NBA

3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 12/31/19

Russell Westbrook is well-rested ahead of a home game against the Nuggets. Can you confidently deploy him in your Tuesday lineups?

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/SG, Dallas Mavericks

DraftKings Price: $11,600

This comes with the disclaimer that Luka Doncic is considered questionable for the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. In his last game out, the young phenom suffered a left wrist sprain in addition to a back contusion, so we'll have to monitor his status throughout the day. If he's in, though, feel good about locking him in.

Prior to being limited to 35.5 DraftKings points and 35.7% shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic turned in 51 and 78 DraftKings points in the two games before that -- his first two back from injury. That brings his season average to 58.0 with 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists a game. And he's been even better away from Big D, averaging 62.4 DraftKings points with more scoring on more efficient shooting (48.8% from the floor and 35.4% from three).

The Mavs are early underdogs at OKC, but it's just a one-point, and there's nothing to suggest the Thunder will shut Luka down. Per Fantasy Pros, they are in the middle of the pack against both guard spots. In the event Luka is ruled out, and James Harden (also questionable) sits, this next stud should be the go-to for your lineups.

Russell Westbrook, PG, Houston Rockets

DraftKings Price: $9,600

In terms of price tag, Russell Westbrook is the third-highest on the slate, but he could end up as the evening's top fantasy scorer. As mentioned, Harden could sit again for Houston, and that would put Brodie in a spot to soak up a lot of the Beard's league-high 37.1% usage rate. In fact, NBA Wowy tells us that in the 269 minutes without him Westbrook has averaged 1.70 DraftKings points a minute on a 42.0% usage rate -- compared to marks of 1.21 and 29.2% with Harden on the floor.

However, if Harden plays, Westbrook could still be an elite play from his point guard spot. Over the last 10 days (4 games), he is averaging 50.6 DraftKings points, thanks to a 3.7-point bump in the points column along with sustained success in rebounds and assists.

The icing on top for Westbrook? He's had two days of rest. In the nine games he's played with a couple of days between games he has put up 47.9 DraftKings points a game in 36.5 minutes and with a higher usage rate. Our models project him for 48.9 DraftKings points against the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Kevin Love, PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers

DraftKings Price: $7,500

The reasoning behind this play is super simple: Kevin Love is scorching hot. Despite the trade talks and rumors, he has picked up his production of late, averaging 45.0 DraftKings points per game over his last four thanks to 51.9% shooting, 47.4% from three and a pair of double-digit rebound games.

Love's price hasn't reflected his recent production, either. He was $100 cheaper just over a week ago, and that's something to take advantage of against a short-handed Toronto Raptors squad.

Pascal Siakam remains out alongside usual starters Marc Gasol and Norman Powell. And since Siakam last made an appearance on December 18th, the Raptors have allowed 108.0 points per 100 possessions after giving up a mere 103.2 in the first 27 contests. We expect Love to hit them for 37.1 DraftKings points in 31.4 minutes of work.



Brett Oswalt i
s 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__14. 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.