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It’s great to be back in the swing of things in the NBA, RotoBallers. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I'm selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.
We have two NBA Cup semifinal games tipping off today on the main slate, and they start at 4:30 ET for some random reason. We will be most interested in the Hawks taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee because that's the game with the high implied total and decent projected pace. The Rockets face off with the Thunder in OKC in the other matchup, which is projecting to be a slugfest rather than one we want to prioritize in DFS contests.
The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/14/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 4:30 p.m. EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.
We have a two-game slate this afternoon. If we can make it work with value, we're getting to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak holds the highest ceiling on the slate due to his massive 37% usage rate and 1.7 FPTS/min production. The Hawks are an elite matchup for him, too, as they rank 5th in fantasy points allowed, fifth in fantasy points allowed to PFs, and sixth in fantasy points allowed to Cs. They also rank third in pace of play, so we'll see a few extra possessions for both teams in this one.
I'll take shots on making Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Alperen Sengun focal points of lineups, but their path to outscoring Giannis is slim. I'd rank them SGA, Young, and Sengun in terms of priority. Jalen Johnson is pretty priced, and Bobby Portis has been playing out of his mind, so those will be the two sub-$ $9,000 players I'll be rotating in as well.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL - PF/C ($11,200 DK; $12,000 FD)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. HOU - PG ($10,200 DK; $11,100 FD)
- Jalen Johnson, ATL @ MIL - PF ($8,200 DK; $9,100 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL @ MIL - PG ($9,300 DK; $9,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.
Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar:
We have many value options for a two-game slate, and we could see even more open up with genuine questionable tags on Jalen Johnson and Dillon Brooks. My favorites are Portis, Cason Wallace, Onyeka Okongwu, and Luguentz Dort. Portis is my favorite as it stands, as he's too cheap for a player with escalating games of 35.5, 40.25, and 47 DK points heading into today's action. As mentioned in the Giannis blurb, the Hawks rank poorly against opposing bigs, and this game environment is ripe for the picking.
Cason Wallace is emerging as a favorite bench piece for the Thunder. He's still at risk of seeing a minute reduction due to the depth on the team, but he's seeing close to 30 minutes per game more often than not, and his 0.78 FPTS/min rate will get the job done at his dirt-cheap salary. Despite not shooting very well on Tuesday, he went off for 34 DK points, so I'm willing to make him a key value piece in my lineups today.
Okongwu and Dort are two cheap backups with wildly different ranges of outcomes. We're playing Okongwu because he's a solid FPTS/min producer at an affordable price point, and his volatility makes him a high-upside pick. If he's playing well, or if Clint Capela gets into foul trouble, Okongwu suddenly unlocks a 30-40 DK point ceiling. Dort, meanwhile, is cheap because his minutes are locked in, and he offers a solid, bankable floor on most nights. He won't pop off for 40 (or even 35) DK points, but he's a sure bet to hit the 22 DK points he needs for 5x value.
Top Value Plays:
- Bobby Portis, MIL vs. ATL - PF/C ($5,500 DK; $6,800 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Cason Wallance, OKC vs. HOU - PG/SG ($3,900 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Onyeka Okongwu, ATL @ MIL - C ($4,300 DK; $5,600 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL @ MIL - SG/SF ($4,600 DK; $4,800 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
It's a scary strategy, but I prioritize Cason Wallace at PG and rotating in SGA, Trae, Damian Lillard, and Fred VanVleet. They're all solid-to-great plays, but I won't be able to pair any high-priced players with Giannis in the same lineup.
If I'm looking to diversify my lineups or if significant value opens up throughout the day, SGA would be my preferred spend-up from this group. He is the most consistent fantasy producer and holds the highest ceiling, while the other three have shown inconsistencies and a lower ceiling comparatively.
Top PG Options:
- Cason Wallance, OKC vs. HOU ($3,900 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. HOU ($10,200 DK; $11,100 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
We can also get to Wallace at SG, but we don't want to put all our eggs in today's sketchy Wallace basket. Jalen Green and Amen Thompson are enticing options, but I'm much more interested in today's mid- and low-tier options. Bogdan Bogdanovic has played erratic and inconsistent basketball since returning from injury on 11/18. Still, he has sometimes shown glimpses of his former self, and he only needs 23 DK points to hit 5x value. He has games of 29.5 and 35 DK points over his last three, and he could get a usage bump if Jalen Johnson were to be ruled inactive.
