This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday's 10-game slate is littered with frustrating questionable designations. So if you're hustling through airports or train stations to get home for the holidays, this is not a slate you can take any chances with. A huge chunk of both the Lakers and Pelicans lineups will be game-time calls, so LeBron James ($10,900) and Jrue Holiday ($9,000) are the only guys I can be confident about as I write this column. My trusty editors may know more, so hopefully they can get more up-to-date news. But since this game has the highest O/U on the slate, we owe it to ourselves to present the full landscape related to injuries.
PELICANS
Nikola Mirotic (ankle) – DOUBTFUL
Julius Randle (ankle) – GTD
Anthony Davis (illness) - GTD
Elfrid Payton – OUT
This is a big TV game, so I would be surprised if AD didn't give it a go tonight. The big question lies with Julius Randle. If he suits up, he immediately becomes a lock play with Mirotic unlikely and Davis either out or limited. Aside from Holiday, the rest of the Pelicans are way too volatile for cash and risky GPP plays.
LAKERS
Brandon Ingram (ankle) – GTD
Rajon Rondo (hand) – GTD
JaVale McGee (illness) – Q
See what I mean? It's a mess. Ingram and/or Rondo's presence impacts Ball, Kuzma, and even LeBron to a degree. Both Ingram and Rondo participated in practice, but there's no word on their game-time status. If it were on the books, I'd wager a DNP for McGee. And if that comes to pass, you have to be a fan of Tyson Chandler ($3,800) as an excellent pivot. Otherwise, we're throwing darts here. It's also the late game, so you won't be able to pivot with much confidence.
Boston's frontcourt is ailing, as Aron Baynes (hand) is out for a month and Al Horford (knee) is also out tonight. Marcus Morris is questionable with a knee injury, but the word is that he will suit up against the Bucks. That still leaves the Celtics thin up front, so Robert Williams ($3,800) is the guy to go with if you're looking for value in this game. He played 24 minutes and put up 31 DKFP against the Suns on Thursday.
In Toronto, we finally saw a Greg Monroe sighting and he didn't disappoint by putting up 25 DKFP in 21 minutes. If Serge Ibaka (knee) doesn't go, Monroe could have a big game against Larry Nance and Cleveland's frontcourt. Kyle Lowry (thigh) is out, so Fred VanVleet remains the pivot here. You can also expect Kawhi Leonard ($9,500) to pick up the slack.
The rest of the slate remains consistent with Dunn for LaVine and Rose for Teague as the best longer-term pivots.
There is one game I am a huge fan of tonight. It won't take you long to figure out which one it is as I outline three players per position below.
GUARDS
So, yes, I like Jrue Holiday here. It's hard to deny his overall value, regardless of who suits up for the Lakers. Moving on.
Kemba Walker, CHA vs. DET ($8,600): Kemba torpedoed me with an awful showing against the Lakers this week, but you can't overlook the 60 DKFP beatdown he gave the Pistons a week ago. He didn't even have a particularly good shooting night in that contest, so if he can ratchet up the assists AND drain four or five threes, we're looking at a solid night for Walker.
Trae Young, ATL at NY ($6,300): Here's your first hint! OK, I concede Trae Young is a wildly inconsistent DFS play, but the pace and potential output in this game are too good to pass up. You find more reliable floors in the 6K range, but I like the upside here for GPP lineups. He launched 22 shots against the Knicks earlier this season but managed only 30 DKFP, mostly due to just hitting 2-of-12 from beyond the arc. If he gets hot, he'll be good for more than 40 DKFP in what should be a speedy back-and-forth matchup.
Marcus Smart, BOS vs. MIL ($4,300): I'm a little surprised Smart remains at this low price, especially when you consider his 30 DKFP average over the past five games. He was a bench player when the Celtics last faced the Bucks, so it will be a decidedly different outcome for Smart, who's going to bug the heck out of Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon.
Other guards to consider: Mike Conley (if he plays), MEM at SAC ($7,900), Kent Bazemore, ATL at NY ($6,200), Jordan Clarkson, CLE at TOR ($5,500)
FORWARDS
John Collins, ATL at NY ($7,800): So can you tell I like the Hawks yet? You'll see I like the Knicks too (in a moment), but I predict Collins will go off tonight. When was the last time Collins scored below 31 DKFP? It was November. Collins has also put up double-doubles in four of his previous five games. He's a lock for me in almost every lineup.
Tim Hardaway, NY vs. ATL ($7,400): When the pace is this fast, you can always count on THJ to take over. At least, almost always. Hardaway hasn't been as consistent as I would like (he's been a source of frustration in my seasonal league), but I'm finding it hard to get away from him on this slate. There's too much upside for $7,400. And if all goes as I expect, Hardaway will lead the Knicks in multiple categories.
Reggie Bullock, DET at CHA ($4,800): He's really a guard but they give him dual eligibility here, and I think he's worth slipping in. Bullock has quietly averaged over 31 DKFP per game over his last three and has popped with a 43 DKFP game against Minnesota on Wednesday where he drained 7-of-12 threes. He's shot a little below 50 percent from long range over his past three games, so let's hope he crushes value and stays hot from beyond the arc.
Other forwards to consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at BOS ($11,000), Thaddeus Young, IND at BKN ($5,900), Danny Green TOR vs. CLE ($4,300)
CENTERS
It's so hard to choose the spend-up center here, so I'm just going to have to go with both of them.
Andre Drummond, DET at CHA ($8,900)
Nikola Vucevic, ORL at CHI ($9,200)
I think they are almost interchangeable tonight, as both players face some pretty shoddy frontcourts. Both players also went off for 50 or more DKFP against these opponents. If I had to choose, I would go with Vucevic because he lays slightly better on the road and there's a considerable lack of experience with Wendell Carter under the basket.
Myles Turner, IND at BKN ($7,300): The presence of Domantas Sabonis always bothers me with Turner, but I'll follow the season-long script of playing big men against the Nets because Jarrett Allen can't seem to defend against any of them. Turner has averaged close to 40 DKFP over his last six games, so he's definitely trending up right now. The Pacers are also one of the hottest teams in the league right now, winning five of their last seven games.
Brook Lopez, MIL at BOS ($4,600): If you're going low at center and Greg Monroe is too scary for you, I think Lopez sets up well against a depleted Boston frontcourt. It's one reason why I gave a no-brainer endorsement to Giannis earlier, but Lopez should have plenty of opportunities to crash the boards as well. This is one of those instances where I like the 'drop the lowest player' format, but most of the time I think that format is for cowards. OK, maybe that's harsh. I'll go with weak-minded?
Other centers to consider: Enes Kanter, NY vs. ATL ($7,000), Dewayne Dedmon, ATL at NY ($5,900)
