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Today's top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/9/17. Jake Finnen's expert NBA DFS advice, lineup sleepers and player recommendations.
Sunday starts off early with Wizards @ Clippers at 2:30PM, followed by Heat @ Brooklyn at 5PM. Both games offer a ton of value, especially in Clipper and Wizard backcourts. John Wall missing time means the Wizards will look to Tim Frazier for replacement production and opposing point guards have an grossly more favorable matchup. As for the 5PM game, Tyler Johnson is an interesting sleeper option, while the Brooklyn frontcourt is completely up for grabs. Tyler Zeller is getting the start, but Jarrett Allen has serious upside and should be considered as a long-shot play for risk-takers.
This should come as no surprise, but James Harden is going to be the play of the day. Even though he is playing on the road, a game against the Trail Blazers means the shots will be flying. Vegas predicted this game to be the highest scoring and if you haven't paid attention, Vegas is usually good at predicting things. C.J. McCollum's price has dropped over the past few games so play him confidence.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/9/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
DFS Guards to Consider
Patty Mills - PG, @ PHO ($4,000)
Gregg Popovich resorted to his backups quickly after 0-9 start against the Celtics and Patty Mills was first off the bench. On the second night of a back-to-back, Mills is lined up for another opportune night against the Suns backcourt. The last second victory means that a few extra Spurs might be seeing some extra rest time and the shots will fall right to Mills. He went 0-for-3 from deep last night and he should have no problem rebounding off that against Phoenix.
Nicolas Batum - SG, vs LAL ($6,400)
Nic Batum has meshed back into the Charlotte offense quickly and is back to receiving a full workload. Better yet, Batum has been productive in his short time back. He was scratching at a triple-double last night in an overtime loss against the Bulls, and needs to rebound tonight. The Lakers defense has been stingy but it won't be enough to keep Batum from being effective. His length gives him an advantage in this game, not to mention the Lakers defense is prone to giving up easy points around the rim, which fits right into Batum's passing game.
Eric Gordon - SG, @ POR ($4,800)
Eric Gordon has had an interesting mix of games recently. One game he shoots 10 shots, the next he drops 22 on 18 attempts. Then after that, he goes 2-for-12. So it's safe to say that Gordon's production is going to be just as spotty as the rest of the Rockets. The Rockets will give the ball to whoever is hitting that game. Sometimes it's Gordon, sometimes it's Anderson. Sometimes it's even Luc Mbah A Moute. Whatevr the case is, the best strategy is to chase the games where the Rockets will be in close competition so their best shooter are guaranteed attempts. Gordon is still one of the better scorers on the team and against Portland, they will want to get him going early.
Also Consider: Eric Bledsoe - PG, at CHA ($6,900)
DFS Forwards to Consider
Jonathon Simmons - SF, at ATL ($6,100)
This is a high-upside play with Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier listed as out. Simmons has been on a miniature tear and his minutes have been drastically higher recently. That's mostly in part to an injury to "on-court twin" Terrence Ross. Simmons has big play ability with the athleticism to make his defense lead to automatic offense. His price is a bit undesireable given his ability to toss up a dud on any given night, but with the amount of minutes he's getting, there is no way he won't produce against the Hawks.
Rudy Gay - SF, @ PHO ($5,500)
Rudy Gay is the main beneficiary to the Spurs injuries, especially with the Spurs on a back-to-back. Gay is still a very talented wing with enough in the tank to produce and has scored in double-figures the past four games. The streak will get extended to five unless he randomly is rested. It wouldn't be surprising if Gregg Popovich rests his main playmakers to give them a quick reset while giving his younger players some quality run against one of the leaders of the youth rebuild movement. As far as I know, Gay is playing and will produce against the Suns, it's a given.
Also Consider: Kristaps Porzingis - PF, @ CHI ($9,100)
DFS Centers to Consider
Nikola Vucevic - C, @ ATL ($8,500)
Similar to the Simmons play, Nikola Vucevic is an ideal play when the rest of the team is out. Vucevic is better when he is able to rely on his teammates, but he has proven time and time again he can score on his own. If his shot is hitting, he is a quality play. The Hawks are missing key rebounders and paint protectors so Vucevic has his work cut out for him. The options for Center today are a tad short, so you are limited to spending up for a quality center. If you don't want to pay-up for Joel Embiid, look for Vucevic as a cheaper option with a ton of upside.
Also consider: Brook Lopez - C, @ CHA ($4,300)
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