NBA Daily Punts: December 16, 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
Jamal Crawford – Crawford started a game for just the seventh time in the last five seasons, and he should make it eight tonight against the Spurs. Doc Rivers apparently started Crawford in place of Willie Green because he wanted more spacing for the first unit and to take some of the ball handling pressure off CP3, so it should stick until J.J. Redick returns. Crawford played a season-high 39 minutes on Saturday, and he should be able to post more consistent stat-lines with an extra 7-8 minutes of run. He probably won’t see much of an increase in shot attempts, but his other numbers should get a decent bump. He’s under 9K on Draftstreet, which is probably my favorite spot for him tonight.
Kyle Korver – The Lakers perimeter defense is just awful. They are dead last in the NBA at defending the SG spot, and up-tempo games are exactly where Korver is the most valuable. He should be able to find plenty of open looks from beyond the 3-point line, and the 204.5 O/U makes this game worth targeting tonight. Only the Philly vs. Brooklyn game has a higher total, so you’ll definitely want to have a piece of the Hawks tonight.
Pablo Prigioni – He’ll be the starter at point guard as long as Felton is out and Kyle Lowry is not in town. Prigioni won’t score a ton of NBA points but he contributes in assists and steals, which should be enough to pay off his salary on FanDuel (3700), DraftKings (3500) and Draftstreet (8,047). Don’t expect a GPP winning performance, but Prigioni will be a solid head-to-head or 50/50 play tonight.
Also receiving consideration: Marquis Teague or D.J. Augustine (if Hinrich sits), Alan Anderson, Martell Webster (if Beal sits), Rodney Stuckey
Forwards
Trevor Booker – This pick hinges on the health of Nene, but if he sits, Booker will once again become a productive value play. He will be a good bet for a double-double as long as he can stay out of foul trouble, which was his problem (along with his hatred of Blake Griffin) in Saturday’s game, leading to Kevin Seraphin having the more productive game. Don’t expect that to continue tonight; Booker is nearly a must-play for 4000 on FanDuel if he indeed gets the start.
Demarre Carroll – Like I mentioned with Korver, you’re going to want to roster a few players from this Lakers/Hawks game. Since the Lakers are somewhat of a mess right now, the Hawks seem to be the more potent offensive threat. While offense is not why Carroll plays so many minutes, he should see a slight uptick in production in a high-paced game. He’ll probably be following Kobe around for most of the night, so a few steals are definitely a possibility as well.
Also receiving consideration: Corey Brewer, Hollis Thompson
Centers
Amare Stoudemire – Amare has become the second-unit scorer for the Knicks, and he’s settled into that role pretty nicely over the past few games. Before Saturday’s dud against Atlanta (which was the second night of a B2B), Amare had been averaging around 25 FP’s in his previous four games. I expect him to get back to that type of level tonight against a Washington front-court which is still a bit banged up. Since he’s had a day to rest in between games, Stoudemire should approach 30 minutes of court-time tonight. He’s center eligible on DraftKings for just 4100.
Enes Kanter – He’s not a guy I trust at all right now, but it’s not because of his talent, it’s because of his playing time. He’s struggling to see more than 20 minutes in games where both Derrick Favors and Marvin Williams are healthy, which is the case right now. However, the match-up with the Heat is favorable for centers and this game definitely has blowout potential, so if Utah gets down early they could opt to give their second-unit some extra run. He’s a GPP-only option, but one with the ability to go off if he can find the minutes.