NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (12/5)

We had two quarterfinal games yesterday, and we’re seeing the other two here. Watching elimination games in December is something we’ve never seen as NBA fans, and if yesterday was any indication, we’re in for a tremendous Tuesday card. With that in mind, let’s dive into these two Tuesday games!

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

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• NYK at MIL (MIL -4.5) O/U: 225.5
• PHX at LAL (LAL -1.5): O/U: 227.5

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Bradley Beal (back) OUT
• LeBron James (calf) Questionable
• Eric Gordon (knee) Questionable
• Rui Hachimura (face) Questionable

Core Plays

Devin Booker (PG/SG – PHX): $10,100 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Book has had trouble staying on the court this season, but he’s been one of the best players in the NBA when he’s healthy. The Phoenix point guard has scored at least 44 DraftKings points in all but one game, generating a 52-point average in those outings. He’s thriving in this expanded role without Bradley Beal, and it’s likely to continue against an LA team allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel
AD can be infuriating at times because he looks like the best player in the league when he’s right. We’ve been seeing glimpses of that recently, with Davis scoring at least 57 DK points in four of his last five outings. He’s actually surpassed that total 11 times this year and has one of the highest ceilings in the NBA. Facing an undersized Phoenix team only adds to his intrigue, with AD averaging 63 DK points per game against them in their four matchups since the start of last season.

Cash Game Considerations

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
The former MVP started slowly with Damian Lillard, but he’s cruising right now. Giannis has scored at least 52 DK points in 10 of his last 12 games, cracking 59 fantasy points in eight of those. That’s the stud we’ve become accustomed to, and we know this guy will be motivated in an elimination game against the Knicks. Antetokounmpo scored at least 66 fantasy points in two of his three meetings with NY last year!

Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $9,900 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
It’s hard to believe that KD and Book can play like this together, but they’ve developed into one of the best duos in the NBA. Durant has scored at least 39 DraftKings points in every game this year, posting a 51-point average. His playmaking and usage make him one of the most reliable options on every slate, and KD has traditionally been even better when opposing LeBron James. In their one matchup earlier in the year, Durant dropped nearly 60 fantasy points!

GPP Targets

Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $8,700 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
Randle can be a frustrating player because of his inefficient play, but he’s an elite DFS producer because of his role. The big man has been locked into 35 minutes and 20 shots over the last three years and is starting to get hot. Randle has scored at least 37 fantasy points in 13 of his previous 14 outings, providing a 44-point average in that span. Milwaukee is a tough matchup for most, but Julius has a 50-point average in their last two matchups.

Khris Middleton (SF – MIL): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
It’s hard to understand why Middleton’s ramp-up has been so methodical this season, but we’re finally close to a full workload. Outside of a setback last week, Mid averages 26 minutes a night across his last four fixtures. We expect him to get to 30 at some point, and we’ve seen Middleton be an $8K player in a 30-minute role in the past. He’s still providing that per-minute production, so the fantasy numbers should rise along with the minute total! Don’t be surprised to see him play his first 30-minute outing in this elimination game.

Value Plays

Jusuf Nurkic (C – PHX): $6,900DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
Nurk doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s doing. The big man has locked up the center position for the Suns and is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Nurkic has scored at least 34 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight outings, scoring 41 or more DK points in half of those. We love that in this matchup because LA has been getting wrecked by big men over the last week. That was clear when Nurkic had 38 fantasy points against them a few weeks ago.

D’Angelo Russell (PG/SG – LAL): $6,700 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Everyone talks about LeBron, AD, and Austin Reaves in LA, but Russell is an unsung hero. The starting point guard has scored at least 27 DK points in 18 of 21 games, providing 37 or more fantasy points in 10 of those. We also saw him show a 61-point ceiling just last week, and D-Lo needs a price bump behind these surprising numbers. Not to mention, he’s got at least 30 fantasy points in five straight matchups with Phoenix, averaging nearly 40 DK points per game.

Advantageous Pricing

• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
• Jusuf Nurkic (C – PHX): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
• Eric Gordon (SG – PHX): $5,900 DraftKings. $5,100 FanDuel

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