DraftKings NBA DFS Picks for Today (Tuesday, 12/3/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Welcome back, Rotoballers! Tonight we have eight more NBA Cup Group Play matchups, highlighted by a TNT doubleheader. These articles focus on the best plays, typically more suited for cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate.

The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/3/24. For FanDuel picks, check out Zach Thompson's breakdown here. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!

DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC - PG ($10,300)

SGA is making a legitimate case for MVP early in this season. The Thunder are the top seed in the West heading into tonight's game, and SGA is sitting third in PPG at an even 30.

From a DFS perspective; he may not have the highest ceiling compared to someone like Wemby, but he is a model of consistency. He's scored at least 50+ fantasy points in 10 of his last 12 games and is averaging 33.6 points per game over his last five games. Tonight he gets an awesome matchup against the Jazz who rank 28th in fantasy points allowed to opposing PGs and rank 29th in defensive efficiency.

🇨🇦 Represent The Canadians 🇨🇦

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | vs. Houston

32 POINTS
3 THREE POINTERS
8 REBOUNDS
5 ASSISTS
2 STEALS pic.twitter.com/Bnk3wZYkHy

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) December 2, 2024

Victor Wembanyama, SA- C ($10,800)

Speaking of Wemby, there's no way I could not include the guy who just dropped 80 fantasy points in core plays. If Wemby is part of a slate you're playing, he needs to warrant serious consideration for your lineup regardless of opponent. On paper, his matchup against the Suns isn't the best, but Phoenix will again be without starting center Jusuf Nurkic. Wemby has only scored less than 55 fantasy points once in his last eight games.

Jordan Poole, WAS - PG/SG ($6,900)

Poole can be streaky sometimes, but when Kyle Kuzma doesn't play he's always worth a look. His last time out, Poole posted 52.5 fantasy points on a massive 37.5% usage rate.

Efficiency isn't Poole's forte, but in DFS, volume is king, and Poole figures to have plenty of it. When you take his game environment (implied total of 237, third highest on the slate) and projected workload, he stands out as obviously underpriced.

Others Under Consideration: Tyrese Maxey, PHI - PG ($8,200), Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK - C ($9,200), Donovan Mitchell, CLE - PG/SG ($9,100), RJ Barrett, TOR - SF/PF ($7,900)

DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Luka Doncic, DAL - PG ($11,000)

Luka did have a massive box score on Sunday in Portland, but the Mavs were missing five of their usual rotation players, including Kyrie Irving. With reinforcements expected back, and plenty of other high-end options at PG, Luka might be the odd man out tonight regarding ownership.

Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC - C ($7,300)

Hartenstein was OKC's big free agent pickup this offseason, and while he missed the first month due to injury, he's been nothing short of excellent since returning. Hartenstein has double-doubled in all five games he's played this season and is averaging 42.6 fantasy points per game in those five games. His price should start to creep more toward the $8k range, so I want to play him while his pricing hasn't caught up to his production.

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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks

Malcolm Brogdon, WAS - PG/SG ($5,900)

Brogdon will likely be one of the highest-owned players on the slate tonight. Like Jordan Poole, Brogdon also posted 50+ fantasy points without Kyle Kuzma last game and comes with a $1,000 discount. The Wizards have the worst defense in the NBA, they need to score a lot to have a chance in games and Brogdon provides another great option with the 27.5% usage rate he had without Kuzma.

Nick Richards, CHA - C ($5,600)

Richards was extremely efficient in his return from a 14-game absence. He posted 28.5 fantasy points in only 25 minutes of action. Tonight, he figures to return to the starting lineup against an undersized 76ers team down both Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. Richards recorded a double-double in three of the four games he played pre-injury, and feels like a good bet to do so again tonight.

Andrew Nembhard, IND - PG/SG ($4,500)

Nembhard returned to the starting lineup after a 12-game absence and was superb in limited action. In only 15 minutes of playing time, he posted 27.5 fantasy points. Nembhard will almost certainly play more than 15 minutes this game, but even if he's not back to a full workload, he looks to have a major role given the Pacers' current injury situation on the wings.

Others Under Consideration: Guerschon Yabusele, PHI - PF/C ($5,700), Alexandre Sarr, WAS - PF/C ($5,400), Jaylen Wells, MEM - SG/SF ($4,700), Cason Wallace, OKC - PG/SG ($4,300)

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack

Pacers at Raptors (239.5 O/U)

This game's O/U might trail the next one by two points, but in terms of the pieces involved this game is much more stackable on either side. Each team has only one player priced higher than $8k, and both teams are dealing with injuries opening up possibilities down the pricing scale.

Grizzlies at Mavs (241.5 O/U)

Any game with a total this high is worth having exposure to, and with some of the star power available in this game this total would imply at least 1-2 of them are due for a big performance. The Mavs are a team to keep an eye on throughout the day today due to how many guys are listed as questionable to play tonight. With this game being one of the last on the slate to start, the Mavs injury report can provide some very interesting late swap options tonight.

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Malcolm Brogdon
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Luka Doncic
• My favorite VALUE play: Andrew Nembhard

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis