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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 only have three games in the NBA tonight, which is somewhat typical with the NFL still in full swing. The Pacers-Kings matchup is the best game environment to target in daily fantasy contests, but the Nuggets are the top team in their matchup against the forgiving Pelicans defense.
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 12/22/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 6 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.
If a slate has Nikola Jokic on it, I recommend utilizing him as a core piece in daily fantasy contests. It is that simple. He's in a different stratosphere regarding his median production and potential ceiling, particularly on this slate, where we don't have any other high-priced studs. It'll be hard to get to another piece on this list with Jokic in a lineup with the lack of value, but we usually see value options pop up throughout the day on Sundays.
Domantas Sabonis and Alperen Sengun are two other top targets of mine, as they are both in advantageous matchups at reasonable price points. Sabonis is averaging a healthy 58.6 DK PPG over his last five contests, while Sengun is facing the Raptors and their fourth-most FPPG allowed to Cs. Tyrese Haliburton and Dejounte Murray are worth shots at their price points, but I'll focus on the trio of big men on this slate.
- Nikola Jokic, DEN @ NOP - C ($12,100 DK; $12,300 FD)
- Damantas Sabonis, SAC vs. IND - C ($9,600 DK; $9,900 FD)
- Alperen Sengun, HOU @ TOR - C ($8,900 DK; $8,800 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:
There isn't a ton to love about the value board as it stands. We'll have to take shots at guys we're uncomfortable with, but that's where we make our money on small slates like this.
Andrew Nembhard leads the pack for me. He's playing well in consistent minutes lately, crushing value with games of 27.5 and 29.25 DK points over his last two contests. There isn't any reason he wouldn't see around 30 minutes again tonight, making him a premier value play in the top game environment on the slate.
Dillon Brooks is never a comfortable click, but he's another cheap option who plays too many minutes for us to ignore on a small slate. He has popped off for at least 42 DK points twice in his last four games, and now he's facing one of the most fantasy-friendly teams in the NBA.
Herbert Jones, Jalen Green, Yves Missi, and Trey Murphy III are other sub-$6,500 values to work in on DraftKings, with Murphy III being my favorite due to his consistency and high ceiling.
Top Value Plays:
- Andrew Nembhard, IND @ SAC - PG/SG ($4,300 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Dillon Brooks, HOU @ TOR - SF ($4,500 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. DEN - SG/SF ($6,400 DK; $6,600 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
As mentioned above, Nembhard is my top value pick on this slate. He's far too cheap for the heavy minutes he plays, and his 0.82 FPTS/min rate is good enough for me in the top game environment on the slate.
Jamal Murray is the PG I have the second-most interest in. He's still reasonably priced despite finding his groove lately, posting 43 and 51.25 DK points over his last two outings. He correlates well with Jokic, so getting to the two Nuggets stars should be a fine route for this slate.
Top PG Options:
- Andrew Nembhard, IND @ SAC ($4,300 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Jamal Murray, DEN @ NOP ($7,200 DK; $8,100 FD)
- Russell Westbrook, DEN @ NOP ($6,000 DK; $6,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
I like Nembhard, Murray, Jalen Green, Murphy III, and Christian Braun at SG tonight. Green is as inconsistent as they come, but I'll roll the dice on him scoring either 18 or 45 DK points on a small slate. Braun should be back to playing around 30 minutes tonight after having his minutes cut short due to injury maintenance the past two games.
Top SG Options:
- Andrew Nembhard, IND @ SAC ($4,300 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Jamal Murray, DEN @ NOP ($7,200 DK; $8,100 FD)
- Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. DEN ($6,400 DK; $6,600 FD)
- Jalen Green, HOU @ TOR ($6,200 DK; $6,800 FD)
- Christian Braun, DEN @ NOP ($5,200 DK; $5,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
I'm going with value at SF tonight. Brooks, Herbert Jones, Murphy III, and Braun can all be used at the small forward position. I like Brooks and Murphy III the best out of the group, with Murphy III being a priority due to his incredible form. He's averaging 36.8 DK PPG over his last five games, spiking for over 40 DK points twice during that stretch.
Top SF Options:
- Trey Murphy III, NOP vs. DEN ($6,400 DK; $6,600 FD)
- Dillon Brooks, HOU @ TOR ($4,500 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Christian Braun, DEN @ NOP ($5,200 DK; $5,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Jakob Poeltl is out tonight, so it's Jonathan Mogbo season in Toronto. Mogbo has scored at least 24 DK points in three of his last five games, and he has played at least 28 minutes in each of the last three contests with Poeltl out of the lineup. Toronto will need his size against Sengun, so I like Mogbo's chances of hitting 5x value tonight.
Chris Boucher is another option on the Raptors, but he's not a gamble I want to take unless he's announced as a starter. His per-minute production is significant at 0.99 FPTS/min, but the staff rarely trusts him to play more than 20 minutes in any game.
Michael Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., and Pascal Siakam are the other PF options I'm considering, but most of my focus will be on the value options in Herbert Jones and Mogbo.
Top PF Options:
- Jonathan Mogbo, TOR vs. HOU ($4,800 DK; $5,100 FD)
- Herbert Jones, NOP vs. DEN ($5,000 DK; $5,600 FD)
- Jabari Smith Jr. HOU @ TOR ($5,300 DK; $5,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Jokic. His projected ceiling in this spot is almost 20 DK points higher than the next highest on the slate, Sabonis. If anyone is going to put up 70 DK points tonight, it's the guy who has reached that mark in four of his last seven games. Lock it in and differentiate your lineups elsewhere.
Yves Missi works excellently as a value option alongside him, while Sengun and Sabonis are pivot points to consider in non-Jokic lineups.
Top C Options:
- Nikola Jokic, DEN @ NOP ($12,100 DK; $12,300 FD)
- Yves Missi, NOP vs. DEN ($5,400 DK; $5,500 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Pacers @ Kings (o/u 237.5)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Scottie Barnes. Barnes is far too expensive, considering his recent production. He has put up lineup-killing performances of 32.25 and 26.25 DK points over his last two games, and now he gets a matchup against a Denver team that should be able to focus on slowing him down with the lack of firepower on the rest of the Toronto team.
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: Nikola Jokic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Nikola Jokic
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Trey Murphy III
- My favorite value play: Jonathan Mogbo
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