NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday, Dec. 6
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are two players for Cash Game Consideration on Tuesday night’s slate.
After a large slate on Monday, we have a tiny Tuesday card. We only have three games, and all three have a total between 222 and 224, which is just a bizarre occurrence.
Injury Report
- LeBron James – Questionable
- Anthony Davis – Questionable
- Jarrett Allen (back) Questionable
- Ricky Rubio (knee) OUT
- Cade Cunningham (shin) OUT
- Jimmy Butler – Questionable
- Christian Wood (illness) Questionable
- Michael Porter (heel) Questionable
Core Plays
Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
Davis goes on these stretches where he’s the best player in the NBA, and he’s in one of those grooves right now. The big man has scored at least 53 DraftKings points in 10 straight games, averaging 67 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s the best 10-game stretch of anyone all year, and we all know he has the talent to keep playing like this for as long as he stays healthy. Facing Cleveland is concerning, but Davis should benefit from not having to face Jarrett Allen.
Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $8,600 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel
We have three high-priced guys who are can’t-miss options, so we have to find someone in this $9K price range. Butler looks like the best option of the bunch, scoring at least 38 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games. He’s also got his season average just shy of 50 DK points per game, running this Miami offense every night. That makes him tough to fade against Detroit, surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.
Cash Game Considerations
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,400 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
“The Joker” has been the best player in fantasy for three years now. He’s scored at least 39 DraftKings points in all but three games since the start of last season, averaging over 60 fantasy points per game since 2020. That’s why he’s the two-time reigning MVP and why he’s the best cash game player on every slate. Dallas can be a daunting matchup, but Jokic averaged 24.3 points, 16 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in their three meetings last season.
Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,400 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
While Jokic has been the best player in fantasy over the last three years, Luka has taken that crown this season. He’s leading the NBA with 63 DraftKings points per game, thanks to his league-leading 38 percent usage rate. He’s also scored at least 52 DK points in all but two outings, averaging 27.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 9.5 apg in his two games against Denver this year. It’ll be impossible to fit all of these studs but try to squeeze in two if possible.
GPP Targets
Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $7,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Mobley is becoming a monster before our eyes. The 2021-22 Kia Rookie of the Year runner-up is developing into one of the best big men in the NBA, averaging 35 fantasy points per game. The absence of Allen has taken his game to another level, though, posting a 41-point average in the last five games Allen has missed. It’s more rebounds, minutes, and shot attempts for Mobley, which is fantastic since L.A. owns a 25th OPRK against opposing big men.
Dennis Schroder (PG – LAL): $4,100 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Schroder is risky, but this guy has too much upside to be this cheap. Dennis the Menace was a $7K player as a starting point guard in the past, and he’s shown glimpses of that this year. Schroder has played at least 29 minutes in five straight games, averaging 23 fantasy points per game in that span. We know this guy can post a 30-point average in a 30-minute role, making him a worthy risk in this price range.
Value Plays
Bruce Brown (SG/SF – DEN): $6,100 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
The Nuggets have been begging for role players, and they finally got one in Brown. The winger has at least 25 DK points in 10 of his last 12 games, generating a 32-point average in that stretch. That’s all you can ask for from a $6K player, and it’s clear Denver wants Brown to be one of the playmakers going forward. He demolished Dallas in their two matchups this year, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in both of those.
Dorian Finney-Smith (SF/PF – DAL): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Finney-Smith plays too much to be this cheap. The defensive stud is playing a career-high 33 minutes a night. As long as that keeps happening, he will see his production rise as it has been recently. Over the last six games, Finney-Smith is averaging 22 fantasy points per game. That’s good enough from a sub-$5K player, and it’s critical to find guys like this to pair with Jokic, Doncic, and Davis.
Advantageous Pricing
- Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
- Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $8,600 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel
- Dennis Schroder (PG – LAL): $4,100 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
- Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,000 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
- Bojan Bogdanovic (SG/SF – DET): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Killian Hayes (PG – DET): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
- Caris LeVert (SG/SF – CLE): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
- Tim Hardaway Jr.(SG – DAL): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
***
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
