NBA's Wednesday night action consists of 10 games. On large slates, I typically like to draft a well-rounded squad consisting of a lot of $6,000 to $8,000 players. Although, with two mouthwatering contests, involving four high-scoring teams, it will be really difficult to stay away from some of the big money names.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/07/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @DemetriRafto.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Rodney McGrudger - SG, @ ATL ($3,600)
McGrudger will likely never blow anyone away with his stats, but he's been playing an eye-opening amount of minutes of late. He has seen the floor for 30 or more minutes in his last six of seven contests, and doesn't need to do much to reach projection at his low price. The Miami Heat will be playing in the second leg of a back-to-back Wednesday night, which could mean rest and a decrease in minutes for the regulars considering all the injuries surrounding the team's backcourt. McGrudger attempts several from behind the arc per game and will free up a ton of cap space for others on this list.
Jamal Murray - PG/SG, @ BK ($3,900)
Jamal Murray has been a very streaky producer for daily fantasy. Earlier in November, Murray posted four straight showings of 30 or more fantasy points. He then proceeded to throw up dud after dud until his most recent game where he dropped 22 points, three rebounds, and two assists. My money is on Murray building off of his solid performance, especially against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets allow the most points per contest and have not defended the guard position well all season. Murray is another inexpensive tournament option with some decent upside.
James Harden - PG/SG, vs LAL ($11,400)
Cha-ching, time to break out the wallets and check books. Although, no matter how expensive Harden's price tag becomes, it doesn't seem like an insanely absurd investment. He has disappointed with two performances of under 50 fantasy points of late, but heads into a favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The last time these two squads met was opening day of this season, a 120-114 win for the Lakers, where Harden dropped 34 points, 17 assists, and seven rebounds. We can expect another high-scoring, competitive matchup, including another bloated stat line from The Beard.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Joe Harris - SF, vs DEN ($3,600)
Here is another unlikely option for daily fantasy. But, if we want to free up room for the likes of James Harden, we need to fish for the low-money guys as well. Joe Harris, like McGrudger, will never blow you away with his offense, but can do just enough to make us all very, very content. He has posted 22 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games, and has displayed quite the affinity for pulling the trigger from downtown.
The Denver Nuggets have been pretty good at defending the three-ball, but still allow the fifth most amount of points (109.0) per game.
Blake Griffin - PF, vs GS ($8,600)
Here is where the checkbook is needed again, although this one won't hurt as much as Harden's price tag. I'm very interested in this game as well as the Rockets versus the Lakers. Two Western Conference powerhouses square off, one of which that recently torched the Indiana Pacers for 142 points. That team was not the Los Angeles Clippers, yet I still like their chances (to produce for daily fantasy, at least) against the MonStars.
The Golden State Warriors have not defended the forward position well all season, and are one of the worst teams at doing so. They recently allowed 21 points and 10 boards to Paul George. I'm very excited to see what Griffin is capable of doing.
Kyle O'Quinn - PF/C, vs CLE ($3,900)
Whether Joakim Noah starts or not, it's clear who the favorite at center in New York is. Listed at both power forward and the position he mostly plays, O'Quinn is a much more intriguing option than Noah for daily fantasy and in real life. O'Quinn has shown a ton more energy than the defensive-minded Noah, and has displayed a surprising ability to rack up fantasy points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best teams at defending the position, but O'Quinn doesn't need to score to produce for DraftKings, as his rebounds and blocks speak for themselves. He's been a bench spark for the Knickerbockers all season.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Clint Capela - C, vs LAL ($5,500)
Capela rounds off this list, and faces a team he dropped 16 points and nine rebounds the last time they squared off at the beginning of the season. I'm a huge fan at stacking this game as it should be another high-scoring affair. Regardless of the past, Capela has impressed me on the court and is really fitting into his new role well now with Dwight Howard in Atlanta. While I typically like spending up at this position and while Houston's center has struggled to produce for daily fantasy of late, Capela's inexpensive and is a threat to produce for 30-plus.
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