Injuries and ever-changing rotations are the only guarantee in the NBA, which makes finding value in DFS contests a difficult task. Yet, if you look close enough, there’s plenty of hidden gems available to slot into your lineups. Here are three players from Thursday’s post-Christmas slate that are being slept on.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $222K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
C Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic ($6,500)
The Magic may have a 19-12 record this season, but the team can’t catch a break when it comes to injures. The latest member of the roster to hit injured reserve is Mo Wagner, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL over the weekend. With one of their centers sidelined, along with forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando will have to rely on several role players in the front court. Among the names lined up for a bigger workload, Goga Bitadze stands out.
The Georgian center has had a breakout sixth season in the NBA, averaging a career-high 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks through 26 games. Although the big man has started in all but three of his appearances this season, he’s usually hovered just above 20 minutes per game. That’s changed recently, with head coach Jamahl Mosley playing the center for just over 28 minutes during Orlando’s last five contests. Bitadze has performed well during that time, putting up 12.2 points and 11.4 rebounds on 63.6% shooting from the field. Expect another stellar stat line tonight against Heat team giving up the 13th-most DK fantasy points to opposing centers.
SG/SF Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets ($6,000)
There are a number of factors behind Houston’s 20-9 start to the season. Chief among them is a deep bench stocked with a slew of high-end lottery talents. That includes Amen Thompson, an intriguing two-way player that’s shown major improvement on the offensive end of the floor. This season, the second-year pro has posted 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 55.0% shooting despite starting in just three of his 29 outings.
Thompson is in line for a bigger workload on Thursday with Dillon Brooks ruled out for a second straight game due to an ankle injury. The 21-year-old looked terrific on Monday against the Hornets, putting up 19 points, 11 rebounds and three assists over 38 minutes of play. Head coach Ime Udoka’s rotations can fluctuate, but it looks like he’s beginning to trust his young wing with a larger workload. That’s a great sign heading into a matchup with a rudderless Pelicans team giving up the sixth-most points to opponents this season (117.2).
PF/C Larry Nance Jr., Atlanta Hawks ($5,000)
The Hawks were dealt a blow last week when Onyeka Okongwu was ruled out due to left knee inflammation. With the center set to miss Thursday’s game vs. the Bulls, Atlanta will look towards their bench to pick up the slack. An otherwise wing-heavy roster has leaned on Larry Nance Jr. when shorthanded down low. The veteran has put up solid numbers in limited action, tallying 9.3 points and 4.1 rebounds on 18.5 minutes of play over 13 games.
With Okongwu out, the Hawks should look towards Nance Jr. to handle nearly half of the minutes at center when starter Clint Capela hits the bench. The versatile big man has looked great over his previous four appearances, averaging 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists to go with a 50.0% field goal percentage. Tonight’s opponent, the Bulls, are giving up the second-most points (121.1) and the fifth-most DK fantasy points to power forwards. That makes grabbing any piece of Atlanta’s front court a savvy move at a reasonable price.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $222K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
