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We only have two games in the Association because the NFL loves the attention on Thursday nights. We have the Spurs heading east on I-10 to face the Pelicans and Washington heading out to Utah to take on the upstart Jazz. We know that Brandon Ingram is still out and that Keldon Johnson likely won't play. That opens up a little bit of value on a slate that needs it.
With both FanDuel and DraftKings having multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates accordingly to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can change during the day as well, so I'll do my best to update as news comes out!
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 12/22/22. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Bradley Beal - at UTAH (FD: $9,000, DK: $8,100)
Beal has played 67 minutes in the two games since his return from a two-week absence, so he is picking up where he left off. His 81 DraftKings points in that span are a little less than we would expect from Beal, but he hasn't been all that efficient from the floor. Once he starts shooting a little better, we should see Beal start flirting with 50 again. That kind of upside is nice in this price range.
C.J. McCollum - vs. SA (FD: $8,500, DK: $7,700)
Brandon Ingram is still out and Zion has COVID, so lock in C.J. After a slower start to the season, McCollum has at least 45 DraftKings points in four of the last five games, including getting close to a triple-double against the Bucks on Monday. McCollum is the one guy that I'm locking into every lineup tonight. He's too cheap on both sites.
Monte Morris - at UTAH (FD: $5,500, DK: $5,100)
Morris's performance has given him a decided minutes advantage over Jordan Goodwin lately. Morris has played at least 28 minutes in every game since November 28. His scoring has taken a hit with Beal back, but his peripheral numbers have also improved. I don't see a ton of upside with Morris, but you can do worse for a cash-game punt.
Also consider: Devin Vassell (FD: $7,000, DK $7,400); Tre Jones (FD: $6,300, DK $6,500); Malik Beasley (FD: $5,300, DK: $5,200)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kyle Kuzma - at UTAH (FD: $8,300, DK: $8,700)
Kuzma has actually been better with Bradley Beal back. In the two games since Beal's return, Kuzma has 101.5 DraftKings points after not even hitting the 40 DraftKings point mark for three straight games. That's a good sign for the Wizards, and a nice little development for us DFS players as well. If Beal and Kuzma are making each other better, they make a nice mini stack.
Herbert Jones - vs. SA (FD: $5,100, DK: $4,200)
I'm not crazy about a lot of the top-end forward options tonight, so I'm chasing upside with my last couple of picks. With Zion out, Herbert Jones should see more responsibility fall to him. Jones is a huge defensive presence, but with Zion and Ingram out, someone has to score. C.J. will do most of it, but Jones has proven to be a capable scorer at times. He has huge potential at a really low price tonight.
Keita Bates-Diop - at NO (FD: $4,700, DK: $4,000)
Vassell has the most upside with Keldon Johnson out, but KBD has been producing nicely regardless. He is seeing a lot of minutes lately and was even before Johnson went down. KBD has been putting up decent points totals and is active on both ends of the court. He's not going to break the slate. If you want the slate-breaker and you don't care about the floor, Jeremy Sochan is a really interesting piece, but he's not for the faint of heart.
Also consider: Lauri Markkanen (FD: $8,200, DK: $8,300), Jarred Vanderbilt (FD: $6,800, DK: $5,900), Rui Hachimura (FD: $4,500, DK $4,100)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jonas Valanciunas - vs. SA (FD: $6,600, DK: $6,000)
Porzingis might be out and Jakob Poeltl will likely be limited again, so I'm turning to the guy that ravaged the Bucks on Monday. We have every reason to believe that this is an outlier, but Jonas put up the monster 37- point 18-rebound night with Zion on the court. What can he do without him in the lineup? For 6k, I'm willing to find out!
Also consider: Walker Kessler (FD: $5,800, DK: $5,400); Daniel Gafford (FD: $5,300, DK: $5,000) if Porzingis out
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