NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Friday (12/9)

I’m excited to get into this slate. I just watched an epic matchup between Denver and Portland, and games like those are why we love this business. There were 14 lead changes in the final seven minutes of that game, and it was truly the most exciting game I’ve seen this year. That has my batteries fully charged and ready to go, so let’s take a gander at this Friday schedule to cap off the week!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

Schedule and Odds

• WAS at IND (IND -5) O/U: NA
• TOR at ORL (TOR -7.5) O/U: 219.5
• NYK at CHA (NYK -4.5) O/U: 224
• SAC at CLE (CLE -6.5) O/U: NA
• ATL at BKN (BKN -7.5) O/U: 228.5
• LAL at PHI (PHI -4) O/U: 224.5
• DET at MEM (MEM -10.5) O/U: 227.5
• PHX at NOP (PHX -1) O/U: 226.5
• MIN at UTA (UTA -3) O/U: NA
• MIL at DAL (MIL -1.5) O/U: 222.5

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Bradley Beal (hamstring) OUT
• Jalen Smith (knee) Questionable
• Wendell Carter Jr.(foot) OUT
• Jalen Suggs (ankle) OUT
• LaMelo Ball (ankle) OUT
• Gordon Hayward (shoulder) OUT
• John Collins (ankle) OUT
• Dejounte Murray (ankle) OUT
• Ben Simmons (knee) Probable
• Anthony Davis (illness) Questionable
• Tyrese Maxey (foot) OUT
• Cade Cunningham (shin) OUT
• Desmond Bane (toe) OUT
• Brandon Ingram (toe) OUT
• Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
• Mike Conley (knee) Questionable
• Collin Sexton (hamstring) Questionable
• PJ Washington (eye) Questionable

Core Plays

Joel Embiid (PF/C – PHI): $11,500 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
It’s been fun watching Embiid blossom over the past few years. This big man has been the runner-up MVP in back-to-back years, and he might earn more votes this season. Embiid has scored at least 56 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games, averaging nearly 70 DK points per game in that span! That’s one of the best eight-game stretches you’ll see all year, and it looks even better with LA owning a 25th OPRK against opposing centers.

Trae Young (PG – ATL): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
With Dejounte Murray out for the next two weeks, Trae will be one of the best players in fantasy. The point guard is already averaging 47 DK points per game, but we expect that to be his floor in this expanded role. Young should see a massive boost in usage, shot attempts, and minutes, posting a 38 percent usage rate with Murray off the floor this year. Not to mention, Trae has at least 58 DK points in his last two matchups with the Nets.

Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C – WAS): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
Porzingis is in the same boat as Young. He’s stepping up with Bradley Beal out of the lineup, running this Washington offense in his absence. KP was already amid a career year before Beal’s injury, averaging 42.4 DK points per game. He’s been even better recently, averaging 54 fantasy points per game across his last five outings. That makes him a good value below $10K in this expanded role, especially since Indiana allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $13,000 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
Luka’s price is crazy, but this MVP frontrunner has earned it. This guy is a triple-double machine, leading the NBA with 63 DraftKings points per game. His floor is equally as absurd, scoring at least 52 fantasy points in all but two games this year. Facing Milwaukee can be a challenging matchup for most, but Doncic has scored at least 51 DK points in five straight games against the Bucks en route to a 65-point average.

Ja Morant (PG – MEM): $10,600 DraftKings, $10,600 FanDuel
Ja has been unstoppable since Desmond Bane went down. This guy was already playing at an All-Star level before the injury, but Morant has scored at least 41 DraftKings points in 13 straight games. He’s also generating a 51-point average in that span, dropping 57 and 67 DK points in his last two outings. Facing Detroit’s disastrous defense is the best part of this, with the Pistons ranked 29th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.

Clint Capela (C – ATL): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
It’s weird to call Capela a cash game player, but he’s become incredibly consistent since John Collins got injured. That’s guaranteed Cap a 30-minute role, and that’s all he needs to be a reliable fantasy option. That’s led to Capela scoring at least 29 DraftKings points in 12 of his last 13 games while posting a 35-point average in that span. That’s amazing from a $6K player, and we obviously don’t mind that CC averaged 12 points and 14.7 rebounds in his three matchups with Brooklyn last year.

GPP Targets

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
Rudy had a rough week, and it feels like everyone forgot about how good this guy can be. Gobert averaged nearly 40 fantasy points per game through the first 17 games of the year and played at a $9K level in his days with the Jazz. We expect him to see an increase in shot attempts, minutes, and rebounds in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns, with led to Gobert gobbling up 54.3 DK points in his most recent outing. You know he’ll be hungry against his former team, which is impressive since Utah owns a 26th OPRK against opposing centers.

Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Injuries have derailed Robinson’s career at times, but he’s got the talent to be a $7K player. The big man has scored at least 24 DK points in six of his last seven games, providing a 30-point average in that span. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$6K player, and we love that his minutes are on the rise the healthier he gets. The matchup is the best part of this, though, with Charlotte surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Deni Avdija (SG/SF – WAS): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
There’s plenty of production to be had in Washington with Beal out of the picture, and we have to assume Avdija will be the biggest beneficiary. The talented forward had 33 DK points across 39 minutes in the first game without Beal and has been a beast in that sort of role all year. He’s played over 30 minutes seven times this year, scoring at least 27 fantasy points in each of those en route to a 35-point average. If you get that from a $5K player, you have one of the critical pieces to the optical lineup.

Value Plays

D’Angelo Russell (PG/SG – MIN): $7,100 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
Anthony Edwards has taken over this offense in the absence of KAT, but Russell has seen the biggest boost in production. The former All-Star has scored at least 32 fantasy points in seven straight games, totaling a 38-point average in that span. That makes it hard to believe that he’s still barely cracking $7K on both sites, especially since he’s seeing a massive boost in usage and shot attempts.

Nicolas Claxton (C – BKN): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Claxton and Robinson are very similar players because they’re both monsters when given the minutes. That’s become more consistent for Clax over recent weeks, he has scored at least 29 DK points in seven of his last eight games, averaging 46 DK points per game across 32 minutes a night. Getting to face Atlanta is amazing, too, with the Hawks surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Monte Morris (PG/SG – WAS): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Morris has always been a reliable player with a limited ceiling, but that should rise with Beal out of the picture. In the first game without the All-Star, Morris amassed 33 DK points. He simply needs to do more as this team’s starting point guard in his absence, and we’ve seen Morris play at a $6K level in this sort of role in the past. Indiana is an incredible matchup, too, with the Pacers ranked 24th in points allowed and defensive efficiency.

Advantageous Pricing

• Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $13,000 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
• Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Jalen Brunson (PG/SG – NYK): $6,800 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
• Kelly Oubre (SG/SF – CHA): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Fred VanVleet (PG/SG – TOR): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Cole Anthony (PG/SG – ORL): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Myles Turner (C – IND): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Austin Reaves (SG/SF – LAL): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
• Saddiq Bey (SG/SF – DET): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
• Jaylen Nowell (PG/SG – MIN): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Walker Kessler (C – MIN): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel

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