The NBA takes off Christmas Eve, so there are no games or daily action this evening. To celebrate the return of pro hoops on Thursday, the $200K Holiday Classic at Draft Kings will make someone $25,000 richer. It’s a $20 entry fee for a maximum of 11,340 teams. There are a total of 2,300 cash prizes: $15,000 for second, $10,000 for third, $7,000 for fourth and so on down to $40. Multiple entries are allowed; you can win more than once.
What a busy week for the Warriors. Stephen Curry $10700, Klay Thompson $7800 and the gang won easily on Monday, were somehow upset by the Lakers on Tuesday — without Kobe Bryant — and face a much tougher challenge against the Clippers in tomorrow’s nightcap. David Lee $6000 will gradually get more minutes and his salary will keep going down, but he isn’t a DFS factor just yet.
Though they lost a terrific game in Atlanta last night, Blake Griffin $11000 and Chris Paul $10200 are usually superb, J.J. Redick $4700 stayed hot and DeAndre Jordan $8500 (15 PTS, 22 REB, 4 BLK) was a force in the paint. His upcoming matchup vs. backup C Festus Ezeli $3600 made me consider (and reject) a weak Festivus joke involving feats of strength. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Plays of the Day
Open a new account at DK and get a FREE entry for Thursday’s $50K Layup — the winner gets $5,750 and 5,075 of 28,750 teams earn cash prizes. Your initial deposit ($5 or more) is matched 100% up to $600 with bonus money, which you earn a dollar at a time as you play. Here’s the link to enter the $200K Holiday Classic (details above) — someone is going to win $25,000; why not you?
Maybe Kobe Bryant $9500 (rest) will come back strong after watching his teammates play their best game of the season in a huge upset of the league’s best team. Ronnie Price $3400 led a balanced attack, Ed Davis $4200 shot 7-7 and the bench, led by Carlos Boozer $6400 and Nick Young $4800 kept the pressure on. If they are competitive in Chicago, Derrick Rose $6900, Pau Gasol $9000 and Jimmy Butler $8000 should play enough minutes to pay their way.
Should we be worried about Kevin Durant $10500 (ankle)? My sympathy to his owners in Roto and H2H leagues; it’s already a nightmare season. In his absence, Russell Westbrook $12000 becomes a monster while Steven Adams $4400, Reggie Jackson $5000 and Serge Ibaka $6800 all chip in a little. They lost a critical home game last night to the Blazers and will have their hands full in San Antonio, especially if KD can’t go. We’ll have an update on his status in tomorrow’s Spin.
Tony Parker $3000 must be a Christmas present at that salary, which is not a typo. After playing only once in nine games due to a hamstring problem, the veteran made a surprise return on Monday night and looked fantastic, scoring 26 points in 34 minutes to spark a win over the Clippers. He more than earned a $6300 salary that night, but instead of going up a little, his price has been slashed to rock bottom. I have scoured every corner of the internet (OK, used Google News) and there isn’t one word about Parker tweaking the hammy. He might not outplay Westbrook, but at 1/4 the cost is the best value play I’ve ever seen. Tim Duncan $8900 and Manu Ginobili $5000 are also rested, ready and reasonably priced.
LeBron James $11600 and Kyrie Irving $9300 can burn the Heat and Kevin Love $9400 could also score at will. Note that Anderson Varejao $4600 (Achilles) could be out for a while, moving Tristan Thompson $5100 into the starting five, where he has double-double potential. Chris Bosh $8000 (calf) has missed five straight games but says he’ll be back for this one. Dwyane Wade $8400 has been great in his absence. Miami also needs Luol Deng $6500 to play better than he just did in a stunning loss to the Sixers. When the Cavaliers get bench contributions like they did last night from Dion Waiters $4100 (19 PTS, 4 AST, 3 STL) and Shawn Marion $3200 (11 PTS, 4 REB, 3 BLK), opponents are in trouble.
The Knicks may be at close to full strength, and except for Carmelo Anthony $10400, they are inexpensive. Amar’e Stoudemire $5900 is presumably fresh after sitting out two games to rest, and whatever was bothering Jose Calderon $4600 may be in the past, as he double-doubled in Toronto on Sunday. Despite losing their last two, the Wizards are by far the better team. John Wall $10300 makes it go, with an assortment of weapons including Marcin Gortat $6800, Bradley Beal $6400 and Paul Pierce $5000, who has been playing through a toe injury. Rasual Butler $3900 has been intermittently productive off the bench, but will soon lose that value when Martell Webster $3200 (back) is activated. One of the five Christmas Day games has to be the least exciting, and this is it.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Russell Westbrook $12000 | Derrick Rose $6900 | Tony Parker $3000 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8000 | Manu Ginobili $5000 | Dion Waiters $4100 |
| SF | LeBron James $11800 | Wesley Johnson $4900 | Shawn Marion $3200 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $11000 | Tim Duncan $8900 | Ed Davis $4200 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $8500 | Marcin Gortat $6800 | Steven Adams $4400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.