Dort is a low-ceiling, solid-floor option to consider as well, while Alex Caruso is the final piece in the mix at the position today. Caruso has been a poor fantasy producer with the Thunder so far, but we know he can rack up the defensive stats, and he's cheap enough to keep in our player pool in the hopes that he finally breaks out.
Top SG Options:
- Cason Wallance, OKC vs. HOU ($3,900 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL @ MIL ($4,600 DK; $4,800 FD)
- Luguentz Dort, OKC vs. HOU - SG/SF ($4,400 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Alex Caruso, OKC vs. HOU - SG/SF ($3,800 DK; $4,600 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
Dillon Brooks is a top option in the optimizers, but I'm not sold, as he's highly inconsistent and has frequent issues with foul trouble. I'll mix him in at his low price and high projected minutes, but I hate it with all my heart. I'd much rather get to Bogdanovic, Dort, Tari Eason, and De'Andre Hunter at their respective price points.
Tari Eason is tricky because he only plays about 25 minutes per night, but his 1.12 FPTS/min rate and high standard deviation mean he can go off for 40 DK points despite his limited minutes. It's hard to know what to do with this information, but I think he's well worth taking shots on at his mid-range salary. The Thunder allow the 10th-most fantasy points per game to small forwards this season.
De'Andre Hunter is too cheap for his median production and potential ceiling in this spot. He needs just 28 DK points for 5x value and is averaging 28.8 DK PPG this season. He also put up 36.25 DK points on the Bucks a few weeks ago, putting up a solid 20/5/2/3 line over 28 minutes.
Top SF Options:
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL @ MIL ($4,600 DK; $4,800 FD)
- De'Andre Hunter, ATL @ MIL ($5,600 DK; $5,800 FD)
- Luguentz Dort, OKC vs. HOU - SG/SF ($4,400 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Tari Eason, HOU @ OKC ($5,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Here is where we get to my favorite plays on the slate. Portis, Johnson, and Giannis are three of the top per-dollar values in today's games, and they all play the same position. We can use Portis and Giannis at center and even play all three in a lineup by using the 'utility' spot on DraftKings.
If Johnson were to miss today's action, Larry Nance Jr. would become a priority value play. He's only $3,400, and we just saw him put up 30.5 DK points in Johnson's absence on 12/8.
Top PF Options:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL ($11,200 DK; $12,000 FD)
- Bobby Portis, MIL vs. ATL ($5,500 DK; $6,800 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Jalen Johnson, ATL @ MIL ($8,200 DK; $9,100 FD)
- Tari Eason, HOU @ OKC ($5,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Okongwu is the pick here for the reasons listed in the "values" section. He's too cheap, and his upside at his salary is immense if things break right. Portis and Giannis can also be played here, but we can also take shots on Isaiah Hartenstein and Sengun. Hartenstein has been finishing at 5x value lately and faces a difficult matchup against the Rockets, so he'll only be in a few of my large-field GPP lineups.
Sengun, though, has 50-60+ DK point upside on any given slate. The Thunder have been much better at guarding bigs since Hartenstein joined the lineup, but they still rank poorly in rebounds and assists allowed to opposing centers. Sengun excels in both categories, so he'll be my pivot off Portis if he gets too popular.
Top C Options:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL ($11,200 DK; $12,000 FD)
- Onyeka Okongwu, ATL @ MIL ($4,300 DK; $5,600 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Bobby Portis, MIL vs. ATL ($5,500 DK; $6,800 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Alperen Sengun, HOU @ OKC ($8,900 DK; $8,900 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Hawks @ Bucks (o/u 230)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Dyson Daniels. I'm confused by his price tag. He's the highest-priced SG on the slate and has finished below the 33 DK points he needs for 5x value in five of his last seven games. No, thank you.
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: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
- My favorite value play: Cason Wallace / Bogdan Bogdanovic
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