The rest must have helped. Kobe Bryant notched a triple-double (though only one turnover short of a less-spectacular quad-double) to lead the Lakers to a road victory. The Nuggets were the opposite of a mile high on a night I expected them to dominate. Hope your DFS luck on Tuesday was better than mine.
It’s New Year’s Eve and the NBA schedule is somewhat unusual. One game starts at 1:00 Eastern, another at 3:00 and a third at 6:00, while the other four are in the early evening. DraftKings has Early contests that include only the three afternoon games, and their regular contests cover the evening quartet.
Plays of the Day
Open a new account at DK and get a FREE entry for the 1:00 $15K Layup — the winner gets $750 and 1,800 of 8,625 teams will 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. In a 7:00 pm feature with higher stakes, the $60K Crossover — $27 to enter, maximum 2,520 teams, top 502 get paid and first place is worth $10,000.
The Kings might enjoy their visit to Boston and DeMarcus Cousins $11100 can dominate. Rudy Gay $8700 and Darren Collison $6900 are also playable, in a potentially high-scoring affair. For the Celtics there are several value picks including Jeff Green $6000, Avery Bradley $4000 and Kelly Olynyk $5600.
If the Clippers play with full intensity, they could crush the Knicks, especially if Carmelo Anthony $10300 (knee) is not at his best. Amar’e Stoudemire (knee) is out, J.R. Smith (foot) seems unlikely and the return of Andrea Bargani $4400 (calf) is insignificant. You could try Cole Aldrich $5500 and/or Jose Calderon $4700 but a blowout is very possible. Keep in mind that Chris Paul $10600, Blake Griffin $11200 and DeAndre Jordan $8300 are risky at their high salaries if garbage time arrives early.
Miami and Indiana might not fill up the scoresheet, but Chris Bosh $8100 and Dwyane Wade $8800 are fairly priced, as is David West $6700. I’m not thrilled about the lineup combinations in early contests, leaning to the Kings and Celtics with no more than one or two fill-ins from the other games.
The sample lineup and Short List today focus on evening action. What’s left of the Hornets with Al Jefferson (groin) injured will be no match for Houston. Losing Big Al for a month is an opportunity for Cody Zeller $4100 and seldom-used Bismack Biyombo $3000 to gain experience. Obviously James Harden $11500 and Dwight Howard $8900 are studs at their positions, but will they need to play regular minutes?
PG R. Westbrook $12,100
SG Tyreke Evans $7,700
SF Corey Brewer $4,900
PF Serge Ibaka $7,000
C Steven Adams $4,800
G Reggie Jackson $5,300
F Cody Zeller $4,100
UT Marco Belinelli $4,000
Cleveland lost again last night with LeBron James $11600 (knee) sidelined and the voices in my head are whispering “Bucks.” You could try John Henson $5200 who has blocked five shots in each of his last two and might be ready for more than 20 minutes. Zaza Pachulia $4200 is also cheap.
Both the Spurs and Pelicans played elsewhere last night, so their battle in San Antonio might be one of attrition. In a loss to Memphis, Cory Joseph $5300 and Marco Belinelli $4000 were sharp, but the problem tonight is guessing who Gregg Popovich will rest, and who will get the touches. The incomparable Anthony Davis $11600 and consistent Tyreke Evans $7700 are the safest plays.
With the status of Kevin Durant $10400 (ankle) still uncertain, the Thunder are more predictable if he doesn’t play. Russell Westbrook $12100 becomes more likely to earn that huge salary, Serge Ibaka $7000 gets more touches and Reggie Jackson $5300 is a scoring threat. I’m even bullish on Steven Adams $4800 in a thin pool of centers. Phoenix played well but lost last night, so fatigue could be a factor. Gerald Green $4400 is worth much more when the Suns are trailing.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | R. Westbrook $12100 | Jrue Holiday $8800 | Cory Joseph $5300 |
| SG | James Harden $11500 | Tyreke Evans $7700 | Marco Belinelli $4000 |
| SF | LeBron James $11700 | Corey Brewer $4900 | D. Motiejunas $4600 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $11600 | Serge Ibaka $7000 | Cody Zeller $4100 |
| C | Dwight Howard $8900 | Steven Adams $4800 | B. Biyombo $3000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.