This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Having ever so generously skipped the NFL Thanksgiving DFS slate to spend quality time with my family, I think I've earned the right to spend Christmas Day refreshing Rotowire's NBA player news page at the brunch table.
With that in mind, I'm opting for two short articles in lieu of the usual weekend value plays, which means the following recommendations are strictly for the five games on Christmas. I'll be back Saturday morning with selections for Saturday night, and I think we can all just agree to ignore Sunday's four-game clunker of a slate.
Happy Holidays!
Point guard
Tony Parker, SA (at HOU), $5,100 – On a slate that's utterly lacking in low-priced value, Parker may be the closest thing we have to a true bargain. He topped 21 DK points in each of his last six games, highlighted by consecutive outings of 29.25, 34 and 29.75 points. He did cool off a bit the past two games, but one of those was a tough matchup against George Hill and the Pacers, while the other was a blowout in which he only logged 24 minutes. He's still a decent bet to put up around one DK point per minute, and he could see playing time in the low-30s if Houston keeps it close.
Other options:Russell Westbrook, OKC (vs. CHI), $10,400; Patrick Beverley, HOU (vs. SA), $4,700
Shooting guard
Kobe Bryant, LAL (vs. LAC), $6,400 – As much as I hate to rely on a narrative, there just aren't any standout options at shooting guard, so why not roll with Kobe in his last of many Christmas appearances at the Staples Center? He's actually played reasonably well the past couple weeks, and this could be one of the few remaining games in which he's allowed to shamelessly gun away. I also think he could actually have success with the approach, as it's not exactly a secret that the Clippers' wing rotation is their weakness. Not that I actually care, but how many games does Kobe need to start at small forward before DraftKings classifies him as a small forward?
Other options:Dwyane Wade, MIA (vs. NO), $6,900; Eric Gordon, NO (at MIA), $5,000; Iman Shumpert, CLE (at GS), $3,600
Small forward
Kawhi Leonard SA (at HOU), $8,400 – The other positions may be lacking in obvious value, but at least there are 10+ feasible options. That's not at all the case at small forward, with only five players – Leonard, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Trevor Ariza and Luol Deng – even in the range that I would consider rosterable. Given the difficulty of making a decent lineup that includes KD or LBJ, we're suddenly left with three choices, only one of which offers any kind of upside. I guess Ariza ($5,600) is tolerable, but I just keep coming back to Kawhi by default. Merry Christmas, I guess.
Other options: Trevor Ariza, HOU (vs. SA), $5,600
Power forward
Taj Gibson, CHI (at OKC), $4,400 – Apologies for the redundancy, but with so few low-priced options available (we get it), it's almost crazy to make a lineup that doesn't include one of the Chicago power forwards. With Joakim Noah (shoulder) set to miss his first of many games, all three of Gibson, Nikola Mirotic ($4,700) and Bobby Portis ($3,300) should have the opportunity to take on added minutes. If NBA fans had been nice this season, we'd get a heaping helping of Mr. Portis. But, being a pessimist by nature, I'm expecting 32-36 minutes of Taj Gibson coal, with Portis mixing in for maybe 15-20. You could actually use both together; just be ready to throw a heavy object through that brand new big-screen TV when Pau Gasol puts up 30 and 15.
Other options:Nikola Mirotic, CHI (at OKC), $4,700; Bobby Portis, CHI (at OKC), $3,300
Center
Hassan Whiteside, MIA (vs. NO), $7,100 – As has often been the case in recent weeks, an enormous portion of the value resides at the center position. Whiteside, Pau Gasol ($7,600) and DeAndre Jordan ($6,700) can all safely be projected for more than five DK points per $1,000 of salary, and I'd probably even add Dwight Howard ($6,700) and Andrew Bogut ($4,000) to that group. Gasol and Jordan are the obvious safe plays, whereas Whiteside always carries significant risk due to foul trouble and his spotty second-half usage. Given that he has four straight games with 30+ minutes and 34+ DK points, it does seem those concerns have amped down a bit, thus making him a tantalizing choice at just $7,100. I highly recommend putting a center in the utility spot, with Whiteside-Gasol my favorite pairing out of all the good options.
Other options: Pau Gasol, CHI (at OKC), $7,600; Dwight Howard, HOU (vs. SA), $6,700; DeAndre Jordan, LAC (at LAL), $6,700; Steven Adams, OKC (vs. CHI), $4,000; Andrew Bogut, GS (vs. CLE), $4,000
