FanDuel NBA 3-Man Challenge Strategy: Wednesday, December 4th
Hello Grinders, we have a four-game 3-Man Challenge ahead of us today. It’s noteworthy that Miami is on the back-end of a back-to-back, and there is some injury news to monitor. I highly recommend you check out The Situation Room to keep tabs on the injury news. Also note there are no $5 players, meaning we don’t have to worry about the 5-1-1 construction.
Let’s highlight a few of my favorite NBA DFS options from each price tier:
$1 Range
Kelly Olynyk – Revenge game time? Kelly O gets to face off against his former team, the Boston Celtics. Olynyk is coming off a 35-minute performance where he finished with 32.7 FD points, so fatigue is a slight concern. The team will remain without Goran Dragic and even though Dion Waiters was activated on Tuesday, he didn’t enter the game last night. This should keep the Heat rotation fairly condensed and Coach Spo doesn’t seem to trust his entire bench just yet. This isn’t a great matchup on paper but the Celtics will be down one of their best defenders in Marcus Smart, so Olynyk has some appeal here at just $1.
Update – Hunter has been ruled OUT while Huerter will play but be on a 15-20 minute restriction
DeAndre Bembry – Bembry is not a high per-minute producer, but he has some injuries working in his favor. De’Andre Hunter is doubtful, Allen Crabbe is out and Kevin Huerter is questionable. If Huerter remains out, Bembry likely starts and would be called on to play big minutes with guys like Vince Carter and Evan Turner on the bench to spell him. He has shown the occasional 40+ FD point upside so if things go his way and the minutes are there, I don’t mind him as a punt play.
Dillon Brooks – I was tempted to put Tyus Jones here with Ja Morant still out, but the emergence of Grayson Allen and DeAnthony Melton in the second unit has started to eat away at Jones’ upside. Meanwhile, Brooks’ role should be secure and he’s scored back-to-back games of 30+ FD points. He generally doesn’t see massive minutes either, and you’ll want to monitor the status of Kyle Anderson (who is questionable) as Anderson’s eventual return could cut into the production of Brooks a bit. A matchup against the Bulls grades out as a neutral one and not one we should be scared of either.
Others To Consider – Nerlens Noel, Tyus Jones
$2 Range
Steven Adams – It feels weird to call out Adams given how bad he’s been this season, but it’s possible he’s starting to turn a corner a bit and get healthier. Adams has now dropped consecutive games of 40 FD points, and also has double-doubles in three of his last four games. More encouraging to me was that he played 28 minutes last game, which is more than he normally gets. Nerlens Noel is a capable backup and has been cutting into Adams’ time, but maybe Adam is over the injuries he’s dealt with earlier this season and regaining his old form. I don’t love trying to pick on Myles Turner and the Pacers, but the Pacers have allowed the 5th most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, so it is a plus-matchup.
Jaren Jackson Jr – This play is a recommendation only if Jonas Valanciunas is out. If JoVal is in, I’m less high on Jackson today. We saw last game when Valanciunas was out that the Grizzlies shifted JJJ to the center spot, played him 33 minutes and let Solomon Hill run as the power forward. The Bulls have been dreadful against opposing centers this season, allowing the most fantasy points to that position. If Valanciunas is out once again and JJJ can avoid fouling his opponents, he should be in-line for another 30+ minutes while Bruno Caboclo spells him off the bench.
Others To Consider – Jeremy Lamb, Taurean Prince (Revenge!)
$3 Range
Domantas Sabonis – Ah, more revenge. Sabonis dropped 41.2 FD points on the Thunder earlier this season and I’ll admit he’s less appealing with the Pacers now at full strength. But 40+ FD points continues to be in reach every time he steps on the floor and that’s valuable on this slate. He’s typically not the type of player who goes for 50+ FD points so if you want someone with a higher ceiling, I’d suggest looking elsewhere, but he has a solid floor.
Jabari Parker – I’ll admit I never get Parker right, as he’s as volatile as they come. He tends to make his living off scoring as opposed to defensive stats so that is a slight concern, but with the Hawks still down several bodies the usage will continue to flow through him and Trae Young. His range of outcomes is much wider than Sabonis, so if you want to chase a ceiling game, Parker is viable.
Update – Valanciunas will be a GTD
Jonas Valanciunas – This is only if he plays, and I suspect nobody will be on him today given he’s been out with an illness. But if he suits up, everything I wrote for Jaren Jackson Jr above applies to JoVal in this juicy matchup against a Bulls team that can’t stop opposing centers. I do worry about his minutes coming off an illness as maybe they scale it back, but he can still crush in 24-28 minutes if they give him that kind of run.
Others To Consider – Bam Adebayo, Zach LaVine
$4 Range
Trae Young – There might be recency bias with Jimmy Butler coming off a 55.6 FD point triple-double, and Spencer Dinwiddie is a solid option as Kyrie Irving remains out and Dinwiddie owns a 33% usage rate with Irving off the court, but I still lean Young in this format for his ceiling. Young has the ability to hit 60+ FD points and break the slate, which he’s done on at least four occasions already (as well as several 50+ FD point outings). If you’re going to reach for the stars, I think you do it with Trae.
Thanks for reading, and good luck tonight. May variance be on your side.