This week has been absolutely nuts. The COVID craziness is wreaking havoc on the NBA right now, and it’s definitely playing a part here. This is my final article of the week, though, and I want to wish all of you Happy Holidays! This is a great time to spend some minutes with the people you love and an excellent time to be appreciative of something as simple as basketball. I want to thank all of you for reading, and let’s make some money for the holidays!
It’s strange to see such a massive slate on a Thursday, but here we are with 11 games. That makes the player pool huge, and it’s tough to decipher with so many teams dealing with COVID breakouts. We’ll do our best to get all of them mentioned, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and then get into the lengthy injury report!
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Schedule and Odds
- HOU at IND (IND -8.5) O/U: 219
- NOP at ORL (NOP -5) O/U: 208.5
- ATL at PHI (PHI -9) O/U: 214.5
- DET at MIA (MIA -11) O/U: 205
- WAS at NYK (WAS -1) O/U: 208.5
- MIL at DAL (MIL -4.5) O/U: 215.5
- CHA at DEN (DEN -5) O/U: 229.5
- OKC at PHX (PHX -14.5) O/U: 215
- MIN at UTA (UTA -11) O/U: 225
- MEM at GSW (GSW -6.5) O/U: 216.5
- SAS at LAL (LAL -2) O/U: 224.5
Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros
This week has been absolutely nuts. The COVID craziness is wreaking havoc on the NBA right now, and it’s definitely playing a part here. This is my final article of the week, though, and I want to wish all of you Happy Holidays! This is a great time to spend some minutes with the people you love and an excellent time to be appreciative of something as simple as basketball. I want to thank all of you for reading, and let’s make some money for the holidays!
It’s strange to see such a massive slate on a Thursday, but here we are with 11 games. That makes the player pool huge, and it’s tough to decipher with so many teams dealing with COVID breakouts. We’ll do our best to get all of them mentioned, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and then get into the lengthy injury report!
Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel
Schedule and Odds
- HOU at IND (IND -8.5) O/U: 219
- NOP at ORL (NOP -5) O/U: 208.5
- ATL at PHI (PHI -9) O/U: 214.5
- DET at MIA (MIA -11) O/U: 205
- WAS at NYK (WAS -1) O/U: 208.5
- MIL at DAL (MIL -4.5) O/U: 215.5
- CHA at DEN (DEN -5) O/U: 229.5
- OKC at PHX (PHX -14.5) O/U: 215
- MIN at UTA (UTA -11) O/U: 225
- MEM at GSW (GSW -6.5) O/U: 216.5
- SAS at LAL (LAL -2) O/U: 224.5
Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros
Injury Report
Core Plays
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,200 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
Joker just had his worst game of the season on Wednesday, but you better believe the big man will bounce back here. He scored at least 41 DraftKings points in every game before that rare dud en route to a 59-point average. Both of those totals should be easy to reach here, with Charlotte ranked dead-last in points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Willy Hernangomez (C – NOP): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
With Jonas Valanciunas expected to miss this game, Willy should be in for a spot start. This dude has been a stud in limited minutes this season, averaging 20.7 DK points per game across 15 minutes a night. That’s one of the best rates in the NBA, and it’s scary to think what he’ll do with double the minutes here. If you look at the three games Hernangomez has played at least 23 minutes, he’s scored at least 35 fantasy points in all of those.
Cam Reddish (SG/SF – ATL): $4,600 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel
Atlanta struggled in the first game without Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, and Clint Capela, but it did make Reddish a fantasy gem. He dropped a career-best 34 points in that Wednesday masterpiece, providing four rebounds, four assists, and two blocks as well. That’s unbelievable from a player this cheap, and it makes him impossible to fade with how shorthanded this team is right now.
