FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday 12/13/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

After a very slow week in the NBA filled with small slates, we finally get a solid slate of eight games tonight as sixteen teams that didn't qualify for the in-season tournament return to action.

I recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs in today's edition while highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks. If you want DraftKings picks, see who Zach Thompson likes by reading his piece here.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/13/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel. 

FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks

Anthony Davis, LAL - PF/C ($11,100)

The most obvious play on this slate is AD, as the Lakers will be without LeBron James tonight as they take on the defending Western Conference champion Timberwolves.

Davis dominated Rudy Gobert in the first meeting between these two teams, posting a 36-16-4 line against him in October, but was held in check for just 12 points and 11 boards in the rematch.

Tonight, he should see a big increase in usage with James out, and I think the range of outcomes is much closer to that first performance. I also love that he's PF-eligible on FanDuel, which allows us to play another center in our C slot - and this slate has several other big men in good matchups.

Chris Paul, SAS - PG ($6,500)

CP3 is too cheap for his minutes and matchup tonight. The Spurs get a favorable draw against a bad Portland team that allows the fourth-most FD points to opposing point guards.

Congrats @CP3 on an incredible achievement 👏 pic.twitter.com/8On7ZcvGUp

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 9, 2024

Rookie guard Stephon Castle is out for the Spurs tonight, so Paul will likely take on even more ball-handling duties and absorb some of the usage left behind as well. San Antonio also won't have Keldon Johnson or Zach Collins, so it's possible that Coach Pop just tightens up the rotation and gives everyone some more minutes, especially since the Spurs don't play again until Sunday and then have three days off.

Norman Powell, LAC - SG/SF ($6,700)

I love this price on Powell, and while I know that he's a very scoring-dependent player, I still think he can crush this price tag in this spot.

Powell has been working his way back after missing a pretty big chunk of time in November. He finally got back to his usual 34 minutes in his last start against Houston after being limited in his first two games back.

One of those games was against Denver, where he dropped 28 actual points against them in just 24 minutes. He also scored 37 points against the Nuggets back in October. Norman just gets buckets, and the Nuggets defense has been atrocious. I like this game to be a close one and for the trio of Powell, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac to all put up some solid stats.

Others Under Consideration: Cameron Johnson - SF/PF ($6,800), Brandon Miller - SG/SF ($8,100)

FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Joel Embiid, PHI - C ($10,600)

Joel Embiid has missed most of the season so far, but he started Philadelphia's last game against Chicago and looked like his old self - posting 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks on his way to 51.4 FD points.

Tonight he gets to face the Indiana Pacers and a familiar opponent in Myles Turner. Embiid had his way with Turner over the years, but here's a very recent sample of his last five starts against him going back two seasons.

Remember, AD is PF-eligible, so we could build some fun AD-Embiid lineups on FanDuel tonight. And Embiid's rostership will surely be held down by the fact that there are at least four to five other centers who will project well in their matchups, too.

James Harden, LAC – PG ($9,600)

Let's look back to the last time these two teams played just 12 days ago. Harden went off for 39 points and 11 assists on his way to 64 FD points. He had 23 points and 16 assists in their first matchup as well.

Harden saves his best performances for the biggest games this season, and his Clipper team will need him to go into beast mode as they are six-point underdogs against the Nuggets on the road. This game has some sneaky appeal for DFS, mainly on the LA side, and there should be enough value to fit Harden in with at least one other high-priced stud like Embiid or AD.

Vasilije Micic, CHA - PG/SG ($5,800)

Micic is coming off one of his best games as a starter for the Hornets this season. He dropped 18 points and 9 assists against the Pacers and now gets a matchup with a Bulls team that allows the most production to opposing point guards this season.

Vasilije Micic proves he can be a serious threat in the NBA 😤 pic.twitter.com/XxYQ3vxC9K

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) December 9, 2024

The Bulls have allowed the most assists to opposing point guards, which plays right into Micic's strength as a pass-first point guard. If Miles Bridges returns to the lineup, too, that will give Micic one more solid shooter/scorer to pass to in this one.

Others Under Consideration: Ivica Zubac - C ($7,200), Jarrett Allen (if Mobley is out) - PF/C ($7,500)

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FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks

Jared Butler, WAS – SG ($4,300)

The Wizards are 17-point underdogs today, so I am not planning on too much exposure to this game, but Butler feels "blowout-proof" in this spot as he usually comes off the bench and is more likely to finish out a blowout than the starters. He had 27.5 FD points against Memphis, while his team lost that game by 28 points. Garbage time points count, too!

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, MIN - SG/SF ($4,400)

NAW has thrived in his "microwave" instant offense role off the bench for the Wolves. He had 19 points against the Warriors in his last game and had 15 points the last this team faced the Lakers. He has a low floor but is capable of 6x or better at this price when he's knocking down shots.

Jusuf Nurkic, PHO – C ($4,800)

Nurkic is set to return to the lineup tonight for the Suns (as is Kevin Durant) and regain his status as the starting center. He probably won't play more than 25 minutes, but that should be plenty for him at this price, especially considering that the Jazz allow the most FD points to opposing centers in the league.

Harrison Barnes, SAS – SF/PF ($4,400)

I already mentioned that Keldon Johnson is out tonight for the Spurs. I think that could boost Barnes's playing time a bit, and we've seen him pop off a few times already this year. He's a bit more risky than some other values, but there's simply not much value at the PF position tonight.

Others Under Consideration: Andrew Nembhard, IND - PG/SG ($4,700), Donte DiVincenzo - PG/SG ($4,500)

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: Anthony Davis
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Anthony Davis
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: James Harden
• My favorite VALUE play: Jusuf Nurkic

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis