This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
No need to worry if the Christmas games didn't go your way – there's one last weekend of NBA action in 2014, and DraftKings has plenty of big tournaments, including Friday's $110K 3-Ball ($300 entry) and $100K Crossover ($27 entry).
Before we get on to anything else, keep in mind that the Spurs will play the second game of a back-to-back Friday against the Pelicans, in the aftermath of a Christmas Day loss to Russell Westbrook (and a couple other guys, I suppose). Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will probably be rested, which would open up some nice bargain-bin options, namely Marco Belinelli ($3800) and Aron Baynes ($3500)
Boris Diaw missed Thursday's game due to a minor illness, and Tiago Splitter is another candidate to sit. I'm not ready to commit to anyone before seeing the injury report/lineup, but there will almost certainly be some sub-$4000 options. Belinelli actually replaced Kyle Anderson in Thursday's starting lineup, and while the change didn't do much for the Italian sharpshooter, a Ginobili absence would further boost Marco's appeal.
Incidentally, OKC is another key team to keep an eye on, with Kevin Durant's absence likely to extend through the weekend. There aren't enough minutes in the world to make Perry Jones relevant, but Reggie Jackson ($5000) has benefited from added playing time and more field-goal attempts. Though he was a heavily-rostered disappointment on Thursday, Jackson recorded 35 or more DraftKings points in each of the previous three games, all of which Durant missed. Jackson is still an excellent option, particularly with a pair of favorable weekend matchups against the Bobcats (Fri.) and Mavericks (Sun.).
And, of course, Russell Westbrook remains a strong option, even while carrying a $12,000 price tag into the weekend. He's incredibly ball-dominant when Durant doesn't play, and it's only fair that Russell is the most expensive player.
On the other end of OKC's price spectrum, Steven Adams ($4400) is suddenly looking like a monster, with three games of 30+ minutes and 25+ DK points in his last four outings. The other performance came in at 23 minutes and 22.25 points, which is still reasonable production for his current price. Sure, the first two big games were partially a result of Kendrick Perkins feeling under the weather, but Adams had no such benefit for Thursday's shocking 16-15-1-3-2 stat line against the Spurs.
It's hard to trust that the big kiwi will keep getting 25-35 minutes, but anyone who has watched Kendrick Perkins play for the last three (five?) years knows that's exactly what should happen. Adams is admittedly a nightly candidate for foul trouble, but his ceiling is absolutely worth a stab in GPPs on Friday, even though he'll be a massively popular option. On that note, it's probably worth fading him in a couple of lineups, if you're entering quite a few.
Moving away from the title contenders, I unfortunately find myself quite intrigued by the 76ers this weekend, primarily because of one Tony Wroten ($4300). Mr. Wroten took a price dive due to last week's unusual dud (4.5 DK points in 30 min.) against the Celtics, and he also missed Tuesday's game versus Miami with a sprained knee. You've got to love the price if he suits up, while an absence would make some of his teammates very interesting for Friday's contest in Portland.
Michael Carter-Williams ($9600) rarely leaves the floor when Wroten sits, and guys like K.J. McDaniels ($4900) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute ($4100) also would figure to see more minutes, especially if Hollis Thompson (illness) misses another game. This team is loaded with high-upside options, as MCW, Mbah a Moute, Nerlens Noel ($5100) and Robert Covington ($5800) all carry excellent ceilings at their respective price tags.
I'm not exactly sure what to do with this team, and it doesn't help that Friday's game has a good shot to get ugly. I'll end up heavily using one or two 76ers, but it's still not entirely clear which ones. For what it's worth, Covington looks like the safest play of the bunch.
That's all I've got for now. Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings…
Point Guard
Mo Williams, MIN (Fri. at DEN, Sat. at GS), $4300 – While Zach LaVine is still getting the starts, Williams is averaging 26.3 minutes over his past three games, despite ceding most of the garbage-time work to the rookie. Williams has been far more productive on a per-minute basis this season, averaging 24.5 DraftKings points over 26 minutes, compared to 18.4 over 25.2 minutes for LaVine. The T-Wolves clearly want both players to see plenty of the court, but Williams is the far better point guard right now, and LaVine is plenty big enough for the team to run him in two-point guard lineups. I still can't promise that Williams will get most of the minutes this weekend, but if he does, the upside is fantastic for a $4300 price tag. Take a look at Sunday's (12/21) game against Indiana, when Williams put up 42.25 DK points over 32 minutes, while LaVine logged just 16 minutes.
