NBA Daily Punts: December 13, 2013
When I start building my lineups, I like to look for a few low salary options that should have no trouble exceeding value. On most days, there will be a few injuries that open up opportunities for players who don’t typically see big minutes. A change in a teams rotation or a particular match-up can also be the cause of a value play emerging. As we all know, NBA injury news continues to pour in as the day moves along and is not usually made official until close to tip-off, so be sure to sign up for our NBA alerts and check out the RotoGrinders Twitter Feed leading up to roster lock.
In order to be considered a “punt,” a player must meet Bargain Bin Baller status on either Fanduel (5500), Draftstreet (9000) or Draftkings (4500). I will typically make a note of which site a particular player is best suited for.
Guards
Brandon Knight – He’s been hit or miss lately, with a couple really good games sandwiched between a few duds. The Bucks faced off with the Bulls (tonight’s opponent) a few days ago, and Knight put up 19 points and 10 boards in 44 minutes. He’s got triple double upside when he puts it all together, but the lack of talent around him in Milwaukee is contributing to his low assist totals this year. Larry Drew is always capable of killing his player’s fantasy value, but this game should stay close and I’d expect the starters to see a full allotment of minutes tonight. He doesn’t come without risk, but for just 5400 on FanDuel, Knight provides considerable upside.
Jodie Meeks – With the Lakers seemingly out of point guards, Kobe will take the reins as the ball-handler which should open up some playing time alongside him on the wing. Jodie Meeks has been eating up 30+ minutes a night recently, and that shouldn’t change tonight. Meeks is more of a GPP play because it’s tough to count on any of the Lakers wing players (Nick Young, Xavier Henry in addition to Kobe and Meeks), but one of them should step up if Kobe goes back into his distributor mode from last season (which only lasted a few games). Since Meeks seems to have the clearest path to big minutes, his 4000 price tag on DraftKings seems nice considering he can make the 3-point bonus work in his favor. I had a tough time deciding between him and Nick Young, so you can consider him and Xavier Henry as GPP punts as well.
Also receiving consideration: Kirk Hinrich, Manu Ginobili, Terrence Ross, Patrick Beverley, Tony Snell
Forwards
Jason Smith – After a big game against the Detroit front-court on Wednesday, Smith is back at it tonight against the Grizzlies at home. The Pelicans should need Smith’s size to match-up with the big bodies of Zach Randolph and Kosta Koufos, so don’t be surprised to see him log close to the 40 minutes he posted against Detroit. As long as the Brow is out, Smith will be a big part of the Pelicans interior, and he will remain a nice option in H2H’s and 50/50’s until his playing time starts to diminish. Don’t expect 22 and 12 again, but he has a relatively high floor and is a nightly double-double threat.
Al-Farouq Aminu – Like Jason Smith, he’s benefited from the Brow’s absence by grabbing rebounds at a much higher rate. Aminu has posted some monster stat lines during the past two weeks, and is a solid bet for a double-double as long as he’s seeing big minutes. He also usually adds a few steals/blocks each game, and there isn’t a better option for just 5500 on FanDuel. Get him locked into one of your SF spots. Aminu is also playable on DraftKings for 5300 and Draftstreet for 12K, but both of those prices are out of “punt” range.
Also receiving consideration: Jon Leuer, Channing Frye, Josh McRoberts, P.J. Tucker
Centers
Jonas Valanciunas – It’s never a bad idea to target big men against the Sixers. Spencer Hawes might be a solid fantasy center, but he’s a terrible defender and can get eaten up inside. It should be interesting to see what the Raptors rotation looks like with the newly acquired players in town, but if Valanciunas can earn more than the 28 minutes that he’s averaged so far this season, he’ll be able to take advantage of the prime match-up.
Jordan Hill – He will start tonight against the Thunder, replacing Shawne Williams in the starting lineup. When Hill was playing extended minutes earlier in the season, he was posting big time numbers and was a must-play on a few sites for about a week earlier in the season. The Lakers seem to want to monitor his minutes somewhat, so it’s unclear how much more playing time he will earn as the starter. Regardless, for just 4500 on DraftKings (where he is center eligible), there aren’t many better gambles.