Cash Game Considerations
Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $11,900 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
There’s a ton of value on this slate, so it’s imperative to get the guaranteed 50-60 fantasy points from guys like Jokic and Curry. We love Steph here because of this situation, with Golden State missing Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Those are the second and third highest scoring players on this team, and it’s terrifying for Memphis that Curry will get an increase in shots and touches here with those guys out. In their last meeting, Chef Curry cooked Grizzly meat to the tune of 36 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
John Collins (PF/C – ATL): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
Reddish was the top scorer in Atlanta’s loss on Wednesday, but JC was the focal point of the offense. They were feeding him non-stop in the post, but he could not capitalize on a lot of his opportunities. In any case, Collins collected 28 points and 12 rebounds in that “disappointing” game, making him a candidate for 40-50 fantasy points in this expanded role.
Robin Lopez (C – ORL): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
This sounds crazy to say, but Lopez was the primary distributor in Orlando’s win on Wednesday. He finished that Afro Show with 10 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists. It’s easy to see why he had such a big game, with Wendell Carter Jr, Mo Bamba, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs all sidelined right now. That has left Robin with a Jokic-type role, and we might have to change his first name to Batman if these stat lines continue.
GPP Targets
Chris Duarte (PG/SG – IND): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
I’d be shocked if Malcolm Brogdon plays here after aggravating his Achilles issue on Monday, putting Duarte in line for a start at point guard. They’re also missing T.J. McConnell, which should force Chris into 40 minutes and primary ball-handling duties. If you look at the six games Brogdon has missed, Duarte has scored at least 26 DraftKings points in five of them, averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. We love that with Houston ranked 24th in total defense while playing at the third-fastest pace in the NBA.
Matisse Thybulle (SF/PF – PHI): $3,500 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
Thybulle will only reach double figures in raw points a few times every season, but his defense makes him an elite option when he’s looking at a role like this. Philly is expected to be without Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Shake Milton, Danny Green, and Georges Niang, leaving Thybulle with a ton of minutes. On Monday, Mattisse played 32 minutes and dropped 20 fantasy points in that expanded role. That’s not a ton, but it’s all you can ask for from a $4K player, especially since he’s got 30-point potential with that sort of workload.
Killian Hayes (PG – DET): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
Injuries have ravished Detroit, but the Cade Cunningham COVID diagnosis has Hayes in line for a big game. With Jerami Grant out as well, that means the top two ball-handlers will sit out. That should allow Hayes to handle the ball on almost every possession, and this guy has shown flashes of brilliance in this role this season. In fact, Killian has at least 27 DK points in the three games he’s played at least 32 minutes, and that should be his floor in this tasty spot.
Value Plays
Delon Wright (PG – ATL): $4,200 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
On Wednesday, Wright was in 100 percent of my lineups, and he provided solid value despite not having a huge game. Delon dropped 26.3 DK points despite struggling, which is still a fantastic total from a guy barely cracking $4,000. The simple fact is, he’s guaranteed for 30-40 minutes with Trae Young out of the lineup, and he averaged nearly 40 fantasy points per game in a similar role last year.
Kemba Walker (PG – NYK): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Kemba was exiled out of the Knicks rotation for unseen reasons, but he’s back and playing a full allotment of minutes now. Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett both catching COVID was a boost, but Derrick Rose‘s surgery forced him into this monster role. In the first two games without those guys, Kemba played at least 37 minutes in both, scoring at least 41 DraftKings points in each outing.
Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $3,700 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
This is a risky play, but Looney is just too cheap. He always plays some extra minutes when Golden State faces a traditional center, and Steven Adams is undoubtedly one of those guys. That’s great news with Golden State already shorthanded, with Looney likely looking at 25 minutes of play. If that’s the case, we love Kevon, averaging 31 DK points per game in the five fixtures he’s played at least 25 minutes.
Advantageous Pricing
- Chuma Okeke (PF – ORL): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
- Robin Lopez (C – ORL): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
- Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $11,900 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
- Donovan Mitchell (PG – UTA): $9,500 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
- Derrick White (PG/SG – SAS): $6,700 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
- Bradley Beal (SG – WAS): $9,800 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
- Devin Booker (SG – PHX): $8,600 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
- Caris LeVert (SG/SF – IND): $7,700 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
- Tobias Harris (PF – PHI): $9,200 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
- Jordan Nwora (SF/PF – MIL): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
- Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $10,500 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
- Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – IND): $10,100 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
