Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 12/11:
Dec 2, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) drives to the basket against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to another year of the DFS Army NBA Full Court Press! Members had a ton of success using the Full Court Press along with various articles and tools that DFS Army provides last season, so we are glad to be back with another year of the all-inclusive article. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Mike aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!
Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Clippers
Vegas Total: 214.5
Vegas Spread: Lac -8.5
We’ll get started with an island game this afternoon, so if you’re looking to get a piece of this game you’ll likely have to do it in the showdown slates. Starting with the Magic, Cole Anthony is going to be my favorite option here again. I was all over him last time out and he dropped a 50 burger on the Kings. We know the upside is there with him and has been pretty consistent as of late. Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba are priced similarly and are certainly in play. I think you can play Carter Jr. in all formats, but Bamba is probably more of a tournament option due to the volatility he brings. Franz Wagner continues to produce, he has at least 33 DraftKings points in five straight games and is a guy I’ll go back to in this one. Then you can round this team out with GPP guys in Terrence Ross and Gary Harris on the wing. From the Clippers, Paul George has been ruled out for this one so we can take a look at how the rest of the team operates with him off the court this season:
- Reggie Jackson – 31.9% usage rate; 1.05 fpm
- Eric Bledsoe – 21.8% usage rate; 0.96 fpm
- Marcus Morris – 20.5% usage rate; 0.74 fpm
- Luke Kennard – 19.2% usage rate; 0.87 fpm
- Terance Mann – 16.6% usage rate; 0.81 fpm
We did see Brandon Boston Jr. come out and have a nice night last time out as well so it wouldn’t shock me to see him get some more run. I wish the Clippers would give Serge Ibaka some run, he’s a great per-minute producer, but just can’t get on the court. Reggie Jackson would be the priority for me from the Clippers with the rest of those guys being secondary options.
5-star play: Cole Anthony, Reggie Jackson
4-star play: Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, Franz Wagner, Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris
Deeper Value: Terance Mann, Luke Kennard
GPP Sleeper: Terrence Ross, Gary Harris, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann
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Utah Jazz @ Washington Wizards
Vegas Total: 220.5
Vegas Spread: Utah -6.5
Onto the main slate where we’ll get started with the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell ended his heater last time out but was essentially due to losing minutes because of a blowout against the Sixers. Previous to that game he scored at least 45 DraftKings points in five straight games. The price is certainly up on him however, I like his price a bit better on FanDuel where he’s just $8.3k. Rudy Gobert should be able to do whatever he wants against this frontcourt, he makes for a nice cash option at the center position. Then the rest of this team is priced pretty appropriately where it makes it hard to prioritize any of them, but guys like Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic are solid secondary options. Then guys like Jordan Clarkson, Royce O’Neale, and Joe Ingles would be GPP only for me. From the Wizards, Bradley Beal continues to be underwhelming which is frustrating since we know the massive upside is there with him, we just haven’t seen it this season. He’s a fine tournament option in what should be a higher-scoring game. Kyle Kuzma looked good last time out against the Pistons and has played 39 minutes in back-to-back games, this is a tough matchup for him, however. The price tag on Spencer Dinwiddie is somewhat appealing, he blew it out of the water last game going for 34 DraftKings points, he’s a fine secondary option. Daniel Gafford would be my preferred frontcourt option on this team but you can make a GPP case for Montrezl Harrell. If the minutes were more consistent on Gafford he would be much more attractive from a fantasy standpoint.
