NBA

3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 11/25/19

Brett Oswalt  —  @bRo14thekid Nov 25th, 2019
Jimmy Butler's price is down despite a monster opportunity against the Hornets. Which other players can serve as building blocks on Monday night?

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.

LeBron James, PG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers

DraftKings Price: $11,200

With Giannis Antetokounmpo going up against the strong Utah Jazz defense, LeBron James is the no-brainer to pay up for in cash games. So far in his age-35 season, James is averaging a cool 56.0 DraftKings points with a double-double average in assists and a 30.4% usage rate, according to NBA.com.

Even with Anthony Davis at his side and LeBron another year older, his workload hasn't gone done by much. His 35.2 minutes a game are the same as last year, while his 19.8 field goal attempts are a hair under his 19.9 from a season ago. And though he's been less efficient shooting the ball, The King has proceeded to assist on a league-high 50.7% of Los Angeles' made buckets. In fact, he's enjoyed double-digit assists in 12 of 16 games, including seven with at least a dozen helpers.

James' matchup is not a tough one either. The San Antonio Spurs are 27th in defensive rating and -- according to Fantasy Pros -- rank in the bottom six against the point guard and small forward positions. Either way, he finds himself in a plus spot.

Based on that, we project James for 50.9 DK points in 34.7 minutes.

Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

DraftKings Price: $8,900

Like James, Damian Lillard is another point guard eligible player you want in your lineups this evening. His Portland Trail Blazers are favored by just 1.5 on the road, but against the Chicago Bulls, they are expected to produce 114.5 points in a game with a 227 over/under, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Dame is averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game en route to 49.08 DK points thus far. But in games Portland has managed at least 114 points, the star point man has averaged 53.0 DK points with none lower than 40.

Thanks to a 60.5% true shooting percentage and a 27.6% usage rate, Lillard's the type of high-floor, high-ceiling guy that can overcome a defense that has quietly been good against opposing point guards. That's why we have him down for 44.7 DK points at a return of 5.02 points per $1,000.

Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, Miami Heat

DraftKings Price: $7,700

Whereas James and Lillard will both be on the road on Monday night, Jimmy Butler will take the floor within the confines of AmericanAirlines Arena as the Miami Heat host the Charlotte Hornets. And that's good news for both the Heat and those looking to lock Butler into their daily lineups.

At home, the 11-4 Heat are 6-0 and average 13.1 more points on a per-game basis. Their 118.5 points are more than their implied total of 112.75, but that speaks to the kind of floor they have against a lower-level team like Charlotte.

Charlotte is 25th defensively, and they allow 42.6 and 43.5 DK points to shooting guards and small forwards, respectively. But again, Butler is putting together 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 46.2 DK points in Miami. That's despite shooting a poor 37.9% from the floor.

Following Saturday's down game (25.25 points), Butler's price is back down under $8,000. He's not priced like a stud, but he has possessed the same upside this evening.

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.