This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
While last weekend's NBA action on DraftKings featured tons of bargain options and obvious plays (Hello, Marco Belinelli and Cory Joseph), the upcoming weekend appears to be a bit short on such commodities.
Of course, that could change as injury news trickles in throughout the weekend, and with 12 Friday games, there should be some surprising absences. I'll be ready to change my lineups at a moment's notice, but pre-game prep is still plenty important.
The first injury situation to keep an eye on is the Knicks', after Carmelo Anthony (knee) and J.R. Smith (heel) missed Wednesday's loss to the Spurs. Both are considered questionable for Friday's favorable matchup with the Celtics, who rank first in pace (100.7) and 17th in defensive efficiency (104.4).
Playing without two of their top-three scorers Wednesday, the Knicks got 23 points over 29 minutes from Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4200), while Shane Larkin ($3000) re-entered the rotation to surprisingly play 25 minutes. Larkin isn't a recommended option, but Hardaway should be an excellent choice in the event that Anthony and/or Smith is/are unable to play. Iman Shumpert ($4100) would also get a boost, and he's a sneakier play than Hardaway. The Knicks are off Saturday, and then draw a much tougher matchup with the Raptors on Sunday.
Over in Cleveland, the Cavs only play one game this weekend, but with LeBron James (knee) uncertain for Friday's home tilt against the Pelicans, Cleveland may have a ton of minutes and production to replace. James missed Thursday's game against the Thunder, a team he'd typically want to fight through an injury to face. I'd thus be mildly surprised if he's ready just one day later, though it may come down to another game-time decision.
In any case, Matthew Dellavedova ($3000) replaced LeBron in Thursday's lineup, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal, four three-pointers and three turnovers over 34 minutes. Dion Waiters ($3700) would also be a solid option if the King misses another game, but Dellavedova appears to be the potential gem, after Waiters logged a modest 26 minutes Thursday night.
And, it probably goes without saying, but Kyrie Irving ($9000) will likely take more shots whenever James is unable to play. Irving did bruise his knee during Thursday's game, but he was still able to log 40 minutes, albeit with somewhat disappointing production. Kevin Love ($8800) went for 18 points and 16 rebounds, but he only attempted 13 field goals. I won't consider either superstar if James plays, but both are reasonable options if he doesn't.
On the other end of the talent spectrum, the Timberwolves certainly don't lack for intrigue this season, and that carries over to daily fantasy for the upcoming weekend. The team's plethora of rotation questions has partially been answered by an unlucky slew of injuries, but there's still plenty to sort out, especially on the wing.
Andrew Wiggins ($5400) is suddenly getting all the playing time he can handle, averaging 38.7 minutes over the last three games. Corey Brewer ($5700) is also getting a ton of run, though he seems to see more of the bench when Minnesota is unable to keep things close. Shabazz Muhammad ($4000) has been somewhat bothered by an ankle injury, and he isn't seeing quite as many minutes as the other two guys, but his price and per-minute production are rather promising.
I like Wiggins best out of the three, but I'm still lukewarm on him for Friday's game against Oklahoma City, as I much prefer Sunday's top-notch matchup with the Lakers. Really, I view all three as viable options, just not in the same lineup for a GPP. And, while we're talking about the Wolves, starting point guard Zach LaVine ($5400) is still a nice value, especially for that Sunday matchup with the Purple and Gold.
Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings…
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook, OKC (Fri. at MIN, Sun. vs. PHO), $10,100 – While he's yet to have the truly monstrous game we all know he's capable of, Westbrook has been consistently good while Oklahoma City has eased Kevin Durant back into action. Functioning as the lead man on a suddenly healthy squad, Westbrook has reached 40 DraftKings points in each of his six games since returning from the hand injury. With favorable matchups coming this weekend, he should find himself well above the 40-point mark in both games, even as Durant becomes increasingly comfortable. Let's just say that I'm not buying into Minnesota's early success slowing down point-guard production, as the team plays at a fast pace with only the slightest hint of defense.
