RADIO
The final Friday night of 2024 features a great eight-game DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings. Several stars are sidelined, creating some unique situations and key rotations to solve as you build your roster for Friday's contests. Six of the 16 teams taking the floor are on the second night of a back-to-back so be sure to keep a close eye on the injury report, especially for the Nets, Rockets, Pacers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Magic since those teams are playing for a second consecutive day.
Friday features some exciting options on the board, so let's look at the best of these matchups from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/27/24. 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 DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Kevin Durant, PHX - PF/C ($9,300)
The Suns remain without Devin Booker (groin) for a fourth straight game, so Durant will be in a great spot as the focus of the offense against the Mavericks. With Booker off the floor, Durant has averaged 1.41 DraftKings points per minute with a 39.1% usage rate compared to a 27.3% usage rate with Booker on the floor.
Leading the Suns to a home win over the Nuggets on Christmas, Durant had 27 points, six assists, and four rebounds, totaling 49 DraftKings points even though he went 0-for-5 from three-point range.
KD and Beal put a bow on NBA Christmas with a big win over the Nuggets 🎁
It's the Suns' first Christmas win since 2009! pic.twitter.com/BBK0WzAjTZ
— ESPN (@espn) December 26, 2024
Durant has over 41 DraftKings points in each of his five games since returning from an ankle injury and has topped 60 DraftKings points in two of those matchups. He brings an elite ceiling from his slightly lower salary than the other big-name plays, and he should be in a good spot to go off again on Friday.
Kyrie Irving, DAL – PG/SG ($8,300)
With Luka Doncic (calf) shelved for at least a month, the Mavs will look to Kyrie Irving to step up. On the season, Irving is averaging 40.7 DraftKings points per game and 1.16 DraftKings points per minute, but that number jumps to 1.22 DraftKings points per minute with Luka off the floor.
On Christmas Day, Irving had over 50 DraftKings points while stepping into an expanded role and trying to lead the Mavs back against Minnesota. He finished with 39 points, five rebounds, five three-pointers, and two assists.
Kyrie Irving was deep in his bag against the T-Wolves 🥶 His ability to accelerate and put the brakes on to get a bucket from any angle on the floor is absurd. Smooth and acrobatic even under pressure. Iconic hooper. pic.twitter.com/gHqQ2MK2Ms
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) December 25, 2024
Taking on the Suns and his friend Kevin Durant without Devin Booker gives Kyrie a good matchup to show he can carry the Mavs while Luka is sidelined. Look for him to step up with a big game Friday, and his salary to climb to a higher tier while Luka is sidelined.
Dennis Schroder, GSW – PG/SG ($5,300)
While it isn't quite as clear as Kyrie or KD getting more work while their teammates are out, Schroder should be able to return great value for the Warriors as he helps fill in for Stephen Curry (injury management).
Schroder has played four games since arriving in Golden State via trade and is coming off his best performance. He finished with 24 DraftKings points in 28 minutes against the Lakers on Christmas.
Dennis Schroder tonight Vs LAL
11 PTS
3/10 FG
3/6 3PT
2/2 FT
2 REB
5 AST
1 STL
4+
Played his heart out 💔 pic.twitter.com/S5ahHhPR16— SchröderMuse (@SchroderMusee) December 26, 2024
Schroder produced 1.05 DraftKings points per minute during his 22 games with the Nets and 35.3 DraftKings points per game. With a chance to step into a larger role against the Clippers, he should be able to easily out-produce this affordable salary as he continues to mesh with his new squad.
Others Under Consideration: Nikola Jokic - C ($11,800), James Harden - PG ($9,600), Ja Morant - PG ($8,600), Jalen Suggs - PG ($8,000), Cameron Johnson - SF/PF ($7,400), Donovan Mitchell - PG/SG ($8,400)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Dejounte Murray, NOP - PG ($8,500)
Murray and the Pelicans remain without Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (hamstring), leaving plenty of heavy lifting for Murray now that he's back from his fractured hand. He is averaging 40.2 DraftKings points per game on the season at the rate of 1.21 DraftKings points per minute.
