FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday 12/27/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Friday nights usually deliver some of the best NBA slates, and tonight's eight-gamer is no slouch by any means. We have a battle in Denver between the league's winningest team - the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Nuggets as well as a big matchup between the upstart Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Some big names are already ruled out tonight (Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker), while some other players, such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Draymond Green, all carry questionable tags and will need to have their status monitored leading up to game time.

I recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs in today's edition while highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks. If you want DraftKings picks, see who Zach Thompson likes by reading his piece here.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel 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 EST on FanDuel. 

FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks

Victor Wembanyama, SAS - PF/C ($11,900)

I made the mistake of fading Wemby on Christmas Day, and he went nuclear, dropping an 80-burger on the Knicks with 42 points and 18 boards. In his current form, I am not taking the risk of being without him tonight as he takes on a mediocre Brooklyn team on a back-to-back.

Victor Wembanyama over his last 7 games:

42 PTS - 18 REB - 4 BLK
26 PTS - 8 BLK - 6 3PM
30 PTS - 7 REB - 10 BLK
42 PTS - 4 BLK - 7 3PM
20 PTS - 12 REB - 7 BLK
28 PTS - 7 REB - 7 AST
25 PTS - 10 REB - 3 BLK

The league is in trouble 👽

(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/rtro1xKORc

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 25, 2024

The Nets are in the middle of the pack in the NBA against opposing big men, but I am not sure that matchups matter too much for Wemby right now, as he's doing some pretty incredible things on the basketball court on a nightly basis.

Even at this price, he's hit 5x value in five straight and shown a massive ceiling, two 70s and an 80. There's enough value on this slate to smash Wemby in with another high-priced stud, and that's likely the recipe I will follow in most builds.

Kevin Durant, PHX - SF/PF ($9,800)

The other stud is...KD! Durant gets a matchup here with Dallas as the Suns will continue to be without one of their big three with Devin Booker out. The offense will flow through Durant and Bradley Beal, who have both posted big numbers since Booker started sitting out last week.

Durant can't match the same ceiling that Wemby brings, but for 2k less, he brings a really solid 45-50 FD point floor. With Luka Doncic out for Dallas, too, this game is projected to be close, with the Suns being only a slight favorite at home.

This is an easy play for me, and I would encourage you not to overthink this one and get Durant into those lineups. The best part of this build so far is that Wemby is PF-eligible, and Durant is SF-eligible, so we still have room to add a center!

Zach Edey, MEM - C ($5,500)

Edey is almost cheap enough to qualify as a value pick, but I am making him a core play tonight as the rookie is coming off a dominant outing against the lowly Raptors last night. In just 27 minutes, the big Canadian went for 49 FD points as he dropped 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Zach Edey tonight:

21 PTS
16 REB
2 BLK
9-15 FG
+29

The only rookie with multiple 20/10 games this season. pic.twitter.com/3Jr8gw2kVb

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 27, 2024

Edey took advantage of the best possible matchup for centers, as the Raptors allow the most FD points per game to opposing bigs. But tonight, Edey gets another very soft matchup against a bad New Orleans team that allows the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers and the most rebounds to big men on any team in the league.

With his backup Santi Aldama leaving last night's game early with an ankle sprain, I think it's unlikely we'll see him tonight, so we can feel pretty good about Edey seeing minutes in the mid-to-high 20s again. He should smash this pricetag in this matchup!

Others Under Consideration: Bradley Beal - SG/SF ($6,900), Jayson Tatum - SF/PF ($10,400)

FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Andrew Wiggins, GSW - SF/PF ($6,300)

The Warriors have a tough task tonight as they have to take on a defensive-minded Clippers team on the road without their best player - Stephen Curry. While Dennis Schroder should take over a lot of the ball-handling duties from Curry, it's Wiggins who I expect to step up and score the ball more often.

Wiggins sees the biggest increase in usage without Curry, while Jonathan Kuminga is likely to see a bump, too. I like Wiggins's matchup on the wing the most, and he's already shown this year that he's capable of popping off for 40+ when his team needs him the most.

He's in pretty solid form right now, coming off a big 21-12-3 game against the Lakers on Christmas Day, and he had another 40+ FD point game back on December 15th against the Mavericks. At this price, I'm interested in Wiggins for tournaments, as there aren't too many other players in the 6k range with a 40+ FD point ceiling.

Ivica Zubac, LAC – C ($7,700)

Staying in the same game, there is some GPP appeal here with Ivica Zubac if you want to pay up from Zach Edey and get a little different. The Clippers big man is having a career year, stacking up double-doubles with ease and helping to carry the offensive load for L.A. with James Harden and Norman Powell.

Zubac has had four days off since he nearly went for 20-20 against Memphis and posted 58 FD points. He should have another big day on the boards in this one, as the Warriors allow the fifth-most rebounds to opposing big men. Neither Trayce Jackson-Davis nor Kevon Looney are any match for Zubac's physicality, and he should have his way on the interior tonight.

Donovan Mitchell, CLE - PG/SG ($9,000)

One game that could get overlooked tonight is the Cavs-Nuggets game, but it could be one of the highest-scoring games on the slate. I think it remains pretty close, as the Cavs are just 2.5-point favorites on the road in Denver.

Mitchell might look overpriced for his average of just 39 FD points per game this season, but the Cavs have cruised to many easy wins early in the year, and Donovan has made a concerted effort to get all of his teammates involved in what has become of the most well-rounded and balanced rotations in the NBA.

But in big games, we usually see Mitchell take over and increase his offensive involvement. When the Cavs defeated the Nuggets earlier this season, Mitchell went for 47 FD points in only 32 minutes as Cleveland pulled away in the fourth quarter. If this game stays close until the end and we get 36 to 38 minutes of Mitchell, we might just get that 50+ FD point ceiling we are looking for.

Others Under Consideration: Kyrie Irving - PG/SG ($9,400), Jarrett Allen - PF/C ($7,100)

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FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks

Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL – PG ($5,400)

Dinwiddie has started only two games this season for the Mavs, but he should slot into the lineup tonight for the injured Doncic. In those games, he's averaging 17 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.0 steals. Even if they bring him off the bench, he should see substantial minutes in this one and could easily make value at this price.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW - PF/C ($5,000)

TJD has been fantastic now in three straight starts, topping 30 FD points in each. Draymond Green is currently questionable, and the Warriors are going to need Jackson-Davis's size to match up with Zubac, so I expect his run of solid minutes to continue.

Cam Whitmore, HOU – SF ($4,800)

Keep an eye on the status of both Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason for tonight's game, but both have missed the last two games, which opened the door for Whitmore to play solid minutes off the bench and post 31 and 36 FD points. It's a tougher matchup tonight, but Whitmore is a talented scorer who can easily pay off this price tag if he continues to function as the sixth man.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, ORL – SG ($4,800)

KCP is on a nice run right now, averaging 28 FD points over his last four games. With Orlando missing so many starters, KCP has taken on a bigger role on offense and is no longer the fifth option on the floor. Shooters have had some success against the Knicks this season, too, so don't be surprised if KCP nails some open threes.

If you need to save a little more dough, then consider his teammate Trevelin Queen for $500 less, as he's started the last two games for Orlando.

Others Under Consideration: Kevin Porter Jr. - PG/SG ($5,100), Trevelin Queen- SG ($4,300), Jake LaRavia- SF/PF ($4,900)

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: Victor Wembanyama
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Kevin Durant
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Donovan Mitchell
• My favorite VALUE play: Trayce Jackson-Davis

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis