM | $9,700 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler, CHI | vs. PHI | $7,700 |
| SF | Matt Barnes, MEM | vs. WAS | $4,300 |
| PF | Anthony Davis, NO | @ POR | $10,600 |
| C | Joakim Noah, CHI | vs. PHI | $4,800 |
| G | Jameer Nelson, DEN | vs. HOU | $4,200 |
| F | Luis Scola, TOR | @ IND | $4,900 |
| UTIL | Allen Crabbe, POR | vs. NO | $3,800 |
Jameer Nelson, PG, Denver Nuggets ($4,200)
When Emmanuel Mudiay left Friday night's game with an ankle injury, Jameer Nelson wasted little time capitalizing. In a season-high 38 minutes, the 33-year-old point guard accumulated 42.5 DraftKings points against the Minnesota Timberwolves:
| 38 | 7-12 | 4-7 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 2 |
The veteran will likely again escape the Denver Nuggets' bench. According to the Denver Post's Chris Dempsey, Mudiay will probably not face the Houston Rockets on Monday night:
He holds an ineffective 45.3 true-shooting percentage, but volume should lead Nelson to a strong fantasy evening, especially in respect to his $4,200 price. Over Denver's last four games, he has dished out 22 assists. Now he'll get 30-35 minutes to pad his numbers.
The Houston Rockets sport the NBA's fourth-worst defensive rating while yielding the fourth-most assists (8.1) per game to point guards. Nelson is no Stephen Curry or Chris Paul, but he's set to start against a lackadaisical defense, and his salary reflects neither factor.
Allen Crabbe, SG, Portland Trail Blazers ($3,800)
Need a cheap placeholder to do his small share? In seven December games, Allen Crabbe is averaging 15.4 points and 1.9 three-pointers per game on 55.3 percent shooting. Over that stretch, he's averaging 25.0 DraftKings points per contest.
Not bad for a reserve. While the 23-year-old is coming off the bench, he's logging 28.1 minutes per December bout. He's also brandishing remarkable consistency for a role player, scoring double-digit points every time this month.
As noted by David MacKay of Blazer's Edge, Portland hasn't employed such a potent bench scorer in a few years:
They're making the most of his hot streak, and the fun should continue on Monday. The New Orleans Pelicans rank last in defensive rating and have relinquished the second-highest opposing three-point percentage.
Crabbe doesn't offer much else in the box score, but he needs to keep putting the ball in the basket to hold his end of the bargain.
Matt Barnes, SF, Memphis Grizzlies ($4,300)
Frustrated by their 13-12 record and minus-5.5 net rating, the Memphis Grizzlies tinkered with their starting lineup on Sunday. While swapping Zach Randolph for Matt Barnes hasn't fostered improved play, it has made the pesky small forward a go-to bargain.
During a 100-97 loss to the Miami Heat, Barnes earned his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds apiece through 37 minutes. He is now averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 boards through four starts, where he has received 33.3 minutes a pop.
Even if he's jettisoned back to the bench, the 35-year-old should still see plenty of playing time if Tony Allen doesn't return. Barnes tallied 30 minutes on Wednesday and 25 on Friday, topping 25 DraftKings points each time.
The Wizards play at the NBA's fifth-fastest pace, but they've yet to blend tempo with efficiency. They have surrendered 16.0 turnovers per game and a league-worst 10.5 threes. The feisty veteran isn't what he used to be on either front, but he has swiped three steals and drained six long balls in Memphis' last two tilts.
Memphis will eventually realize an old, ineffective shooter won't cure its offensive woes, but let him first compile an affordable 25-30 fantasy points on Monday night.
Luis Scola, PF, Toronto Raptors ($4,900)
Unfortunately for Luis Scola, he won't enjoy another date with the Philadelphia 76ers. As most opponents do, he feasted on the 1-24 club, going 10-of-14 for 22 points through 27 minutes.
Had DraftKings received a chance to adapt his going rate, the Argentinian power forward probably wouldn't justify the added expense. Yet he only costs $4,900, a reasonable amount before his weekend endeavors.
Enjoying more playing time because of the Toronto Raptors' depleted backcourt, the 35-year-old grabbed eight boards with double-digit points in each of his last two games entering Sunday. No Raptors big man has a higher usage rate than his 20.4 percent.
They're not the 76ers, but the Indiana Pacers shouldn't stop him from flirting with another 15-8 type of outing.
Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls ($4,800)
Joakim Noah, on the other hand, is fortunate enough to get the 76ers on Monday night. As the Chicago Bulls center tries to rediscover his mojo, he'll face a vulnerable squad which allows the fourth-most rebounds per bout.
The benched big man had one of his best showings all season on Saturday, delivering 10 points, nine boards and four blocks. As a result, he played 30 minutes for the second time this season.
"When it comes to all that, those aren't things that I can control," Noah told ESPN.com's Nick Friedell regarding his playing time. "So I'm just trying to make the most with what I have when my name's called on."
Noah is showing his usual spunk this December, registering 9.5 boards and 2.0 blocks per game. He's nonexistent as a scorer, posting 3.7 points on 3.9 shot attempts per game. The bar, however, is dropped low enough where he can scrape together loose ticks in other categories and send daily investors home happy.
He has offered at least 24 DraftKings points in each of the past seven games. Despite his offensive limitations, he has cemented a steady floor while flourishing off the bench.
Pricing information and scoring data obtained from DraftKings.com. All statistics, updated as of Sunday night, courtesy of NBA.com and RotoWire unless otherwise noted.
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