Last Sunday against the Nuggets, Murray logged 44 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back and dropped 64 DraftKings points on this impressive stat line:
Dejounte Murray Stats For Regular Season Game vs NUGGETS 22-12-2024 https://t.co/0kS0IETadp#DejounteMurray #Dejounte #Murray #nba #nbahighlights #basketball #new #orleans #pelicans #neworleanspelicans pic.twitter.com/oRuLBhOWfG
— NBA Players Highlights (@NBAPlayersHigh) December 23, 2024
Murray came back to earth with just 33.5 DraftKings points on Thursday but only played 27 minutes in the Pelicans' loss to the Rockets. He should be ready for a full workload and a bigger stat line against the Grizzlies on Friday.
Victor Wembanyama, SAS - C ($11,000)
Wembanyama impressed on Christmas Day and flourished in the spotlight of New York City.
Wemby put on a show in NYC 🤩
42 PTS
18 REB
6 3PM
4 BLKThe first player to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ 3PM in a game on Christmas Day! #NBAXmas pic.twitter.com/8rPDLalzSe
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2024
With that impressive stat line, he earned 83 DraftKings points. He has over 65 DraftKings points in three of his last four games and over 55 DraftKings points in five games in a row.
The Nets have been a great matchup for centers, so if you're going to pay up for a top-priced player in your tournament lineup, Wemby has made a strong case to be the best option to build around.
Norman Powell, LAC - SG/SF ($7,300)
Helping the Clippers keep sailing without Kawhi Leonard (knee) has been a tough task this season, but Powell has been up to the challenge. The 31-year-old veteran is having one of his best seasons in the NBA, averaging 24.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 35.8 DraftKings points per game.
Powell has been even better over his last four games with over 39 DraftKings points in each of those games, highlighted by a huge game in Dallas in which he earned 52.25 DraftKings points.
Norman Powell's last 4 games:
29 PTS
29 PTS
28 PTS
29 PTS ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cvjYh0wBue— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 26, 2024
Powell and the Clippers will host the Curry-less Warriors in the last game of the night, and he will look to keep out-producing his salary as he and Harden carry the load for Los Angeles.
Andrew Wiggins, GSW – SF/PF ($5,600)
Wiggins stepped up with a Christmas Day double-double on his way to 45.5 DraftKings points in the Warriors' loss to the Lakers. He got plenty of attention for his defense on the game-losing shot, but his stat line before that was excellent
🇨🇦 Andrew Wiggins today highlights vs. Lakers:
🏀 21 POINTS
🏀 12 REBOUNDS
🏀 3 ASSISTSWarriors lost to Lakers 113-115 ❌ pic.twitter.com/36X5DUFDVL
— DV highlights (@DVhighlights) December 26, 2024
With Curry out on Friday, Wiggins has even more upside since he'll have to help carry the load, giving him a good ceiling for a player under $6,000.
Others Under Consideration: Jayson Tatum - SF/PF ($9,900), Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,600), Tyrese Haliburton - PG ($8,100), CJ McCollum - PG/SG ($7,200), Josh Hart - SF/PF ($6,700), P.J. Washington - PF ($6,900)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Zach Edey, MEM – C ($5,000)
Edey had one of the best games of his career on Thursday against the Raptors, finishing with 50 DraftKings points.
The Rook 🔥 Vol. 2 @zach_edey
📊 21 PTS
📊 16 REB (career-high)Presented by @RobinhoodApp pic.twitter.com/H4tZSoQmLr
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 27, 2024
Edey has averaged 28.7 DraftKings points per game and 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over his last 11 games, and he gets a favorable matchup against fellow rookie Yves Missi ($6,400) on Friday night in New Orleans.
Edey's minutes have been steady lately, but there is a little extra risk on the second night of back-to-back. It's hard to argue against his upside at only $5,000, though, so he's a great option to mix into your lineups.
Jake LaRavia, MEM – SF/PF ($4,100)
LaRavia is another great value option to consider from Memphis. He had a solid performance Thursday with 24.25 DraftKings points in 21 minutes.
