NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 14

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 14

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

CLE at BOS: Cavs on two-game slide; Celtics have won two in a row. 

CHI at MIA: Bulls on two-game slide; Heat have won two in a row. 

MIN at DAL: Timberwolves 8-2 in last 10 games; Mavs on four-game win streak. 

BKN at DEN: Nets 7-3 in last 10 games; Nuggets 9-1 at home and have won two in a row. 

UTA at POR: Jazz are 1-11 on road; Trail Blazers on four-game slide. 

OKC at SAC: Thunder have dropped two in a row; Kings are 7-3 at home. 

GSW at LAC: Warriors on two-game slide; Clippers on five-game win streak. 

For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

Injuries to Monitor  

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report       

CLE - Evan Mobley (knee): OUT
Dean Wade is expected to start. Georges Niang should also see a boost. 

BOS - Jaylen Brown (ankle): Questionable
Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard could get more playing time. 

CHI - Alex Caruso (ankle): Questionable; Zach LaVine (foot): OUT
Ayo Dosunmu is expected to start. Jevon Carter could also pick up more responsibility. 

MIA - Josh Richardson (head), Bam Adebayo (hip), Tyler Herro (ankle), Haywood Highsmith (back): OUT
Caleb Martin, Orlando Robinson and Jaime Jaquez remain up for more opportunity. 

MIN - Anthony Edwards (hip), Jordan McLaughlin (knee), Jaden McDaniels (ankle): Questionable
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kyle Anderson and Troy Brown remain in line to step up.  

DAL - Seth Curry (ankle), Derrick Jones (quadriceps): Questionable; Maxi Kleber (toe), Josh Green (elbow), Kyrie Irving (heel): OUT
Dante Exum and Seth Curry could pick up another start. Jaden Hardy and Dwight Powell are also up for a boost. 

BKN - Dorian Finney-Smith (knee): Questionable; Dennis Smith (back), Lonnie Walker (hamstring), Ben Simmons (back): OUT
Cam Thomas and Royce O'Neale are up for more playing time.      

DEN - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (concussion): OUT
Christian Braun and Peyton Watson should pick up more action. 

UTA - Lauri Markkanen (hamstring), John Collins (illness): Questionable; Jordan Clarkson (hamstring), Keyonte George (foot): OUT
Kelly Olynyk and Omer Yurtseven are in line to pick up more playing time in the frontcourt. Collin Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker have to step up in place of Clarkson and George. 

POR - Malcolm Brogdon (knee), Deandre Ayton (knee): Questionable; Jerami Grant (concussion): OUT
Toumani Camara is expected to start. Duop Reath and Scoot Henderson could also get a boost if Ayton and Brogdon are out. 

SAC - Trey Lyles (illness): Questionable
Sasha Vezenkov and JaVale McGee could get a boost. 

GSW - Draymond Green (suspension): OUT
Jonathan Kuminga and Chris Paul are likely to see more playing time. 

LAC - Paul George (groin): Questionable
Norman Powell would be up for more opportunity.

Elite Players

Guards

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder ($10,500) at Kings

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to stuff the stat sheet, averaging 32.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.0 blocks over the last 10 games, including three with more than 60 DK points, and a high of 73.3. He also delivered 56.3 DK points in his previous encounter with the Kings, and he should thrive again, as they give up the league's fifth-most points per game to opposing point guards. 

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers ($9,100) at Celtics 

Mitchell is averaging 26.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals over the last five games, including two with more than 50 DK points and a high of 55.3. He also delivered 44 DK points in the last game, which marked the first of back-to-back meetings with the Celtics. Mitchell should thrive again, as the Celtics give up the league's fifth-most threes per game to opposing shooting guards. He could also be up for a lighter matchup, if Jaylen Brown is out. 

Forwards/Centers

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers ($8,700) vs. Warriors 

Leonard is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks over the last 10 games, including four with more than 50 DK points. He also totaled 42 DK points in the previous meeting with the Warriors, and he should stand out again, as they are shorthanded in the frontcourt. The Warriors also give up the league's fourth-most turnovers per game, which will likely provide Leonard a few more opportunities to pad his stats. 

Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves ($9,000) at Mavericks 

Towns topped 40 DK points in six of the last 10 games, including a high of 59.3, and he is averaging 21.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals over that span. He faces a great opportunity to thrive against the Mavericks, who are giving up the league's eighth-most points and 10th-most rebounds per game to opposing power forwards.  

Domantas Sabonis, Kings ($9,300) vs. Thunder

Sabonis has delivered five straight double-doubles, including one triple-double, while averaging 17.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.4 steals over that stretch. He faces a great chance to keep up the strong play against the Thunder, who are giving up the league's fourth-most rebounds per game to opposing centers. 

Expected Chalk 

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($9,700) vs. Cavaliers 

Tatum continues to lead the way for Celtics, averaging 27.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists, over the last 10 outings, including six with more than 40 DK points and a high of 77.8. He faces the second of back-to-back home games against the Cavs, after totaling 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, in their meeting on Tuesday. Tatum also faces another advantageous matchup, as the Cavs remain without Evan Mobley in the frontcourt. 

Mid-Range Money 

Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers ($7,800) vs. Jazz 

Simons is back in business, averaging 32.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists through three games since returning from a five-week absence. Simons scored a season-high 38 points in his last outing and has a good chance to keep the momentum going against the Jazz, who are shorthanded in the backcourt and facing the second game of a back-to-back. 

Collin Sexton, Jazz ($5,700) at Trail Blazers 

Sexton is up for his second consecutive start, after delivering 26 points, four rebounds and seven assists, for a total of 42 DK points in the last game. He has scored at least 20 points in three of the last five games and must continue to step up in the absence of Jordan Clarkson. The Trail Blazers also give up the league's fourth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing point guards. 

Value Picks

Ochai Agbaji, Jazz ($4,500) at Trail Blazers 

Agbaji is averaging 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 assists over the last 10 games, including three with at least 20 DK points and a high of 34. He is in line for another start, as the Jazz remain shorthanded, and he has a good chance to add to his stat line against the Trail Blazers, who are giving up the league's fifth-most turnovers per game. 

Kyle Anderson, Timberwolves ($4,800) at Mavericks

Anderson continues to deliver a well-rounded effort off the bench, averaging 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.9 blocks over the last 10 games. He faces a good opportunity to excel against the Mavericks, who are giving up the league's fifth-most offensive rebounds per game. 

Andre Drummond, Bulls ($4,700) at Heat

Drummond reached the 20 DK-point mark in four of the last five games, including a high of 32.5. He faces another great chance to succeed against the Heat, who remain shorthanded in the frontcourt. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
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