NBA Daily Punts: December 9, 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
Tony Wroten – Michael Carter-Williams will not return from his knee issues tonight, so Wroten will continue to see big minutes as the starter for Brett Brown. Wroten likes to play up-tempo and has been able to get to the cup consistently (3rd among Guards in points in the paint) to create scoring chances for the Sixers. The match-up with Chris Paul is not ideal (DvP: 2nd against PG’s), but for the price Wroten is still a very solid option. He’s a triple-double threat on any given night as the starting PG, so as long as MCW is on the shelf, keep playing him.
Ben McLemore – With Grevis Vasquez, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes and Patrick Patterson all being dealt to Toronto in the Rudy Gay trade, the Kings will be very short-handed this evening as they will not have Gay, Quincy Acy or Aaron Gray (the three players they acquired in the trade) in the lineup tonight. Even with a full lineup, McLemore has played at least 29 minutes in the past three games and has been contributing in multiple categories. He’s severely underpriced on FanDuel (3900) and is also under 9K on Draftstreet, which are two places you should definitely consider rostering McLemore tonight. Expect around 35 minutes or more for the rookie which will give him plenty of time to pay off his salary.
Jose Calderon – On a relatively short schedule, Calderon is a nice H2H/double-up play for tonight if you need to save a little at point guard. His price seems low to me on almost every site considering he’s still typically seeing 30+ minutes a night, and he isn’t showing any effects from his ankle injury. The Mavericks can be one of the most potent offenses in the NBA when they get going, and they probably won’t get much resistance from a short-handed Kings team. Sacramento is near the bottom of the league in defending the PG position, but the blowout potential is causing me to temper my expectations a bit.
Also receiving consideration: Nate Robinson, Andre Miller (Ty Lawson is doubtful for tonight) Alec Burks, Marcus Thornton, Randy Foye (DK)
Forwards
Derrick Williams – With Pat Pat, Hayes and Salmons all being shipped out of town, Williams should see all the minutes he can handle against the Mavs. He may go right back to being a below average fantasy contributor once Rudy Gay and Co. get into town, but he could be big for the Kings tonight. Even if this one turns into a blowout, it shouldn’t affect the players on the Sacramento side. Although I like Isaiah Thomas and Ben McLemore a bit more, Williams is very much in play and should have no trouble paying off his FanDuel (4300), DraftKings (4200) and Draftstreet (7,877) salaries. Jason Thompson will also be a strong value play tonight for the Kings.
Josh McRoberts – Jeffrey Taylor could have also occupied this spot, but since he will miss tonight’s game, McRoberts gets the call. He’s not going to win you a GPP, but he also rarely leaves you with a dud and is a nice play if you need to go cheap at one of your forward spots. David Lee isn’t exactly known for his defense and the Warriors as a team are middle-of-the-road at defending PF’s, so expect another solid performance from McRoberts for just 4000 on DraftKings.
Also receiving consideration: Jason Thompson, Jon Leuer, J.J. Hickson, Andrew Nicholson (if Vucevic sits again), Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker (looks like Nene will NOT play tonight)
Centers
Kosta Koufos – He is priced just slightly outside of BBB range, but even that is still an atrocity considering how well he’s played since Marc Gasol went down. Koufos is priced under 5000 at DraftKings, which I think makes him a must-play against a Magic team that struggles to rebound and doesn’t defend Centers particularly well. He’s had no fewer than 31.75 FP’s on DraftKings over his last four games, which is amazing return for what you’re paying. Keep plugging him in until his price rises.
Robin Lopez – Lopez seems to be gelling pretty well with the Portland starting five and has been a legitimate contributor for the Blazers all season. He’s regularly seeing over 30 minutes a game and can exceed 30 FP’s on the nights where Portland stays with a bigger lineup. In last week’s meeting with Utah, Lopez didn’t post much of a stat line because the game got so out of hand early, leading to all of the starters playing fewer than 30 minutes (which almost never happens in Portland). I expect tonight’s game to stay close for a bit longer with Utah as the home team, and if they keep it competitive, Lopez will play his typical 30-33 minutes.
Also receiving consideration: DeJuan Blair, Enes Kanter, Timofey Mozgov