Russell Westbrook and James Harden
PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Opponent: vs. Houston Rockets
Price: $12,800
A triple-double in six straight. A double-double in 10 straight. 60-plus DraftKings points in 10 straight. Starting a lineup with Westbrook really needs no explanation, and the lofty price is justifiable when you consider his floor is higher than most players' ceiling. A matchup at home against a Rockets team that pushes the pace and often forgets about defense only sweetens the pot for this statistical machine. (Getty)
SG: Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder
Opponent: vs. Houston Rockets
Price: $6,500
In a game that may resemble the pace of a tennis match, might as well lock on to the entire Thunder backcourt. After going for 30-plus DraftKings points in seven consecutive games in late November, Oladipo has cooled off and fallen under the 30-point mark in three of the last four. Nevertheless, the minutes (36.9), usage (14.3 field-goal attempts, 7.3 three-point attempts) and secondary stats (5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals) have all been there during that stretch, so it's only a matter of time before he starts putting up some huge lines again. And with the Thunder boasting a projected total of 113, this is the perfect spot for that to happen. (Getty)
SF: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: vs. Phoenix Suns
Price: $4,400
Ingram moved to the bench Wednesday but still logged 33 minutes and put up 24.75 DraftKings points. With the Lakers battling a slew of backcourt injuries, Ingram is locked into a heavy role (29-plus minutes in eight of the last nine games) and carries nice upside with his potential to contribute points, rebounds, steals and blocks. A matchup against Phoenix (first in the NBA in pace, 24th in defensive rating) should bring out the best in most Lakers players, and Ingram is a strong bet to provide value at just $4,400. (Getty)
PF: Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: vs. Phoenix Suns
Price: $6,000
As we just mentioned, the Suns are a perfect team to target for fantasy purposes. That's especially true for power forwards, as Phoenix has given up a season-high in points to the position six times this year. Randle has tallied two double-doubles in a row, and it won't be surprising if he continues that streak. (Getty)
C: John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks
Opponent: vs. Atlanta Hawks
Price: $4,500
With so much upside in Westbrook, Oladipo and Randle, we need to start finding some potential bargains. That's Henson, who, since receiving a DNP-CD on November 25, has averaged 25.3 minutes, 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 29.0 DraftKings points per contest. At $4,500, that equates to .0064 points per dollar, which is higher than Russell Westbrook's seasonal point/dollar mark of .0051. That's not to make any sort of comparison between the two, but instead to show that with the way Henson is playing, he's extremely valuable at his current price. (Getty)
G: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Opponent: vs. Toronto Raptors
Price: $5,500
With Isaiah Thomas ruled out, Smart will again step into the starting lineup. He turned Wednesday's start into a decent 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 23 minutes, but those numbers would have likely looked a lot better had the Celtics not blown out the Magic. Smart averages 1.04 DraftKings points per minute with Thomas off the court, per NBAWowy.com, and if he gets somewhere in the range of 30 minutes--which should happen in what is expected to be a much closer game--he should provide rock solid value at $5,500. (Getty)
F: Wayne Ellington, Miami Heat
Opponent: at Cleveland Cavaliers
Price: $4,500
This Heat roster is decimated. Dion Waiters is out. Justise Winslow is out. Josh Richardson is out. James Johnson is out. Luke Babbitt is out. Rodney McGruder is questionable. If the latter is out, Ellington will be one of just three guards left standing along with Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson, and as such could be looking at a 40-minute role. He got 41 last game and turned it into 27.75 DraftKings points, so on volume alone, he deserves strong consideration at $4,500. (Getty)
UTIL: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Opponent: at Oklahoma City Thunder
Price: $5,500
After pouring in eight threes and 26 points in just 24 minutes Wednesday against the Lakers, Gordon has now hit at least four threes and scored at least 14 points in seven straight games. Over that stretch, he's averaging 29.7 minutes, 21.4 points and 31.61 DraftKings points. He's worth a long look no matter the opponent when he's playing like this, but in this up-tempo matchup he could run wild. (Getty)
DraftKings NBA Lineup: December 9 Picks & Daily Preview