5-star play: None
4-star play: Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Bradley Beal, Spencer Dinwiddie
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles, Daniel Gafford, Montrezl Harrell
Sacramento Kings @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Vegas Total: 223.5
Vegas Spread: Cle -6.5
Starting with the Kings, De’Aaron Fox looked good in last night’s game with the Hornets. I don’t love playing him in cash but on a smaller slate like this one, he will make a lot of sense in tournaments at the very least. Richaun Holmes has been ruled out here which will open up a good amount of minutes in the Kings frontcourt. We saw Alex Len get the start again last night but only played 13 minutes. We saw Marvin Bagley do the heavy lifting going for 34.5 DraftKings points. That being said, the Hornets didn’t have a whole lot of size so the Kings could afford to go small, they won’t have that luxury tonight against Allen and Mobley down low. I would expect to see more minutes from Len and Tristan Thompson in this one and make for nice GPP value options. Tyrese Haliburton has been in great form as of late, he has at least 36 FanDuel points in three straight games and playing a ton of minutes, he makes sense in all formats. I was all over Harrison Barnes last night at this price tag in a great matchup, but he just didn’t get the minutes. The minutes volatility makes it hard to trust him again here, but if people are going to be off of him because of last night I have no problem going back to the well on him. Buddy Hield cannot find his shot right now, he’s shooting 5 for his last 34 from three-point range. Those numbers will regress in a positive way at some point and I want to be on him when it happens, so he’s a guy I like getting to in GPPs. Lastly, Terence Davis played just 22 minutes last night and shot 1-6 from three-point range… and still put up 38 DraftKings points. As long as he continues to start he’ll be a guy I like to get to. From the Cavaliers, both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were guys I was all over last night, at least early in the day before we got all that Charlotte value. Allen looked good whereas Mobley, not so much. However, they get another elite matchup here against the Kings, I would expect both Allen and Mobley to make our Top 5 By Position on tonight’s Coaches Notes/Cheat Sheets as great plays against a poor defense, so go check those out! Darius Garland has been in much better form as of late and gets a great matchup here, he’ll be a guy I get some exposure to as well. Lauri Markkanen bounced back nicely last night with 30 DraftKings points and the price came down a little bit, he’s a solid secondary option. Then you can round this team out with Ricky Rubio, the minutes fluctuate on him, but has been in good form regardless.
5-star play: Harrison Barnes, Terence Davis (DraftKings), Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland
4-star play: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Terence Davis (FanDuel)
Deeper Value: Terence Davis (DraftKings), Davion Mitchell
GPP Sleeper: De’Aaron Fox, Alex Len, Tristan Thompson, Buddy Hield, Lauri Markkanen, Ricky Rubio
Houston Rockets @ Memphis Grizzlies
Vegas Total: 221.5
Vegas Spread: Mem -8.0
Starting with the Rockets, they’ll be without Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. will likely continue to be out as well. With these two off the court this season Christian Wood has a 29.2% usage rate and 1.36 fantasy points per minute. He’ll be a guy I have no problem going right back to in this spot against the Grizzlies. Jae’Sean Tate will continue to play heavy minutes with Green and Porter Jr. out, I’m just going to have a tough time paying nearly $7k for him, I think we can do better in that price range, but if you want to go there I won’t talk you off of him. Eric Gordon is a guy I like as well, he’s been in pretty consistent form and playing good minutes. He’s a bit more scoring-dependent than I love playing, but we know he’s going to shoot a bunch. Lastly, Armoni Brooks should continue to start for the Rockets and has at least 30 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and his price hasn’t budged, he’s a nice value option. From the Grizzlies, they’ll be without Ja Morant obviously, but we saw Dillon Brooks get scratched about five minutes before lock last time the Grizzlies were on the slate and he’ll be out again in this one. Here is how the Grizzlies operate with these two off the court this season:
- Tyus Jones – 17.6% usage rate; 1.01 fpm
- John Konchar – 12.5% usage rate; 0.94 fpm
- De’Anthony Melton – 24.4% usage rate; 1.15 fpm
- Jaren Jackson Jr. – 34.4% usage rate; 1.32 fpm
- Desmond Bane – 27.1% usage rate; 1.02 fpm
These would be my favorite options from the Grizzlies and I’m not all that high on Konchar, but he had a nice night last time out and won VIP Member “demboys37” a cool $25k, check out his lineup below! So I had to include him, and he’ll see minutes so he’s in play. My main pieces will be Jones, Melton, Jackson Jr., and Bane in a great matchup with the Rockets.
5-star play: Christian Wood, Armoni Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones, De’Anthony Melton
4-star play: Jae’Sean Tate, Eric Gordon, Desmond Bane
Deeper Value: Armoni Brooks
GPP Sleeper: John Konchar, Xavier Tillman, Steven Adams, Kyle Anderson
Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
Vegas Total: 210.0
Vegas Spread: Mia -1.0
Starting with the Bulls, they’re going to be pretty shorthanded here and could potentially be without Alex Caruso who comes in as questionable. Keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates on his status heading into this one. Zach LaVine has been in good shape as of late and sees a 34.6% usage rate with 1.24 fantasy points per minute with DeMar DeRozan off the court this season. While Nikola Vucevic is at a 27.4% usage rate and 1.27 fantasy points per minute, both look like nice options in this one. Ayo Dosunmu was a bust as chalk last time out, as he picked up some early fouls, but still ended up playing 34 minutes. They’re going to need him to log heavy minutes in this one again but the price has come up, I would rather go down to the cheaper Troy Brown Jr. if you’re looking for a little value. Then we can round out the Bulls with Lonzo Ball who has at least 40 DraftKings points in three straight games and is a solid option again here. From the Heat, Jimmy Butler will continue to be out so we’ll see guys like Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry benefit pretty heavily and are great options again here. Caleb Martin had the best game of his career last time out but the minutes have actually been pretty consistent with him and should continue here at a nice price tag. Dewayne Dedmon has been a bit too volatile for me to love, but makes sense in GPPs, they’ll need his size to handle Vucevic down low. Then you can round the Heat out with PJ Tucker, I don’t love rostering him in DFS because he’s a much better real-life player than DFS producer, but he’s the guy they go to as a big when they run small.
