NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (12/6)

The last two slates have been slim, but we’re in for a beefy one here. After sitting the last three days, most of the NBA is back in action. We have 11 games on this massive slate, and Friday is even bigger. We hate this scheduling from a DFS perspective, but we can’t complain about watching so many games! With that said, let’s dive into this Wednesday slate!

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

• ORL at CLE (CLE -4.5) O/U: 222
• MEM at DET (DET -1) O/U: 218
• PHI at WAS (PHI -8.5) O/U: 237.5
• BKN at ATL (ATL -4) O/U: 237
• SAS at MIN (MIN -11) O/U: 224
• MIA at TOR (TOR -2.5) O/U: 213.5
• CHA at CHI (CHI -4.5) O/U: 219.5
• OKC at HOU (OKC -1.5) O/U: 225
• UTA at DAL (DAL -8.5) O/U: 226
• POR at GSW (GSW -10.5) O/U: 225
• DEN at LAC (LAC -1) O/U: 224.5

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

Injury Report

• Wendell Carter Jr.(hand) OUT
• Markelle Fultz (knee) OUT
• Ja Morant (suspension) OUT
• Marcus Smart (ankle) OUT
• Ben Simmons (back) OUT
• Jalen Johnson (wrist) OUT
• Anthony Edwards (hip) Questionable
• Tyler Herro (ankle) OUT
• Bam Adebayo (hip) OUT
• LaMelo Ball (ankle) OUT
• Zach LaVine (foot) OUT
• Lauri Markkanen (hamstring) Questionable
• Chris Paul (leg) OUT
• Anfernee Simons (hand) Questionable
• Jerami Grant (face) Questionable
• Jamal Murray (ankle) Questionable
• Kyrie Irving (foot): Questionable
• Jordan Clarkson (thigh) OUT
• Jordan Poole (ankle) Questionable
• Mark Williams (back) Questionable
• Andrew Wiggins (hand) OUT
• Caris LeVert (knee) OUT

Core Plays

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG/SG – OKC): $10,700 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
SGA has been a regular in this section all season, and he’s starting to make an MVP run. The OKC guard has scored at least 39 DraftKings points in all but one game this season, averaging over 50 fantasy points per game. His stat-stuffing has led to that fantastic floor, and we don’t want to fade him against Houston. He’s scored at least 40 DK points in seven straight matchups with the Rockets over the last two years.

Terry Rozier (PG/SG – CHA): $8,100 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
Scary Terry is always terrifying for opponents whenever LaMelo Ball is sidelined. That makes Rozier the focal point of this offense, locked into 35-40 minutes, 20 shots, and a 30 percent usage rate. That’s on full display since he’s averaging nearly 40 DraftKings points per game when Ball has been out of the lineup over the last two years. Chicago is not a scary matchup either, sitting 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Karl-Anthony Towns (C – MIN): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel
Many people overlook just how valuable Towns has been to this Minnesota team. Big KAT has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in nine of his last 12 games. The boost in production directly correlates with an injury to Anthony Edwards, Bumping KAT’s usage and shot attempts. We don’t want to fade him against San Antonio, who rank bottom three in points allowed and defensive efficiency. Not to mention, he’s averaging nearly 60 DK points per game against them over the last two seasons.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,500 DraftKings, $12,600 FanDuel
The Joker is the best player in the NBA and is even better in fantasy. The two-time MVP is leading the league with 64 DraftKings points per game. He’s also scored at least 67 DK points 10 times over the last four weeks! No one else in the league will do that all year, and we don’t care who he plays. Joker has clobbered the Clips throughout his career anyway, posting a 77-point average against them in their two most recent matchups.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,700 DraftKings, $12,400 FanDuel
If Joker is the best player in the league, Doncic isn’t far behind. The Mavs point guard has established a 45-point floor this season while averaging 60 DK points per game. It’s impossible to get Jokic and Doncic into your lineup, but it’s nearly impossible to add both because one of them will be the highest-scoring player on every slate. Utah is an unbelievable matchup, too, ranked 25th in total defense.

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,600 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
It’s hard to believe that Jokic, Doncic, and Embiid are all on the same slate. You’ll have to make some tough decisions between these three, with Joel averaging 62 DraftKings points per game. A bump in usage in the absence of James Harden has made Embiid better than he was in his MVP campaign, and we don’t want to fade him against a Wizards team that ranks 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed. We didn’t even mention that Embiid has at least 75 DK points in two of his last three meetings with the Wizards.

GPP Targets

Nic Claxton (C – BKN): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Clax is always too cheap on DraftKings, but it’s hard to overlook his upside in a GPP on both sites. The big man has been a beast on the glass, scoring at least 48 DraftKings points twice over the last 10 days. That’s an insane upside from a player in this price range, but it’s scary because he’s just starting to get a full allotment of minutes after being limited through the first few weeks. One of those ceiling games is more likely against Atlanta, allowing the fifth-most points in the NBA. That was on full display when Clax averaged 40 DK points per game in their three matchups last year.

Santi Aldama (PF – MEM): $6,600 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
Injuries have bombarded this Grizzlies team, but Aldama has been a pleasant surprise for them. With Smart, Adams, and Morant all out of the picture, Aldama is locked into a 30-minute role. That’s led to Santi scoring 32 DK points per game across his last nine outings. You can’t ask for any more from such an affordable player, and we love that he faces a Pistons team that hasn’t won in over a month. That will likely have Memphis playing a competitive game, which is something we haven’t seen too often this year.

Walker Kessler (C – UTA): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
It’s been a slow ramp-up for Kessler in his return from an elbow issue, but he’s looking like the stud we saw last season. Kessler has played at least 26 minutes in four straight games, scoring at least 31 DK points in three of his previous five outings. He should creep closer to 30 minutes after this small break, and we’d expect Kessler to swallow up the boards without Markkanen, Clarkson, and Olynyk. Dallas is a matchup WK can destroy, with the Mavs posting a 24th OPRK against opposing centers. In their final two matchups of last season, Kessler collected 34 and 42 DK points against them.

Value Plays

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
This guy is not getting enough credit. The Frenchman is the early frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game. He’s also re-established the 30-point floor that made him a stud in the past, and he should clean up the glass against San Antonio. The Spurs are surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, and Gobert should be motivated against his fellow countryman.

Coby White (PG – CHI): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
White has been inconsistent this season, but he’s starting to find it in this newfound role. Coby has been Chicago’s starting point guard all year but has been locked into 30-35 minutes and double-digit shots recently. That’s led to White scoring 43 and 56 DK points in his two most recent outings. Those are two of the highest totals of his career, and he should continue to thrive as long as LaVine is out. Charlotte is a sensational matchup, too, sitting 26th in points allowed and last in defensive efficiency.

Draymond Green (PF/C – GSW): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
Green gets a lot of crap for his silly antics, but he’s quietly had a nice bounceback season. Dray has scored at least 26 DraftKings points in eight of the 11 games he’s finished, posting a 33-point average in those outings. That’s a tempting total from a player in this price range, and he should continue to get better as the season progresses. Facing Portland only adds to his value, posting a 25th OPRK against opposing bigs.

Advantageous Pricing

• Nic Claxton (C – BKN): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
• Bojan Bogdanovic (SG/SF – DET): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
• Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $9,500 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
• Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – BKN): $7,900 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
• Kyrie Irving (PG/SG – DAL): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
• John Collins (PF/C – UTA): $7,200 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
• Keyonte George (PG – UTA): $6,700 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $9,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
• Ivica Zubac (C – LAC): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel

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