NBA Daily Punts: December 30th, 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
Mario Chalmers – Chalmers nearly posted a triple-double Saturday against Portland (with LeBron on the shelf), and might have played even better in Friday’s OT loss to the Kings when LeBron was still in the lineup. King James is a game-time decision for tonight’s tilt with the Nuggets, and the rest of the Heat starters would see a bump in value if he ends up sitting out again. While he actually only took six shot attempts in the last game without LeBron, his minutes, assist and rebound totals all went up, and he’ll post another well-rounded stat line tonight if the Heat play it safe with LeBron. Ray Allen status is also up in the air and if he can’t go, Chalmers would receive an even bigger boost.
P.J. Tucker – He’s been very up and down over the past few weeks, but when Tucker plays big minutes he has the ability to contribute in a variety of categories. Not many people will be targeting him tonight, but he’s one of my favorite options at SG/SF on DraftKings for just $4200. Tucker has posted at least 25 FP’s (DK scoring) in six of his last ten games, and a few of his duds came in blowouts where he played fewer minutes. While this game has the potential to turn into a blowout (8-point line, 209.5 O/U), it should stay close until late in the game and I’d expect the Suns starters to play through a good portion of the 4th quarter even if this game does get a little out of hand.
Also receiving consideration: Jimmy Butler (9K on DraftStreet), Alec Burks, Kirk Hinrich ($3400 on DK)
Forwards
Josh McRoberts – McBob has a solid match-up with a weak Utah interior and while his price has risen slightly on DraftKings, he’s still priced at just $4500. He’s a pretty safe option for cash games tonight if you need to punt a forward spot, although he didn’t play particularly well in his last game against Utah about a week ago. I’m considering that just a bump in the road and will be targeting McBob in a nice match-up with Marvin Williams. He’s also playable for $4900 on FanDuel.
Jordan Hamilton – He’s stepped in as the starter at shooting guard for the Nuggets, although he’s listed as a forward on most sites. While he won’t put up a ton of fantasy points, he should do enough to pay off his price tag on pretty much every site across the industry (StarStreet is a spot where he seems overpriced). Miami is not usually a match-up to target since they are pretty tough defensively, but it becomes better with LeBron’s status for tonight still in doubt. Either way, Hamilton should avoid the wrath of LeBron (he’ll likely be on Wilson Chandler if he plays), so don’t hesitate to roll Hamilton out of you want to spend on a guy like Chris Paul or Kevin Love.
Also receiving consideration: Taj Gibson, Michael Beasley, Shawn Marion, Miles Plumlee, James Johnson, Marvin Williams
Centers
Timofey Mozgov – The center position is not providing much in terms of value tonight, so it might be a good night to pay up at the position. If you’d rather go cheap, Mozgov is your best bet as long as he is playing 25+ minutes. He was racking up nearly a fantasy point per-minute played before his dud against the Grizzlies, but he’ll play better tonight against the Heat who have struggled with centers this year.
Also receiving consideration: DeJuan Blair, Kosta Koufos (both guys could see a little extra run against big opposing front-courts)