DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (12/2/21): NBA DFS Lineups

Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! It's my first DFS article for the final month of the year. I'm not sure how it's already December, and a quarter of the season is gone, but here we are. The ball is well and truly rolling on the 2020-21 season, and we can begin to see things for what they are. I'm not convinced the Lakers are a top-five team. I am convinced Chicago can make the Eastern Conference Finals. I'm not convinced Phoenix is going to win every game for the rest of the year. I am convinced the Rocket's four-game winning streak ends as soon as they play someone other than the Thunder. Still, there's another 75 percent of the year to go, and these things can certainly change (except the Rockets one, they're awful).

For tonight, we've got a five-game slate and plenty of DFS options to choose from. Some are, unfortunately, due to injuries to star players, but others are because of surprising performances out of nowhere. The highest over/under of the evening belongs to the Spurs-Trail Blazers matchup at 220 points, while the Pistons-Suns matchup comes in with the highest-projected pace on my sheet. It will be worth watching what happens in Phoenix with Devin Booker (hamstring) missing, as it could be the CP3 show for the foreseeable future in the desert.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/2/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.

DraftKings Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Dejounte Murray - PG, SAS at POR ($9,800)

A lot of the time in DFS circles, we see a guy getting a lot of minutes, watch his fantasy points rise, be happy campers and go on our way. However, there's a difference between a player getting more minutes and producing at the same rate and taking those minutes and becoming a more efficient player and a fantasy superstar. San Antonio's Dejounte Murray is the latter of those two examples.

As the table above shows, Murray is getting the minutes bump he deserves, but he's also producing more results. He's been phenomenal all year, but he's taken it to another stratosphere recently. In six of his last seven games, Murray has taken at least 19 shots. And in those six games, the 25-year old is averaging 23.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 2.3 steals for a massive 57.13 FPPG (fantasy points per game). He's my favorite play in this five-game slate.

Anfernee Simons - PG/SG, POR vs. SAS ($4,900)

As I said in Murray's recommendation, there's a difference between a minutes guy and an efficiency guy. We are waiting to see what kind of player Simons is for the long-term, but he is getting the right number of minutes in the short term. The Trail Blazers will roll with their much-hyped fourth-year guard with Damian Lillard (abdomen) out for another week and a half. It feels like we've been waiting two or three seasons for the Simons production to catch up to the praise, but it's arriving at precisely the right time for DFS managers.

The 22-year old Floridian has seen over 29 minutes in each of his previous three contests. He should see a similar amount of time tonight with Lillard out. Dame's absence is great news for fantasy managers because Simons is averaging 32.42 FPPG in his last three because of the playing time. Couple that with a Spurs defense allowing the third-most FPPG to point guards, and Simon's ceiling could reach the 40s in DFS tonight.

Others to consider: Chris Paul ($8,600), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($8,100), Alec Burks ($6,500), Desmond Bane ($6,400)

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DraftKings Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Scottie Barnes - SF/PF, TOR vs. MIL ($7,500)

During the preseason, there were a lot of friendly debates about Scottie Barnes' value in fantasy circles for this season. However, the discussion is over now, and everyone in the fantasy basketball community is jumping on the Barnes bullet train as he shoots up in-season rankings.

I’ll admit it, I overlooked Scottie Barnes coming into this season because he wasn’t in the national spotlight in college like Jalen Suggs was

He’s so much better than I expected him to be as a rookie

Shout out to @RotoBaller’s @DennisMClausen for being on Barnes since day one!

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) December 1, 2021

A thumb sprain cost him two games in November, but he's put that behind him and is delivering the most consistent run of his young NBA career. During the last four games, the rookie averages 18.5 points on 50.9 percent shooting, with 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists. 2.0 three-pointers, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks. It's the first time in his career he's scored at least 17 points in four consecutive games, and I love him as a differential pick in DFS. Barnes gets a Bucks team on the second leg of a back-to-back after a tougher-than-expected win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The 217-point over/under is the second-highest of the five games, and Milwaukee offers a pace-up spot for the rookie and his teammates.

Luguentz Dort - SG/SF, OKC at MEM ($5,700)

Josh Giddey (illness) missed Wednesday's defeat to the Houston Rockets, and it seemed to give Luguentz Dort a couple of extra looks in the offense. Of course, they aren't necessarily needed, but if Giddey misses tonight's game, the security of Dort receiving at least 30 minutes makes him an excellent fantasy option.

The 22-year old has registered 30-plus minutes in eight of his last nine games. In those eight contests, the Canadian wing is scoring 32.38 FPPG. At $5,700, that's a viable average to return five times his value, and we can expect more in an up-and-down-the-court contest versus the fast-paced Memphis Grizzlies.

Others to consider: Zach LaVine ($8,800), Jerami Grant ($7,300), Pat Connaughton ($5,100), Jae Crowder ($4,300)

DraftKings Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Julius Randle - PF/C, NYK vs. CHI ($9,500)

I wanted to write up Giannis Antetokounmpo here, but his $12,000 salary puts too big of a chokehold on the rest of my lineup on Thursday. Therefore, Julius Randle is my high-priced pivot play. Yes, he doesn't have the highs Giannis can obtain, but the Knicks star center is showing signs of turning the corner. Recently, he's spoken about the lack of fouls going his way, but his aggression is what can make him a great DFS play.

In four of his last six games, Randle's taken at least 15 shots. When he gets that number of opportunities, he records 23.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.25 assists for 48.3 FPPG. The shot attempts seem to keep him engaged in the game and his energy levels up. An engaged Randle is a DFS-viable Randle. In a clash against the up-and-coming Bulls, the All-NBA talent will bring his A-game for his New York teammates and our DFS rosters.

Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM vs. OKC ($7,100)

If you're hovering above the Memphis while reading this, you may want to be on the lookout because the Jaren Jackson Jr. takeoff is happening! Yes, we've been here before, but I'm buying all the way in now. First, he just has to avoid foul trouble. Undoubtedly, it's the biggest flaw in his game, but we only have to look at two of his last five games to see how much talent Jackson has.

He's reached 34 minutes in two of his last five games, and in that couple of contests, he has smashed his DFS projection. Jackson averaged 25.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 three-pointers, 3.5 blocks, and one steal per contest for 45.5 fantasy points. This season, Oklahoma City is the fifth-worst defense against centers and will offer little resistance for a man with JJJ's ability. But just for good luck, let's say it together, "Stay out of foul trouble!"

Others to consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000), Jusuf Nurkic ($7,000), Isaiah Stewart ($5,000)

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

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