Other options:Rajon Rondo, BOS (Fri. vs. NY), $8100; Mike Conley, MEM (Fri. vs. CHA, Sat. at PHI), $7400; Zach LaVine, MIN (Fri. vs. OKC, Sun. vs. LAL), $5400; C.J. Watson, IND (Fri. at TOR, Sat. vs. POR), $4000
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo, ORL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. ATL), $6300 – Oladipo seems to be fully past the facial fracture that held him out for the first two weeks of the season, as he's averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals through the first five games of December. That includes performances of 32.25, 31.25 and 31.5 DraftKings points in his last three contests, two of which saw him go over 35 minutes. While the recent production might seem to hint at a lack of upside, Oladipo spends plenty of time with the ball in his hands, and he's hit the 40-point mark on DraftKings in two of his last appearances. He also has a solid history against the Hawks, having averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over just 27.5 minutes in four games against them last season.
Other options:Dwyane Wade, MIA (Fri. at UTA, Sun. vs. CHI), $7700; Kyle Korver, ATL (Fri. vs. ORL, Sat. at ORL), $5600; Tim Hardaway Jr., NY (Fri. at BOS, Sun. vs. TOR), $4200; Rasual Butler, WAS (Fri. vs. LAC, Sun. vs. UTA), $3100
Small Forward
DeMarre Carroll, ATL (Fri. vs. ORL, Sat. at ORL), $5700 – I'm far from enamored with the small forward options for Friday, but Carroll is a hard choice to argue with, in a favorable matchup against the Magic. While I may head in another direction come Saturday, I'll happily look to ride Carroll's hot streak Friday night, as his price remains rather reasonable. He produced 30.5, 27.5, 30.25 and 40.75 DraftKings points in his last four games, with the big outing coming over just 26 minutes against the 76ers on Wednesday.
Other options:Gordon Hayward, UTA (Fri. vs. MIA, Sun. at WAS), $7500; Jeff Green, BOS (Fri. vs. NY), $6500; Corey Brewer, MIN, (Fri. vs. OKC, Sun. vs. LAL), $5700; Andrew Wiggins, MIN, (Fri. vs. OKC, Sun. vs. LAL), $5400; Luol Deng, MIA (Fri. at UTA, Sun. vs. CHI), $5100
Power Forward
Taj Gibson, CHI (Fri. vs. POR, Sun. at MIA), $5900 – Gibson should be a strong option so long as Joakim Noah (ankle) is sidelined, and the former Florida Gator has already been ruled out for Friday. That means the Bulls will roll with a starting frontcourt of Gibson and Pau Gasol, both of whom came up big in Wednesday's win over the Nets. Gibson is an excellent bet to top 30 minutes again, and he's averaging 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 blocks over 33.2 minutes in six starts this season. It's no new trend, as he's typically been far more productive as a starter throughout his career.
Other options:Tim Duncan, SA (Fri. vs. LAL, Sun. at DEN), $8600; Zach Randolph, MEM (Fri. vs. CHA, Sat. at PHI); Amar'e Stoudemire, NY (Fri. at BOS, Sun. vs. TOR), $5900; Robert Covington, PHI (Fri. at BKN, Sat. at CHA), $3800
Center
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR (Fri. vs. IND, Sun. at NY), $5500 – Valanciunas is a tough guy to rely on, but he offers a nightly ceiling that's hard to match at this price. Coming off back-to-back outings with 36-plus DraftKings points, he carries his lowest price since Nov. 24. While I might look elsewhere for a small contest or 50/50, the Lithuanian center is an excellent option for bigger GPPs. Friday's matchup may not be ideal, but Roy Hibbert isn't really all that scary, and Sunday's matchup with the Knicks is more favorable than the DraftKings production-against indicates.
Other options:Marc Gasol, MEM (Fri. vs. POR, Sun. at MIA), $8500; Chris Bosh, MIA (Fri. at UTA, Sun. vs. CHI), $8200; Al Jefferson, CHA (Fri. at MEM, Sat. vs. BKN), $7900; Jerome Jordan, BKN (Fri. vs. PHI, Sat. at CHA), $3900