Jake LaRavia Stats For Regular Season Game vs RAPTORS 26-12-2024 https://t.co/IkERckIQhf#JakeLaRavia #Jake #LaRavia #nba #nbahighlights #basketball #memphis #grizzlies #grizzlies #memphisgrizzlies pic.twitter.com/KoH0TyUSIf
— NBA Players Highlights (@NBAPlayersHigh) December 27, 2024
With Santi Aldama ($5,000; ankle) leaving that game and not returning, there could be even more work for LaRavia on Friday. He has over 20 DraftKings points in four straight games including over 30 DraftKings points in two of those contests.
Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL – PG/SG ($4,900)
Dinwiddie stepped into a much larger role the last time Luka was sidelined for an extended period of time, and he could do the same starting on Friday. His salary hasn't been adjusted up yet, so he's very affordable against the Suns.
In his eight games with Luka sidelined this season, Dinwiddie has averaged 30.9 DraftKings points per game and seen his usage climb to 20.1%.
Brandin Podziemski, GS – PG/SG ($4,000)
Podziemski has typically entered the starting lineup when Curry has been sidelined this season, but with Schroder in the mix, it's uncertain if he'll start or continue to work in the second unit.
Either way, "Pod Racer" brings solid upside with Curry off the court since he can do so many different things to produce value at only $4,000. In his minutes without Curry, Podziemski has produced 0.86 DraftKings points per minute, and he has averaged 28.4 DraftKings points in his two games in the lineup while Curry was out.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, GS – C ($4,300)
I can't highlight this many Warriors and overlook my guy TJD! Jackson-Davis has been a regularly recurring figure in my value section this season and has consistently delivered great value when in the starting five.
He had 31.25 DraftKings points and fell just one rebound short of a double-double on Christmas Day while providing excellent rim protection.
The player that had the best rim defense during last night's games based on the shooting percentage on shots defended at the rim:
Trayce Jackson-Davis - Defended at Rim FG%: 50.00%
He finished with 11 PTs (+3.07), 4 AST (+1.89), 9 REB (+3.75), 2 stocks (+0.93)
(comparison to… pic.twitter.com/jCkc5WDHgQ— Swish Stats (@SwishStatistics) December 27, 2024
Jackson-Davis has over 29 DraftKings points in three straight games and is a steal with his salary still just over $4,00o, especially if Draymond Green ($6,000; back, questionable) sits along with Curry.
Others Under Consideration: Devin Vassell - SG/SF ($5,200), Jaylen Wells - SG/SF ($4,000), Jaden McDaniels - SF ($4,300), Kevin Porter Jr. - PG ($4,400), Peyton Watson - PF ($4,400).
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
Grizzlies at Pelicans (238.5 total)
The Grizzlies are playing for the second night in a row, but they had plenty of points to go around on Thursday, beating the Raptors 155-126. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane ($6,800), and Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,100) are all solid plays at their salaries and there are multiple great values to consider as well. Keep a close eye on their injury report, but Edey and LaRavia can be mixed into almost any lineup construction given their low salaries and high ceilings.
On the other side of this matchup, the Pelicans have also been playing high-scoring games lately, which is why this total is so massively inflated. Murray is the key piece I'd build any Pels stack around with McCollum a solid secondary piece along with Trey Murphy III ($6,900) and Herbert Jones ($5,900). If you are looking for value from the Pelicans' side, Brandon Boston Jr. ($4,200) is back in the mix and Jordan Hawkins ($4,700) just returned from injury.
Cavaliers at Nuggets (236 total)
The superstars are where most of the production in this game will likely come from, which is why I leaned more into the Girzz-Pels in my preview since there are greater value plays. It's hard to argue with the star power of Jokic vs. Spida in this game, though. A Cavs stack around Mitchell, Darius Garland ($7,000), and Evan Mobley ($7,600) is expensive but very productive while Ty Jerome ($3,700) always brings a high ceiling if he gets extended run. He's extremely cheap on Friday given his upside.
On the other side of this matchup, Jokic should continue to get help from Jamal Murray ($7,400), Russell Westbrook ($6,300), and Michael Porter Jr. ($6,400) while Peyton Watson should be a great value since Aaron Gordon (calf) has been ruled out.
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: Kevin Durant
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Kevin Durant
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Dejounte Murray
- My favorite VALUE play: Zach Edey
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