Mason Plumlee, PF/C, Denver Nuggets
DraftKings Price: $4,300
When Paul Millsap went down with injury, there were a couple of players who could have stepped up to provide some much needed production for the Denver Nuggets. Trey Lyles was given a big opportunity against the Atlanta Hawks on December 8. Although he finished with 9 points and 10 boards across 38 minutes in the start, Lyles' shooting woes continued.
In his past three games, Lyles is an abysmal 8-for-36 from the floor, a 22.2% field goal percentage. That's unacceptable, and it seems like head coach Mike Malone agrees. In Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies, it was Mason Plumlee, not Lyles, who got the start.
Plumlee did not disappoint, going 5-for-9 from the field with 12 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks, and a steal. He's hitting 59.8% of his shots this season and is putting very respectable per-36 numbers of 14.0 points, 10.8 boards, and 4.1 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks. While it's hard to imagine that type of production on a nightly basis from him, since last year he's averaged 26.2 DraftKings points when starting for Denver, 8.7 more than when he's come off the bench.
If he puts together another game like his last, this could be one of the last nights his price remains below $5,000. We have him projected for 1.1 DraftKings points per minute tonight. As long as Malone gives him the run, it's hard to see him not coming through for your team.