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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 finally have a regular NBA slate tonight after a week of weird one-game and two-game slates due to the NBA Cup schedule. There are six games on tap tonight, with the Celtics-Wizards popping as the top game environment while also holding a lot of risk, with Boston favored by 17 points. The Mavericks-Warriors and Grizzlies-Lakers games should also be conducive to fantasy points, while the Blazers-Suns, Knicks-Magic, and Wolves-Spurs games are on the slow-paced and low-scoring side of the spectrum.
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 12/15/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 6:00 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.
This is a challenging slate to dissect at the top of the salary board. The Thunder shut Luka Doncic down in his last game, but he exceeded 70 DK points in three of his previous four games. The 57.5 DK points he needs for 5x value feels daunting, but I'm not in the business of fading the player with the most straightforward path to a massive ceiling game. The Warriors defend PGs well, but Luka is a different beast, and this high-paced, high-scoring game environment is perfect for him.
Victor Wembanyama is a pass for me in a brutal matchup against the Wolves. Anthony Davis had back-to-back 60+ DK point games before a letdown against the Wolves, but he gets a softer matchup against a Grizzlies frontcourt that allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to PFs this season.
Orlando is stingy against opposing Cs, but Karl-Anthony Towns has been playing out of his mind recently. I can't see any combination of Goga Bitadze and Wendell Carter Jr. working on defense against his 'stretch five' style. I want to like Jayson Tatum in a favorable spot against the Wizards, but the most likely scenario is that this game is over by halftime, and Tatum doesn't see his full workload.
- Luka Doncic, DAL @ GSW - PG ($11,500 DK; $11,600 FD)
- Anthony Davis, LAL vs. MEM - PF/C ($10,700 DK; $11,200 FD)
- Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK @ ORL - C ($10,000 DK; $9,600 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 don't have any "extreme" value options on the board as of Sunday morning, but we have plenty of low- to mid-range value options. Jonathan Kuminga will be popular, but I'm willing to eat the chalk on him as his price doesn't reflect his new role and recent production. He has started the last five games and averaged 34.6 DK points per game in that stretch. He needs just 28.5 DK points to hit 5x value, so he's an obvious choice in a beautiful game environment.
Justin Champagnie is in the same boat as Kuminga, more or less. He has been starting for the injured Wizards lately, averaging 35.6 minutes and 36.3 DK points per game over his last three contests. He's likely to continue playing during garbage time, so we could see a lot of minutes for him against the Celtics bench in the second half.
Bilal Coulibaly is also underpriced, considering his recent role and performance. He has scored 35, 32.25, and 47 DK points over his last three outings, which doesn't seem like the production we'd expect from a player who's $5,200 on DraftKings. Keep rolling with him for value, as he's also a player who should see his full workload in a blowout.
Top Value Plays:
- Jonathan Kuminga, GSW vs. DAL - PF ($5700 DK; $6,000 FD)
- Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. BOS - SF ($4,800 DK) DraftKings Only
- Bilal Coulibaly, WAS vs. BOS - SF ($5,200 DK; $6,000 FD) DraftKings Preferred
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Doncic is the play here, and Jalen Suggs works fine at his affordable salary, but there are a few value options I will mix in for the position as well. Anthony Black, Mike Conley, and Jrue Holiday have yellow flags, but they're cheap enough to mix into the player pool. Black went off in his last game, scoring 35.5 DK points in 32 minutes with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and three steals. He's not going to see 32 minutes again, but he should still be able to provide value at his $4,300 price tag.
Conley has struggled with his shot and disappears too often, but he should play around 30 minutes and produce close to 5x value. He has games with 32 and 41 DK points this season, so a moderate ceiling does exist for the veteran PG. Holiday is another veteran PG who feels underpriced, but the threat of having his minutes reduced in a blowout is real. I'm willing to roll those dice, though, because there's a good chance Holiday hits 5x value even if his minutes get cut short with how bad the Wizards are.
Top PG Options:
- Luka Doncic, DAL @ GSW ($11,500 DK; $11,600 FD)
- Jalen Suggs, ORL vs. NYK ($7,400 DK; $7,600 FD)
- Anthony Black, ORL vs. NYK ($4,300 DK; $4,700 FD) DraftKings Preferred
- Mike Conley, MIN vs. SAS ($4,700 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Jrue Holiday, BOS @ WAS ($5,100 DK; $5,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Buddy Hield has started the past two games for the Warriors, and he impressed with 44 and 31 DK points over 35 minutes in each game. He only received a $300 price bump and should remain the starter, so why wouldn't we want to get to Hield in the second-best game environment on the slate?
