NBA

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Wednesday 12/18/19

Karl-Anthony Towns is pricey, but is our highest projected scorer on the DraftKings slate. Who else should you target tonight?

With nine games to choose from on tonight's NBA slate, let's take a look at how to utilize the DFS possibilities. Here are some of the top plays and sleepers on DraftKings. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Kemba Walker ($7,400) -- Walker scored 95 points over the Celtics' last three games, including a season-high 44 in a loss to the Pacers last Wednesday. Walker has a favorable matchup in his first road game since that offensive explosion in a game where the Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic. The Mavs are ranked 15th in defensive net rating, so Walker could extend his 20-plus points streak to four games. Walker averages 19.5 points on the road, significantly lower than the 27.8 he's posting at home -- but our model projects him at 24.7 points, 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 41.1 fantasy points tonight.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($6,100) -- The inconsistency has kicked in for Gilgeous-Alexander, as he posted a season-low seven points in a win over the Bulls on Monday. To be fair, the Thunder trailed almost the entire game before winning in the closing minutes, so not many players played well. On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander averages 18 points as a starter, and his home averages are 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. The Thunder are tied-12th in defense efficiency, and will look to capitalize off a young Grizzlies team that's 28th in turnovers per game (16.4) -- and that starts with Gilgeous-Alexander. Against a defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to the position, the Thunder guard has more upside than Jamal Murray ($6,200) or Terry Rozier ($6,000).

Shooting Guard

C.J. McCollum ($6,900) -- The Blazers host the Warriors tonight, as both teams find themselves well below .500. Since mid-November, C.J. McCollum has really stepped up his game. Over his last seven games, he's averaging 20.9 points, 4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 49.2-percent from the field. In the Blazers one-point win over the Suns on Monday, McCollum scored 30 points on 11 for 20 shooting, to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 40 minutes. Both teams are in the middle of the pack in terms of pace factor, which means McCollum and Damian Lillard ($9,000) should have plenty of opportunities to shoot. Golden State is allowing the most fantasy points to shooting guards this year, which bodes well for McCollum's value.

D'Angelo Russell ($7,800) -- Russell was terrible in his last outing on Sunday, going 2 of 9 from the field to finish with 8 points and 8 assists in a 21-point loss. Russell is averaging 16.8 points since returning from injury and has recorded three games of 30 or more fantasy points in his last six contests. The Warriors don't have many scoring options outside of Russell, and it's up to him whether or not the team will compete. Our model projects Russell with 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, 7.4 made field goals, and 36.5 DraftKings points against the Blazers.

Small Forward

Carmelo Anthony ($6,300) -- Melo has posted two-straight games of 20 or more real-life points and is averaging 17.1 over his last six games. He's found his groove offensively as the Blazers have won 6 of their last 10 games. Portland is 6-7 with Melo, which is an improvement, considering they were 5-9 without him. He's helped them primarily with scoring and creating second opportunities through his hustle. He's averaging 17 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.5 made three-pointers in his last four games. Our models project him to post 27.5 fantasy points against the Warriors tonight, in a game that will feature limited defense.

Andrew Wiggins ($7,600) -- Wiggins and the Timberwolves have had four days off since their last game, whereas the Pelicans played and lost in overtime last night. Wiggins averages 20 points and 5.8 rebounds off three or more days rest. In the four games that fit that bill, Minnesota has gone 0-4, including three losses at home. Wiggins has been shooting the ball better, recording at least 44.4 percent from the field in each of his last four games. At 37.9 points, Wiggins is our third-highest projected scorer at the position on tonight's slate.

Power Forward

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,300) -- Porzingis has had back to back 50-point fantasy nights without Doncic, and he helped the Mavericks end the Milwaukee Bucks' 18-game winning streak. Porzingis has scored 20 or more real-life points in three straight games and has double-doubled in consecutive contests. Defensively, Boston is eighth in defensive net rating, and as a result, Porzingis is just our 10th-highest projected scorer at the position. Porzingis' usage has ballooned without Doncic, and he's averaged 19.3 shot attempts over the past three games, compared to his 15.3 on the season. He's a top play over the next couple of weeks and must-play in all leagues until his batman comes back.

Kevin Love ($6,800) -- Love couldn't get anything going against the Raptors in his last game, but did post a double-double in three straight games prior. After a three-game road trip, the Cavs are back at home, and Love could use that as his shooting percentage has dropped to 40 percent on the road. In 10 home games, Love is shooting 48.7-percent from the field and 41.8-percent from three while averaging 16.7 points and 9.4 rebounds. Love is projected with 17.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 34.5 fantasy points in a battle with the Hornets -- a team allowing the fourth-most points to power forwards this season.

Center

Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,700) -- Towns and the Timberwolves will host the Pelicans, who are on a second night of a back to back. Minnesota hasn't since Friday, and Towns is questionable tonight with a sprained left knee. If Towns is a go, expect him to dominate the Pelicans interior that's allowing an average of 21.96 points and 15.01 rebounds to centers this season. Off three or more days rest, Towns averages 27.3 points and 13 rebounds this season. He ranks inside the top 10 in points (26.5), rebounds (11.7), player efficiency (28.50), and is tied for 11th in three-pointers made (82). At 54.2 points, KAT is our highest projected scorer tonight.

Enes Kanter ($4,200) -- Kanter is a wildcard for lineups, but his last game provided an example of what can bring to the table. Kanter recorded a season-high 20 points and 9 rebounds in a loss to the 76ers last Thursday. He recorded 39.25 fantasy points on a $3,700 salary, which was great value. Kanter should be in a position for rebounds and offensive touches versus Dwight Powell ($3,800). He is a dark-horse again for a high-value fantasy output tonight.


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