NBA Daily Punts: December 23, 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 – His price has skyrocketed on most sites, but FanDuel still has him priced at just 5,300. Knight has been an absolute tear over his past three games, putting up at least 34.8 FD points in all three and crossing the 45 point plateau in two of those games. The match-up with Charlotte isn’t ideal, but they have been struggling with PG’s lately, ranked just 23rd in the NBA at defending the position over the last 15 days (they are 6th best on the season). While I wouldn’t pay for him on a site like DraftStreet, Knight is a very good bet to exceed value on FanDuel.
Jeremy Lin – Lin is set to return tonight after missing the last four games due to back spasms, and will step into a major role with both James Harden and Patrick Beverley on the shelf. He will handle the point guard duties and will be relied to score more than usual, and there is no indication that he will have his minutes limited. In a high scoring, up-tempo game with the highest over/under of the night, Lin is a great option for just 5,200 on FanDuel and 7,500 on DraftDay. If you’re not worried about a minutes limit or rust in his first game back, he’s playable pretty much anywhere.
Francisco Garcia – Since the two plays above aren’t punts on DraftKings or DraftStreet, here is a player that meets the criteria on both sites. With the Rockets back-court dealing with injuries, Garcia should once again start at shooting guard and play significant minutes. Garcia is just $100 above the minimum on DK and sits at just 6.2 on DS, and will have absolutely no trouble paying off those prices. Like I mentioned with Lin, this game has the highest over/under of the night and it should be close, so this is not a game you want to fade tonight.
Also receiving consideration: Tony Allen, Xavier Henry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jose Calderon, Aaron Brooks, Beno Udrih, Jarrett Jack
Forwards
Caron Butler – In his first game back from a 12-game absence, Butler logged 39 minutes and scored 22 points to go along with 11 boards. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t get to play the Sixers every night, but his price is depressed enough to the point where he is still worth a look on a few sites. He’s priced at just 4,100 on DK and is just 7,350 on DD, and if Henson is out again he should pay off both of those numbers. Don’t expect another double-double, but Butler will most likely log big minutes and the only thing not to like is the match-up with Charlotte, who plays slow and has been good against the SF position recently.
Markieff Morris – He’s better used in GPP’s as opposed to cash games because he’s still a bench player and usually struggles regularly see more than 30 minutes, but I can’t ignore this match-up. The Lakers are ranked dead last against power forwards both on the season and in the last 15 days, and the 208 over/under makes the match-up even more enticing. Last time these teams met, Morris played 29 minutes and posted a 15/7 line, but he has upside for a 25/10 game with a few blocks when he puts it together. His price on FanDuel is the most appealing, but I would roster him in a few GPP lineups on DraftStreet, DraftDay and Fantasy Feud.
Also receiving consideration: Josh McRoberts, Mirza Teletovic, Andre Iguodala (8K on StarStreet), Khris Middleton, P.J. Tucker
Centers
Andrew Bynum – Bynum is obviously still a risky option, but he’s in a pretty good spot tonight. His price has not begin to climb too much, and he should be counted on more than usual tonight with a big Pistons front-court coming to Cleveland. While Detroit does have a lot of firepower in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, they still don’t defend the interior all that well and have given up some huge lines to opposing centers this year. Expect Bynum to pay off his price tag across the board tonight.
Miroslav Raduljica – The 7-footer is expected to get the start tonight to match-up with Al Jefferson, who is far from a lock-down defender in the paint. I’m not sure I’d consider him outside of a site like DraftKings where he is minimum priced, but if there is one area to attack the Bobcats, it’s with big-men. The Bobcats are ranked 26th against centers over the last 15 days, and actually sit in the same position on the season. Throw him in a few GPP lineups to open up the rest of your roster.