Derrick White is an expensive mid-range option, but he runs into the same issues we have with Tatum and Holiday. He's going to crush the Wizards when he's on the floor, but this isn't going to be competitive, with the Celtics favored by 17 points. Instead, I'd take shots on a cheap Klay Thompson, who has exceeded 5x value in his last two games and gets a "REVENGE ALERT" game against his former team.
Devin Vassell is another SG piece I'm interested in as a tournament play. Vassell has exceeded 31 DK points in three of his last four games, and while the Wolves represent a tough matchup and the game environment is weak, he has recently seen a minutes bump, which hasn't been reflected in his salary yet. Stephon Castle is questionable, and I'd like Vassell even more if he were to sit this one out.
Top SG Options:
- Buddy Hield, GSW ($3,900 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Derrick White, BOS @ WAS ($6,800 DK; $7,200 FD)
- Klay Thompson, DAL @ GSW ($4,600 DK; $4,800 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
This is where we can play our two favorite Wizards. As detailed in the 'values' section, Champagnie and Coulibaly are great plays at their pricing. They should be impervious to getting benched in a blowout situation, so I'm getting to a lot of both players in my lineups.
Jaden McDaniels is the only other piece popping out at the position. He has had a rocky start to the season, but he put it all together with a monster 43.25 DK point showing on 12/13 against the Lakers. He's too cheap for that type of ceiling, and a matchup against the Spurs should allow him to do whatever he wants and rack up defensive stats. He's volatile, though, so I'd keep exposure limited.
Top SF Options:
- Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. BOS($4,800 DK) DraftKings Only
- Bilal Coulibaly, WAS vs. BOS ($5,200 DK; $6,000 FD) DraftKings Preferred
- Jonathan Kuminga, GSW vs. DAL ($5,700 DK; $6,000 FD)
- Jaden McDaniels, MIN @ SAS ($4,200 DK; $4,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Kuminga is playable at SF on FanDuel, but only PF on DraftKings. Either way, we're playing this man. The young forward for the Warriors has been producing well since being inserted into the starting lineup, and tonight's game environment is as good as it gets for a versatile player like him.
I'm not sure LeBron James plays tonight, so be ready to pivot to utilizing Anthony Davis as a core piece if he were to miss another game. Outside of Kuminga, we have Wendell Carter Jr., Naz Reid, and Alexandre Sarr as solid enough value options. I don't like them more than Kuminga, but they can be played if Kuminga's ownership gets out of control.
Top PF Options:
- Jonathan Kuminga, GSW vs. DAL ($5,700 DK; $6,000 FD)
- Wendell Carter Jr., ORL vs. NYK ($5,200 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on FanDuel
- Naz Reid, MIN @ SAS ($4,900 DK) DraftKings Only
- Alexandre Sarr, WAS vs. BOS ($5,500 DK; $5,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
We have a couple of intriguing options at the center position tonight. Dereck Lively II and Goga Bitadze stand out the most, as they're efficient per-minute fantasy producers at cheap salaries. Their minutes can be volatile, but they have 40+ DK point potential. I give the edge to Bitadze as he's coming off games with 48 and 41 DK points, but Lively's matchup is better against an undermanned Warriors frontcourt.
Jonas Valanciunas has popped for a few explosive finishes lately, but he won't see a starter-level workload with Sarr back in the lineup. I wouldn't say I like messing with players who project for 18 minutes on larger slates, so I'll leave others to chase his production.
Top C Options:
- Goga Bitadze, ORL vs. NYK ($5,500 DK; $6,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Derek Lively II, DAL @ GSW ($5,100 DK; $5,800 FD)
- Wendell Carter Jr., ORL vs. NYK ($5,200 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on FanDuel
- Anthony Davis, LAL vs. MEM ($10,700 DK; $11,200 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Celtics @ Wizards (o/u 234.5)
- Mavericks @ Warriors (o/u 235.75)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Victor Wembanyama. He's probably the scariest dude to fade in the history of fades, but it's the route I'm taking tonight. He has finished under what he needs for 5x value tonight in four of his last five games, and he was only able to muster 34 DK points against the Wolves in their previous meeting. The Wolves have found their defensive form, allowing the second-least fantasy points per game over their last 7 games while allowing the sixth-least fantasy points per game to Cs in the same stretch.
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: Luka Doncic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jonathan Kuminga
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Bilal Coulibaly
- My favorite value play: Jonathan Kuminga
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