The NBA Daily Plays for Friday, December 4th breaks down the best Stud, Value and GPP plays at each position for FanDuel and DraftKings daily fantasy sports contests. The Stud & Value plays should be considered relatively chalky and are ideal for cash games. The GPP plays dig a little deeper to hopefully find some low owned talent who could pay off big in a tournament. Make sure you check out our NBA projections page to help in your DFS research.
Game Lines
Point Guard
Studs
John Wall, Washington Wizards (FD $9,000, DK $8,300) –
John Wall will be the chalk play at point guard tonight. The Wizards faces the Suns at home, and this interconference showdown features a 212 O/U with a marginal spread. Phoenix is generous vs. opposing point guards, mainly because they give up so many points. This should play into Wall’s strengths, as he’s scored 35, 34 points respectively over his last 2 games.
Values
Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers (FD $5,700, DK $5,500)-
***Editors Note: Matthew Dellavedova is drawing the start not Mo Williams so downgrade him and your expectations. ***Normally I’d be hesitant to target Mo Williams due to his inconsistency, but he’s in such a great spot tonight. He’s facing the Pelicans, one of the worst teams in the league vs. opposing point guards. This is due to the fact that they give up a ton of threes, an aspect of Mo’s game that is quite refined. As New Orleans tries to contain LeBron, Williams should be open often behind the perimeter.
GPP Plays
Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks (FD $6,900, DK $6,700)-
I enjoy targeting the Lakers when it comes to choosing a point guard, especially when said point guard is a very good basketball player. Teague is the ideal PG, as he tends dishes and dimes his way to fantasy excellence. Los Angeles has given up outrageous assist numbers to opposing point guards this season, allowing Teague an excellent opportunity for at least a double-double.
Shooting Guard
Studs
James Harden, Houston Rockets (FD $10,800, DK $10,500) –
The Mavericks could be in big trouble vs. The Beard. They have defended shooting guards very well, save for two categories: 3PM, and free throws. Anyone who knows James Harden knows that he makes his living from three and at the line, and he has a chance to explode in this one. I expect Harden to be fouled early, and fouled often.
Values
Arron Afflalo, New York Knicks (FD $4,900, DK $4,600)-
Afflalo’s numbers don’t typically jump off the page, but the veteran is able to take advantage of a good matchup. This was on full display last Tuesday, as Afflalo torched James Harden and the Rockets for 31 points. Tonight’s face off vs. the Nets is even more appealing, as Brooklyn has been flamed by opposing shooting guards all season long. Afflalo likely won’t go off for another 30 points, but is a great bet to exceed value at his low price tag.
GPP Plays
Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns (FD $8,800, DK $8,200) –
Eric Bledsoe is another great target in PHO @ WAS, the most fantasy-friendly game of the evening. Washington is dreadful vs. shooting guards, allowing them to do a little bit of everything. This plays excellently into Bledsoe’s hands, as he’s a do-everything guard that dishes and grabs boards almost as well as he scores. Fellow backcourter Brandon Knight will have his hands full with John Wall, which will leave plenty of production on the table for Bledsoe.
Small Forward
Studs
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (FD $10,000, DK $10,000)
Vegas is predicting Cavaliers/Pelicans to be relatively close, which equates to plenty of minutes for LeBron. New Orleans is baby-soft on defense, and certainly will have issues stopping the best basketball players in the world. King James rivals James Harden as the best play for tonight’s slate.
GPP Plays
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (FD $9,100, DK $8,700) –
On the surface, targeting Brooklyn’s weak wing defense with Carmelo appears too good to be true, and it is. The Nets struggle to defend traditional wing shooters, and Anthony is anything but. That being said, he’s still a phenomenal athlete, and can explode on any given night. Carmelo is strictly a tournament play, and should not be considered in cash.
Power Forward
Studs
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (FD $6,800, DK $6,900) –
The Houston Rockets are laughably bad vs. opposing power forwards. Their defense vs. the position is nearly non-existent, and will only be worse tonight with Dwight Howard (rest) inactive and Clint Capela kicked over to center. Shooting machines at the four have been Houston’s biggest weakness, and that mold fits Dirk Nowitzki perfectly. Dirk is having his best year yet from the 3-point line, and his Effective Field Goal Percentage is a whopping .566. Nowitzki is a beautiful play tonight at his price.
Values
Ersan Ilysova, Detroit Pistons (FD $4,300, DK $4,300)-
There was some concern that Ersan wouldn’t be able to find his niche within Coach Van Gundy’s offense, but Ghost Face Ilya quickly extinguished that fire. Ilysova turned on the jets vs. Phoenix last Wednesday, torching the Suns for 23 points. The power forward received a season-high in minutes as well, and his playing time seems to be trending upward. The Bucks are miserable at defending the four, and Ilysova could have a big night at home.
GPP Plays
Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks (FD $8,500, DK $8,300)-
What Millsap is likely to do to the visiting Lakers tonight should be rated R for Ravage. Los Angeles hasn’t been able to stop mediocre big men, and Millsap is far beyond that adjective. The factor of a blowout has bumped Millsap down to a tournament-only play, as the forward’s production takes a hit when he sees below 30 minutes of court time.
Center
Studs
Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets (FD $8,300, DK $7,600) –
Brook Lopez isn’t your traditional center. He nearly scores twice as often as he rebounds, which is a major advantage tonight vs. the Knicks. New York is pretty selfish on the boards, but allow opposing centers to score at will. Tonight, Lopez should build upon his season average of 20.1 PPG.
Values
Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (FD $3,600, DK $3,700)-
Mozgov has one of the best matchups on the board tonight, but his situation is unappealing. After returning from a shoulder injury, the Cleveland center has seen limited minutes, and his production has followed suit. However, the Cavs will have to play big vs. the Pelicans tonight, so Mozgov should see an uptick in minutes. For such a low price, Mozgov could pay off big.
GPP Plays
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks (FD $6,900, DK $6,700)
Much like his front court friend Paul Millsap, Al Horford is in an excellent spot vs. the pitiful Lakers defense. Los Angeles allows opposing centers to score more than 28 other teams, and facing rangy Horford won’t improve matters. Like Millsap, Horford’s floor is uncertain due to the factor of a lopsided victory.
