Knicks vs. Raptors NBA DFS Picks For DraftKings & FanDuel - Mon, 12/9
Published: Dec 09, 2024
With the NBA Emirates Cup taking center stage this week, the NBA DFS schedule is weird. We have just ONE game on Monday, December 9th, between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. We have some big injury news on the Knicks side as Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable.
He missed the Knicks' last game and it's slate-shifting news if he's unable to suit up. We'll lay out scenarios for if Towns is in and out in the playbook below, so you don't skip a beat when the news comes out. Let's dive into the NBA DFS Showdown Playbook for tonight's Knicks and Raptors matchup.
New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors
- Total: 231.5
- Spread: NYK -6.5
Knicks vs. Raptors Notable Injuries & Lineups
New York Knicks Key Injuries
- Karl-Anthony Towns - IN
- Cameron Payne - IN
- Mitchell Robinson - OUT
New York Knicks Starting Lineup
Toronto Raptors Key Injuries
- Immanuel Quickley - OUT
- Bruce Brown - OUT
- D.J. Carton - OUT
- Jamison Battle - OUT
- Ulrich Chomche - OUT
Toronto Raptors (Projected) Starting Lineup
Knicks vs. Raptors NBA DFS Showdown Picks: MVP & Captain
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks - $16,800 DK, $15,000 FD
Towns has a 29.1% USG and 1.55 FP/min this year. He's been a super-elite fantasy player all year long. This is not a back-to-back, but the Knicks play in the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday, so he could sit this one.
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors - $17,100 DK, $16,500 FD
Without Immanuel Quickley this year, Barnes has a 28.2% USG and 1.4 FP/min. The Knicks are 19th in DRtg and Barnes is a nightly triple-double threat.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks - $15,900 DK, $14,500 FD
I prefer Jalen Brunson if Karl-Anthony Towns is out, but I do think if Towns plays it splits up the captain ownership, which bodes well for Brunson. He's a 29.9% USG rate and 1.24 FP/min. Without Towns, he has a 35.2% USG and 1.4 FP/min.
UTIL NBA DFS Showdown Plays For Monday
RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors - $10,000 DK, $13,000 FD
It's been night and day for RJ Barrett at home versus the road. He's averaging 27.7 PPG and 46.3 DKP/game at home compared to 19.4 PPG and 38.9 DKP/game on the road. He's shooting way better and simply playing better. He gets his former team at home in this one. If you're a narrative guy, Barrett is a solid captain.
Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors - $8,800 DK, $12,500 FD
Even with Kelly Olynyk back, Jakob Poeltl played 34 minutes and went 20-7-7-2 for 40+ FP. Olynyk was his straight backup and it's possible Poeltl loses a couple of minutes, but nothing of significance with this being Olynyk's second game of the year.
Josh Hart, New York Knicks - $8,400 DK, $11,500 FD
Always a safe option that has a ceiling because of his ability to fill the stat sheet.
OG Anunoby, New York Knicks - $7,600 DK, $10,500 FD
If Towns sits, I'd even consider OG Anunoby a solid captain. Without Towns, he's a 22.4% USG, 1.03 FP/min player. His usage dips to 19.5% with Towns on the floor and is only at .9 with him.
Knicks vs. Raptors NBA DFS Picks: Dart Throws
Miles McBride, New York Knicks - $4,400 DK, $7,500 FD
The Knicks do not run a deep rotation and Miles McBride is in Thibs' trust tree. Only once in his last 11 games has he failed to play 20 minutes and he's topped 25 minutes in three straight games.
Cameron Payne, New York Knicks - $3,200 DK, $6,000 FD
Payne is listed on the injury report and will play teens minutes if he suits up. He's a 1.02 FP/min player this season, so if he's playing well he's a very solid value so you can afford expensive players.
Davion Mitchell, Toronto Raptors - $2,800 DK, $7,000 FD
I'm simply acknowledging the minutes here. He's played 26, 24, 26, and 28 in the last four games. He's shot horribly in that span, so if he continues to play that much and actually makes shots, there's something here.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Jalen Brunson  $14,500 |  Scottie Barnes $16,500 | Karl-Anthony Towns $15,000 | ||
| Medium | RJ Barrett $13,000 | OG Anunoby $10,500 | Jakob Poeltl $12,500 | ||
| Josh Hart $11,500 | |||||
| Low |  Davion Mitchell $7,000 | Miles McBride $7,500 |  Kelly Olynyk $7,500 | ||
| Cameron Payne $6,000 |
Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.