Other options:Russell Westbrook, OKC (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. at DAL), $12,000; Brandon Knight, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. ATL), $7000; Patrick Beverley, HOU (Fri. at MEM, Sun. at SA), $5700; Reggie Jackson, OKC (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. at DAL), $5000; Tony Wroten, PHI (Fri. at POR, Sat. at UTA), $4300; Jose Calderon, NY (Sat. at SAC, Sun. at POR)
Shooting Guard
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. ATL), $5400 – I'm shocked that the Greek Freak hasn't been a more popular option lately, as the Bucks have wisely been giving him 35-plus minutes since Jabari Parker went down for the season. It's a trend that figures to continue, given Milwaukee's lack of depth at the forward spots. Antetokounmpo is averaging 24.8 DraftKings points over 27.4 minutes this season, and he's logged 35-plus minutes in each of his last three games entering Friday. We can expect about 30 DK points out of him, with the potential for a whole lot more.
Other options:James Harden, HOU (Fri. at MEM, Sun. at SA), $11,500; Tyreke Evans, NO (Fri. vs. SA, Sat. at CHI), $7700; Kyle Korver, ATL (Fri. vs. MIL, Sat. at MIL), $5200; Jimmy Butler, CHI (Sat. vs. NO); Avery Bradley BOS (Fri. afternoon vs. BRO, Sat. at WAS)
Small Forward
Shabazz Muhammad, MIN (Fri. at DEN, Sat. at GS), $6400 – This feels like a lot to pay, and the hot streak means Muhammad will probably be a popular choice. The second-year pro is still worth ponying up for, as he's become the clear-cut primary scorer on a team devoid of other options. Muhammad is averaging almost exactly a DK point per minute this season, and he's now regularly threatening the 35-minute mark. As much as I like him for Friday, there's no chance I'd pay $6400 for Muhammad against the Warriors.
Other options:Rudy Gay, SAC (Fri. vs. PHO, Sat. vs. NY), $8300; Wilson Chandler, DEN (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. vs. TOR), $5800; DeMarre Carroll, ATL (Fri. vs. MIL, Sat. at MIL), $5200; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, PHI (Fri. at POR, Sat. at UTA), $4100; Jared Dudley, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. ATL), $3700; Solomon Hill, IND (Fri. at DET, Sat. at BRO), $3700
Power Forward
Ed Davis, LAL (Fri. at DAL, Sun. vs. PHO), $4500 – Continuing with the trend of risky, cheap options, Davis is a fantastic choice for GPPs, as he enters the weekend with three performances of 29.25 or more DraftKings points in his past four games. There are nights where he loses too many minutes to Carlos Boozer, but then others where he gets a double-double before the end of the third quarter. I like him for Friday, but he's coming off a huge Christmas performance, and Sunday's matchup is better. Of course, his price will probably rise by Sunday, so there are a few different ways you could go about this.
Other options:David West, IND (Fri. at DET, Sat. at BRO), $6200; Robert Covington, PHI (Fri. at POR, Sat. at UTA), $5800; Mareese Speights, GS (Sat. vs. MIN)
Center
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (Fri. vs. PHO, Sat. vs. NY), $10,700 – Boogie has quickly gotten back to his dominant ways, averaging 26 points and 11 boards in three games since returning from meningitis, despite missing most of the fourth quarter in Monday's blowout loss to the Dubs. Heading into a massively favorable matchup with three full days of rest, Cousins should wreak havoc on Alex Len and Co. on Friday. It probably won't go much better for the Knicks on Sunday, so get ready to deploy the big man twice.
Other options:Tyson Chandler, CHA (Fri. vs. LAL, Sun. vs. OKC), $7000; Kyle O'Quinn, ORL (Fri. vs. CLE, Sat. at CHA), $5300; Steven Adams, OKC (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. at DAL), $4400; Larry Sanders, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. ATL), $4000; Alex Len, PHO (Fri. at SAC, Sun. at LAL), $4000; Lavoy Allen, IND (Fri. at DET, Sat. at BRO), $3700; Mason Plumlee, BRO (Fri. afternoon at BOS, Sat. vs. IND); Kelly Olynyk, BOS (Fri. afternoon vs. BRO, Sat. at WAS
