3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 11/21/19
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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks
DraftKings Price: $10,600
With only a two-game slate and Damian Lillard -- one of only a few true studs -- sitting out with an injury, the elite plays are really straightforward, and that starts with Giannis Antetokounmpo. On the back end of a back-to-back, his Milwaukee Bucks return home to Fiserv Forum to host the Portland Trail Blazers, who are rested but absent their top player (no, not Carmelo Anthony).
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bucks are favored by 11.5, giving them a 121.0-point implied total. Maybe their lack of rest will help to keep it closer than the experts think, which is one narrative that would help to increase Giannis' minutes and upside.
Regardless, the Greek Freak should produce as a building block in your cash and tourney lineups. He is averaging 63.1 DraftKings points and dropped 77.25 in his only other second half of a back-to-back. Antetokounmpo's 1.86 DK points per minute would call for him to play only 28.5 minutes to reach value.
Our models project Giannis for 34.2 minutes and 59.7 DK points, resulting in a potential value of 5.63 points per $1,000.
Devin Booker, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns
DraftKings Price: $8,500
In the other matchup, the one that's expected to be the higher-scoring game of the two, the Phoenix Suns meet the New Orleans Pelicans in a clash of teams moving in opposite directions of late. After a hot start, Phoenix is 1-3 in their last four while New Orleans is 3-1 following a win over Portland on Tuesday night.
The Suns will play host and are giving 4.5 points in a contest with a 235-point over/under. Phoenix, despite operating at the league's ninth-fastest pace, should also see a nice bump in pace with New Orleans averaging nearly 1.5 more possessions per game, according to NBA.com. Enter Devin Booker.
Booker might have a tough time against Jrue Holiday if that is in fact the assignment he draws. But again, this is a two-game slate with limited options for guys who could push past 40 or 50 DK points. Booker has eclipsed those thresholds seven and two times already this year thanks to 25.4 points per game and an improved 53.4% shooting. He's clearly benefiting from Ricky Rubio's presence, though he could be without his point guard, who is listed as doubtful for Thursday.
Per NBA Wowy, Booker's usage climbs from 26.3% with Rubio to 32.2% without. He averages 1.36 DK points per minute across 190 minutes sans Rubio, and at that rate, he needs to play 31-plus minutes for value. What we are chasing, though, especially in GPPs, is the 50-point upside that comes with that.
Brandon Ingram, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans
DraftKings Price: $7,000
Opposite the Suns, you'll want to run it back with Holiday or Brandon Ingram, but for my money, Ingram is the far better play. On top of his price checking in at a $1,200 discount to Holiday's, he is averaging 4.5 more DK points per game in what has the promise of a true breakout campaign with the Pels.
Ingram has missed three games due to injury, but when he's been on the floor, he has been a monster. In using 28.7% of his team's possessions and racking up a 61.7% true shooting percentage, he has produced a career-best 25.4 points a game with personal highs in rebounds (7.3), assists (4.0), steals (0.9) and blocks (0.39). He is filling out the stat sheet in impressive fashion.
Ingram's versatility also makes him a desirable target in DFS because of the effect it has on his playing time. While getting time at both forward spots, he has averaged 34.8 minutes over his last four, and in that span, he's returned 45.5 DK points.
According to Fantasy Pros, the Suns are 12th and 15th against small forwards and power forwards, respectively, so there is no reason to be scared off at this price. Ingram could end the night as the top point-per-dollar play.
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.