5-star play: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry
4-star play: Troy Brown Jr., Lonzo Ball, Caleb Martin, Dewayne Dedmon
Deeper Value: Troy Brown Jr., Caleb Martin
GPP Sleeper: Ayo Dosunmo, Alex Caruso, PJ Tucker, Dewayne Dedmon, Duncan Robinson
Golden State Warriors @ Philadelphia 76ers
Vegas Total: 212.0
Vegas Spread: Gsw -3.0
Starting with the Warriors, the price tag on Steph Curry is definitely up there and coming off a down game last time out. That being said, we have a ton of value on this slate making it a bit easier to get to him here. If you want to go stars and scrubs, he’s certainly in play and dropped 50 fantasy points on the Sixers earlier this season. Draymond Green is generally a guy that I just live with whatever exposure I get to on. I never really have a strong lean on his fantasy output because we never know how many steals and blocks he’s going to run into. He has a nice floor and ceiling that makes him a nice option in all formats. Then we can round the Warriors out with tournament guys like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole who have been in solid form as of late. From the Sixers, Joel Embiid has played big minutes as of late, and hopefully, he can do the same here as the Warriors will try and run him off the court. As long as he’s able to hang with the Warriors small-ball lineups, he should do whatever he wants down low and has a massive ceiling. If the Sixers are successful in running Embiid off, Tobias Harris could see some run at the five in this one. His price tag is up, but I like him in these faster pace games. Then you can round this team out with Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry as tournament options.
5-star play: Steph Curry, Joel Embiid
4-star play: Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Andrew Wiggins, Seth Curry
I wanted to give a quick shoutout to VIP member “GhostfaceKillaa” on his $30k win earlier in the season. A pivot to Curry off the chalky Doncic was the key for him, congrats man!
Denver Nuggets @ San Antonio Spurs
Vegas Total: 219.0
Vegas Spread: Den -1.0
We’ll round this slate out with a matchup we saw the last time these two were in action, so we have a little something to go off of here. Nikola Jokic is probably the top high-end option on the slate, he’s steamrolling through teams right now. He’s averaging 66.9 DraftKings points per game in two games against the Spurs this season and is an elite option with all the value we have on this slate. Will Barton is a solid option in all formats and will continue to play heavy minutes for the Nuggets. Monte Morris and Bones Hyland were guys I liked on a short slate last time out, I love targeting guards against the Spurs. Morris is a guy I’m more likely to play tonight, as I think we have better value than Hyland on this slate. Then you can round the Nuggets out with Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green as tournament plays. From the Spurs, it sounds like Keldon Johnson will return here so the minutes on guys like Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell will come down a bit. Dejounte Murray has been really consistent as of late and we’ve seen a big ceiling from him, he’s a solid play in all formats again here. Jakob Poeltl will have to play big minutes to deal with Jokic down low. He played 30 minutes last time out and would expect more of the same if he can stay out of foul trouble, he’s a nice option again here. Then Derrick White is probably the last piece I’ll have interest in, he has at least 43 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and has been in much better shape as of late.
5-star play: Nikola Jokic, Dejounte Murray
4-star play: Will Barton, Derrick White, Jakob Poeltl
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Aaron Gordon, Monte Morris, Jeff Green, Keldon Johnson
NBA Lock of the Day: De’Anthony Melton (DK – $5.1k; FD – $5.8k)
I love this spot for De’Anthony Melton, as I mentioned in the breakdown above, the Grizzlies will be without Dillon Brooks again as well as Ja Morant as expected. With these guys off the court this season Melton has a 24.4% usage rate and 1.15 fantasy points per minute. He also gets an elite matchup with a bad Rockets defense, I love the price tag on him here and a guy I’ll get a ton of on this slate. At this point in the day, I would think he makes my core, but check out our VIP Cheat Sheets as we get closer to lock for staff picks on Core plays, 8x locks of the day, and tiers notes as well!
As always, watch Twitter for updates throughout the day, and stay updated in our VIP Coaching forums as news breaks throughout the day!
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