Let’s play a game for Saturday night’s six-pack of NBA action. Let’s see who can stuff the most Toronto Raptors into their stocking (I mean DFS lineup). Be sure to keep tabs on the Raptors news leading up to tipoff as Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for rest on the second game of a back-to-back set and both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka are questionable after not playing on Friday. If they are all out, then the Raptors rotation will be very tight in a matchup with the Sixers. So, how many Raptors can you jam into your lineup? Enjoy your holidays!
Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom DvP calculations that combine both season and last five games data along with blending similar positions production allowed together.
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One Stud
James Harden (PG/SG – HOU): $11,600 vs. SA
The Raptors aren’t the only team with injuries as the Rockets will be without Chris Paul for the next few weeks which spikes James Harden’s already high usage through the roof. Harden has a massive 47.7 percent usage rate which is 7.3 percent higher than usual with the collection of Rockets that will not play on Saturday, including Paul. In five games without Paul this season, Harden is averaging 35.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 12.8 assists for 68.5 DK points per game. Plug Harden in your lineup and figure the rest out from there.
Let’s play a game for Saturday night’s six-pack of NBA action. Let’s see who can stuff the most Toronto Raptors into their stocking (I mean DFS lineup). Be sure to keep tabs on the Raptors news leading up to tipoff as Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for rest on the second game of a back-to-back set and both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka are questionable after not playing on Friday. If they are all out, then the Raptors rotation will be very tight in a matchup with the Sixers. So, how many Raptors can you jam into your lineup? Enjoy your holidays!
Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom DvP calculations that combine both season and last five games data along with blending similar positions production allowed together.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
One Stud
James Harden (PG/SG – HOU): $11,600 vs. SA
The Raptors aren’t the only team with injuries as the Rockets will be without Chris Paul for the next few weeks which spikes James Harden’s already high usage through the roof. Harden has a massive 47.7 percent usage rate which is 7.3 percent higher than usual with the collection of Rockets that will not play on Saturday, including Paul. In five games without Paul this season, Harden is averaging 35.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 12.8 assists for 68.5 DK points per game. Plug Harden in your lineup and figure the rest out from there.
Core Plays
DeAndre Ayton (C – PHO): $7,200 @ WAS
The center spot is a toss-up between DeAndre Ayton and Hassan Whiteside ($6,600) for me tonight. The Suns rookie has been on a bit of a roll over his last three games with double-doubles in each game while averaging 20.7 points and 14.3 rebounds during that stretch. Ayton draws a plus matchup on Saturday against the Wizards who have allowed increased production in points (+4.7%) and rebounds (+9.9%) to centers.
Khris Middleton (SG/SF – MIL): $6,500 @ MIA
Middleton has started to regain his shooting touch over the last three games after a brief slump. He hit four three-pointers on Friday against the Celtics on his way to a 42.75 DK points night. His salary remains reasonable and he offers good position flexibility for his matchup with the Heat on Saturday. This is the one spot that I’m more flexible with out of my core plays. If you can find the salary, there are a variety of solid mid-range options to consider including Devin Booker ($8,800), Luka Doncic ($8,100) and Josh Richardson ($7,000).
Pascal Siakam (PF – TOR): $6,000 @ PHI
I know I promised some Raptors, well don’t worry most of the remainder of the article is dedicated to them. With the litany of Raptors unlikely to play, Siakam should play big minutes and be one of the primary options on the offensive end against the Sixers. In two previous matchups with the Sixers, Siakam has averaged 10.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game for 34.9 DK points a night. Look for the scoring to go up on Saturday as he jacked up 17 shots in the last game and could get even more.
Fred VanVleet (PG/SG – TOR): $5,900 @ PHI
Next up on the Raptors parade is VanVleet. He has taken over as the starting PG with Kyle Lowry out. In those three games, he is averaging over 35 minutes a game while putting up 15.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. The Sixers allow a slight increase in production to PGs in points and assists which coupled with his increased playing time and usage should bode well for the reasonably priced PG.
Value Plays
Trevor Ariza (SF/PF – WAS): $5,300 vs. PHO
Ariza has been playing great since being traded to the Wizards from the Suns, who the Wizards will face on Saturday night. In his first two games with the Wizards, Ariza is averaging 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.5 steals per game. He’ll get a crack against his former club on Saturday in what should be a fairly high-scoring and close game.
Toronto Raptors
We’ll finish off the article with a stocking filled with Raptors value options. Assuming all the big names are out, there are a variety of cheap Raptors that will walk into big minutes and increased usage on Saturday night against the Sixers. My favorite options are Delon Wright ($4,100) and OG Anunoby ($3,500). Wright played 33 minutes on Friday and could see closer to 40 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Anunoby scored a season-high 21 points on Friday and will get even more scoring opportunities with Leonard out. Other cheap options that could come into play include Greg Monroe ($4,300) and Norman Powell ($3,000) or any other warm body the Raptors throw out there.
Brad Richter is a correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay and GoingFor2. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.