NBA

3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 12/3/19

Brett Oswalt  —  @bRo14thekid Dec 3rd, 2019
Brandon Ingram has produced big fantasy numbers despite some poor shooting of late. Who else can you count on for this evening's slate of games?

While building a daily fantasy basketball lineup, it's important to make sure you find the right studs to anchor your team. As the most expensive players in your lineup, they need big-time production to match their high price tag.

You may find it hard to fit some of these guys in while staying under the salary cap, but you can check out our projections to find value players for your rosters. Let's take a look at the top high-priced DraftKings plays of the day.

Luka Doncic, PG/SF, Dallas Mavericks

DraftKings Price: $11,300

On Tuesday's slate, only James Harden and Luka Doncic will run you more than $11,000, with Harden the most costly play at $12,500. Doncic is well worth the discount, though, as he too possesses 60- to 70-plus DraftKings point upside on a nightly basis.

Tonight, he and his Dallas Mavericks come with an even higher ceiling as they face off with the New Orleans Pelicans in a game with a massive 233.5 total, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Dallas sports a 118.5 implied total as 3.5-point road favorites, and that bodes well for the young superstar. In the nine games the Mavs have scored at least 119, he's gone for 67.7 DK points a game -- 5.99 points per $1,000 at his salary.

And recently, Doncic has surpassed even that high number. Prior to downing LeBron James on Sunday (with 59.25 DK points) he has tallied 70 or more in five of his previous eight matchups, having maxed out at 78.25 with a 38.3% usage in that span, per NBA.com. That's second to only Giannis Antetokounmpo in that time.

Doncic is a sure DFS stud, and in this matchup, he's a lock for both cash and tournament formats on this seven-game slate.

Pascal Siakam, PF/C, Toronto Raptors

DraftKings Price: $8,500

If anyone has improved more than Doncic it's the Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam. So far this year, Siakam has thrown his hat in the ring for both Most Improved Player and NBA MVP. With his team shorthanded, he's averaging 25.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 block-plus-steals. That amounts to 45.8 DK points per game, but he's upped that to 48.3 in nine home games and 46.2 over the last three.

Siakam's minutes have been in the upper 30s to low 40s very frequently and tonight should be a close game with a 4.5-point spread between Toronto and Miami. That should lead to a massive workload, and one he should be able to turn into a big outing against a good-not-great defense. The Heat are seventh in defensive rating this season but ninth in the last 10 games.

According to FantasyPros, the Heat are giving up over 50 DK points to the small forward position position thanks to the most steals (2.11) surrendered on a per-game basis. We have a guy of Siakam's status projected for 39.6 DK points in 34.5 minutes, but that puts him on pace for about 46 in what has become his usual 40 minutes of work.

Brandon Ingram, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans

DraftKings Price: $8,100

In that Mavs/Pels game, New Orleans still checks in with a healthy 115 total on their home floor, where they've averaged exactly 115 per game for the year. That keeps guys like Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram in a plus spot, but it's Ingram who has the most potential against this Mavs defense.

Dallas has been lights out offensively, behind Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but defensively they are just 15th -- 23rd in road games. They've been especially vulnerable against small forwards, who have put up a league-high 50.5 DK points per game to them to this point.

As for Ingram, he managed no fewer than 39.25 DK points in any of his seven games back from injury. That's despite shooting 43.3% from the floor or 5.5% below his mark for the year. He's flashed 50-point upside four times in 2019, and the game environment might get him a fifth versus Doncic and company.


Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BrettOswalt. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.