Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks for Draft Street 12/13/2013

Thirteen games on the schedule tonight which makes for infinite mix and match lineup possibilities. What we are looking for tonight is to get more than a few value plays in cash games to keep scores in a relatively safe range. With so many games, a couple of your picks are going to have to be home runs. With this big a schedule I like to spread money somewhat evenly among starters whose prices are a bit lower than expected.

*Quick Note: As a general rule, I like starting as many players as possible against the Sixers. They are the perfect combination of: score points/play no defense. So rather than write pretty much the same thing for Kyle Lowry $14,688 - Demar Derozan $13,941 - Amir Johnson 13,983 - Landry Fields $5,037 let’s just consider them all relatively safe starts.

Guards

Tony Parker 10,617 - Prepare to see the start percentage for Parker as a healthy blue color. I imagine he’s easily a 60%’er tomorrow. And with good reason. He’s a big name with a dollar value that’s been on the decline for weeks. This is for a few reasons. One, his minutes are all over the place. Additionally, his FT% and steals are both down this year, which is hurting him on the margins. But this matchup against Rubio is too good to pass up. I think Parker gets 30+ minutes and closes in on 30 FPP tonight. (Recap: 34.25 FPP $$$)

Martell Webster $10,285 - This is of course contingent on him playing through his ankle injury. All signs are point to him coming back in time for this game. While I’m often hesitant to run out dudes coming back from injury, I think Webster provides nice, somewhat contrarian, value in that I think he will be a low percentage start with nice upside. J Wall gets him open looks on threes and Kyle Korver isn’t exactly a lockdown defender. (Recap: 21FPPs $$)

Keep an eye on: Rodney Stuckey $10,163 - Klay Thompson $11,925 - Reggie Jackson - 10,092

Avoid: Michael Carter-Williams $15,539 - Isaiah Thomas $15,120 - John Wall $18,839

Forwards

Evan Turner $12,519 - I thought he was a great value the other night against the Wolves running and ran him out across every format. He put up a 13/8/4 line which wouldn’t have been too bad except for the part where he handed the ball to the other team nine times. 9 TIMES!. Brutal. Regardless, I’m looking for a bounceback for Turner against a Gay-less Raptor squad. They’ve been torched by the small forward position this year and I think Turner capitalizes against a transitioning (tanking) team. He’s almost a must start at this price. (Recap 36FPPs $$$)

Kawhi Leonard 10,027 - As stated above, the Spurs are a tough bunch to run out in cash games because Pop appears to have a disdain for fantasy basketball in all formats. I can’t think of any other reason he’d screw around with player minutes the way he does. But with the Spurs against the fast-paced T-Wolves I think Leonard meets this price rather easily. He is consistently underplayed on Draft Street because, frankly, he seems like a boring play. This price is good value and I bet he hits 25 FPPs easy.  (Recap: 37.5 FPPs $$$)

Keep an eye on: Trevor Ariza $14,533 - Al-Farouq Aminu $12,278

Avoid: Celtics Forwards, David West $13720 - Josh Smith $12,758

Center

Andrew Bogut $11,845 - Last time Bogut faced up against Big Dwight the floppy-haird Australian had the old 4/5/0/5(fouls) line and the Warriors got waxed. So why do I like Bogut tonight? Equal parts sadomasochism and value. Ya heard? The Rockets have let up decent games to centers and are actually below average defending the position. Bogut is an against-the-grain pick tonight, but I like the price relative to the field. (Recap: 29.75 FPPs $$)

Keep an eye on: Marcin Gortat $13,734

Avoid: Al Jefferson $14,739

So that's it - who do you like tonight? Who have I missed? Which guy did I pick that you hate? Let me know before game time so I don't blow it!