3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 12/9/19

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.

Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

DraftKings Price: $9,300

Tonight's slate features a number of teams on the back end of back-to-back sets, including the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves were in L.A. to face the Los Angeles Lakers last night, and less than 24 hours later, they will take on the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick.

Short turnaround or not, that is a big plus for Karl-Anthony Towns, who -- according to FantasyPros -- will go up against a Suns frontcourt allowing 23.1 points, 16.8 rebounds, and 55.9 DraftKings points per game to centers. Those figures are fourth, eighth, and sixth-most to this point in the season, respectively.

As for KAT himself, he's posting 50 DK points with great frequency. Including last night's 37.5 total, he has five 50-point games out of seven going back to the Wolves' previous matchup with the Suns -- a game in which he totaled 62.25 DK points in 39 minutes.

Despite a lingering knee issue, Towns has been playing 35 to 37 minutes on most nights, and that makes him a great option for both cash and tournament formats. Lock him in at $9,300.

Kemba Walker, PG, Boston Celtics

DraftKings Price: $8,100

What a difference a game off has made for Kemba Walker. Following a scary injury situation involving his neck and head area, Walker has since bounced back from missing a game and a half to find his shot and produce better numbers for Boston.

For the season, Walker is averaging 21.8 points and 38.9 DK points, but in the last five games, he's upped those averages to 23.8 and 42.9, respectively. The biggest difference has been the point man's efficiency, as he's shot 44.7% from the field and 41.3% from three after struggling to 40.0% and 38.9% out of the gate.

On Monday, Walker should have no problem improving on those even further. The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers are 13.5-point underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and enter the contest allowing the single-most DK points per game (53.4) to the point guard spot. Their young backcourt will likely struggle against the experience of Walker, and so long as this one remains decently close, he is in line for a big night at a cheap price for a stud option like him.

Pascal Siakam, PF/C, Toronto Raptors

DraftKings Price: $7,900

Pascal Siakam will also take to the road for a second straight night, but his comes after a poor showing Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was held to 12 points and 6 rebounds on 5-for-15 shooting in 35-plus minutes. His 24 DK points constituted his lowest mark of the year, and only the second time he's been limited to fewer than 30.

However, that really speaks to Siakam's consistency for most of the season. He's had 40 or more DK points in 15 of his 22 games (68.2%) and 50 in 7 (31.8%) of them. At this price, he requires just 39.5 DK points for five-times value.

Thanks to his peripherals and opponent, Siakam has a very high floor-ceiling combo. While averaging 8.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 blocks-plus-steals a game, those numbers gain a boost from the Chicago Bulls, who allow 12.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and a combined 3.8(!) blocks and steals to opposing power forwards. Our models project him for 1.6 blocks-plus-steals and 40.8 DK points.

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.