We have a nice four game slate for the NBA today, but there are still plenty of good options all across the board. I'll give you some high-priced options, along with some value plays, to help you differentiate on a short slate. I will let you know if I prefer a play for cash games or GPPs. The season has been underway for a good time now, so we are seeing players settle into trends and seeing which players are for real.
There are some nice game stack potentials on the board tonight, so look for a few pairings and go from there. With fewer options across the board, the variance is lower tonight, so it could be worth taking some shots in some GPPs. There are a ton of great and safe cash plays tonight, so sit back, read up and let's win some contests. If you have any questions, find me at @DFS_Tom.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook - PG, vs LAL (DK:$12,500)
Westbrook is the highest priced option on the slate by a pretty significant margin, and when he is in play, he is always worth a look. He is averaging 63 DraftKings points per game, which is insane. Westbrook has put up 61 or more points in three of his last four games. He is on an unbelievable streak right now, and we should be seeing much of the same for the entire season. This is going to be the Russell Westbrook show every night. How many points can he score? Some NBA pundits believe he has the potential to average a triple-double for the entire season. These are potentially unseen numbers. Westbrook is always a solid option to build a GPP roster around.
Jrue Holiday - PG, vs ATL ($6,400)
Jrue Holiday is nice mid ranged option tonight and has a good matchup vs the Hawks. Despite Atlanta being known for their defensive prowess over the last few seasons, they are giving up 56 DraftKings points per game to opposing point guards. Holiday has only played two games this season, but he has put up 38 points and 40 DK points in his first two. A good, mid-ranged price point and consistency makes Holiday a great play.
Jordan Clarkson - PG/SG, vs OKC ($5,000)
Clarkson is a much cheaper option on the slate tonight, and he has good upside. As of now, D'Angelo Russell is listed as questionable and sat out of practice on Monday. Clarkson could see an increase in minutes if Russell is out, and that gives him some big potential. This is a situation where you need to monitor Twitter and check for injury updates as the day goes on. Between morning shoot around and pre-game warm-ups, there is potential for this situation to change. If Russell does play, it decreases the upside of Clarkson.
Dwyane Wade - SG vs DEN ($6,000)
Wade is a great mid-price play for tonight. He didn't play on Sunday due to rest, so he will be all set on Tuesday. He has a very favorable matchup versus the Nuggets who are giving up a league worst 48 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards. Even with is aging knees, Flash is still playing 30 minutes a game and averaging 18 real points. Wade is a good leverage play against some of the higher priced shooting guards.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis - PF vs POR ($7,500)
Porzingis has been on a nice little streak over the last four games, where he has scored 34 or more DraftKings points. He is getting expensive but could be a good stack with Carmelo Anthony. They are up against the Trail Blazers who are giving up 46 DraftKings points per game to forwards. Portland is also entering their fourth straight road game, so this could be a good time to target players against them.
Anthony Davis - PF vs ATL ($11,000)
Davis just won Western Conference player of the week. He put up 34 or more real points in three of his last four games, which translates to seven straight games of 50+ DraftkKings points. The Pelicans tend to score a lot every game, but they also have given up 100 points in eight of their last nine games. They simply cannot stop the ball on defense which translates to a higher pace for the game, giving Davis more looks. He is a great option to build a GPP lineup around. He should almost certainly hit value and give you a nice base of points to build around.
Kent Bazemore - SF vs NO ($5,500)
Bazemore is an interesting option tonight since he falls somewhat in no-man's-land in terms of salary. He isn't expensive and isn't super cheap so he may be overlooked. He is up against the Pelicans, who as I mentioned before, are horrible on defense, and the high-paced game should give him plenty of looks. Since he falls in the middle salary wise, he could be a sneaky GPP play and doesn't need to score a lot to hit value.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Mason Plumlee - C vs NY ($5,600)
Plumlee is an interesting option as always. He doesn't create a ton of offense on his own and is the benefactor of having great guards on the Trail Blazers. He has tallied eight or more rebounds in three straight games, to go along with seven assists in two of his last three. He has the potential to fill up the stat sheet in other ways than just points. Pairing him with either Lillard or McCollum could be a nice little stack vs the Knicks.
Dwight Howard - C vs NO ($7,700)
When Howard is playing well, he can be one of the most dominant centers in the league. He has put up a double-double in five straight games and 45 DraftKings points or more in his last two. The Pelicans are giving up 48 DraftKings points per game to centers, and with the Pelicans inability to stop the ball on defense, this game should see plenty of up and down action, translating to more looks for Howard. Even though Howard is the most expensive pure center, he is worth a look and worth plugging into some lineups with the potential savings at the guard position.
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