RADIO
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. After some solid games on Christmas, the league features six games on Thursday as we head toward the weekend. There are a pile of injuries to consider, especially on the Washington roster, so if you are looking to make some noise, you can gain an advantage by fading some of the popular former value guys like Ish Smith or Troy Brown. While those two could produce based on the fact that they will play heavy minutes and get plenty of opportunities to rack up a bunch of fantasy points, you could potentially gain some ground if either (or both) fails to perform beyond their respective values, which will be much more difficult as they have had a considerable increase in price. To round out the injury group, Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown, Blake Griffin, Marcus Morris, Luka Doncic, Danilo Gallinari, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shabazz Napier, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Mike Conley are either listed as out or are in danger of not being able to play. As usual, Kyrie Irving remains sidelined with a shoulder issue.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/26/19. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks.
Give me a follow on Twitter @Den_Clausen. Good luck.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Bradley Beal - SG, @ DET ($9,900)
With the plethora of injuries for the Wizards, Beal put up 38 shots against the Knicks on Monday night, and though he only drained 13 of them, he likely will hit a few more against the Pistons, while taking almost the same amount of shots. Isaiah Thomas will sit for one more game due to suspension, so look for the 26-year-old to continue to carry the load offensively on Thursday night, even more so than he has all year.
Donovan Mitchell - PG/SG, vs. POR ($8,100)
Mitchell's move to the point in place of the injured Mike Conley has really worked out in his favor. He has logged at least 40.25 fantasy points in five of his last six games and will be matched up with Damian Lillard, who is allowing 0.6 fantasy points per minute to those at the one on the year. He has taken less than 18 shots just once this month and is very generously priced considering his potential output.
Dennis Schroder - PG/SG - vs. MEM ($6,600)
Schroder is arguably having the best season of his career, shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 34.7 from deep, which are both the most efficient averages throughout his seven seasons in the league. He put up 28 points against the Clippers on Sunday and will benefit by getting a 6.7 percent bump in usage if Danilo Gallinari, who is dealing with an ankle injury, isn't able to suit up.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Andrew Wiggins - SG/SF, @ SAC ($7,800)
Karl-Anthony Towns has missed his last four games while dealing with a sprained left knee, and with the team in the midst of a miserable 11-game losing streak in addition to recent rumblings of a trade, he may not be back in the immediate future. Wiggins, who can't take full responsibility for Minnesota's lack of wins, has played well this season, averaging 25 points, 3.1 assists, 5.2 boards, and 1.2 blocks per outing, which are all career-bests. He has hit at least 33.75 fantasy points while Towns has been out, so there is a good chance he will be productive again on Thursday night against a Kings team that is lacking on the defensive end.
Julius Randle - PF/C, @ BKN ($6,800)
Marcus Morris didn't play on Monday night against the Wizards due to a sore Achilles, which opened the door for Randle to do some damage. He finished with 50.75 fantasy points in that one by way of 35 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including an efficient 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. If Morris is out again, Randle is a bargain.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Rudy Gobert - C, vs. POR ($8,900)
Though Hassan Whiteside has been racking up an impressive amount of blocks this season, he still struggles defensively, for the most part, allowing 0.7 fantasy points per minute to opposing big men on the year. With Mike Conley out of the equation, Gobert has enjoyed a slight increase across the board and should be in line for another solid start, even though it will cost you more than usual to acquire his services.
Jonas Valanciunas - C, @ OKC ($6,100)
Valanciunas is very underpriced considering his production, especially as of late. The 27-year-old is averaging 40.81 fantasy points over his last four contests and will be guarded by Steven Adams, who is sporting a career-worst 107.6 defensive rating this season. He is always a threat for a double-double, while also being notorious for getting hot from beyond the arc from time-to-time.
Also Consider: Luka Doncic ($11,800), Spencer Dinwiddie ($8,700), Damian Lillard ($8,500), Kristaps Porzingis ($8,300), JA Morant ($6,900), Jarrett Allen ($6,400), Steven Adams ($6,400), Troy Brown ($6,200), Ish Smith ($6,100), RJ Barrett ($6,000), Gary Payton II ($5,800), Elfrid Payton ($5,300), Royce O'Neale ($4,300), Anzejs Pasecniks ($3,700)
