RADIO
The NBA season is now in full swing as we had a great slate of games on Christmas Day. We're following that up with a juicy nine-gamer on the main slate today.
There is a ton of value on the board, which means the stars-and-scrubs lineup strategy could be even more in play than it would be on a smaller slate. Keep an eye on the Rockets' situation as we move closer to lock - they had to postpone their first game due to not having enough players on their active roster (COVID-19).
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/26/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor globally, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
James Harden - PG/SG, HOU vs. POR ($10,900)
Harden has been dominating headlines by demanding a trade, missing practices, getting fined, and partying with Lil Baby. None of that matters in DFS. He's the most expensive player tonight, but he also has the highest median projection, highest ceiling, and the highest usage rate (35.6% last season) on the slate. Eric Gordon, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins will be inactive due to covid protocol. We don't have any data for Harden's splits without them as they haven't played a game yet, but rest assured, his usage rate is going to skyrocket even further and a ceiling game is not at all out of the question, given the circumstances. This game has a high 225-point implied total and I'm all over the perennial MVP candidate here.
Buddy Hield - SG/SF, SAC vs. PHO ($7,100)
Hield has had a turbulent time in Sacramento, but his 2020-2021 season got off to a blazing start as he put up 22/4/3/1 and had the game-winning tip-in at the buzzer to beat the Nuggets in overtime. More important, though, is the fact that he played a whopping 41 minutes in the contest. Hield is a little too dependent on points to be a reliable fantasy producer and he only posted an 18% usage rate in their first game, but the fact remains that he seems to be a trusted piece of this starting unit (finally) and will be getting enough minutes to be a factor every once in a while in DFS. The Suns don't boast an imposing defense and this game is set for a sky-high 228-point implied total - Hield should be a good value once again tonight.
George Hill, PG/SG, OKC vs. CHA ($3,400)
Yeah, I know. No one ever gets excited about rostering George Hill. Maybe it's his boring name, maybe it's because he has been in the "veteran backup point guard off the bench" role for seemingly his entire 12-year NBA career. Either way, he's on the tanking-for-the-next-few-years Oklahoma City Thunder now, and they don't have much else to work with. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort will get all the minutes they can handle, but that still leaves a starter-like allotment of minutes available for Hill. I'd expect somewhere in the 26-30 minute range, and at his 0.86 fantasy points per minute rate from last year, he's very likely to pay off his bargain-bin salary.
Bonus G: Sterling Brown ($3,200), Lonnie Walker IV ($4,700)
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Julius Randle - PF/C, NYK vs. PHI ($7,500)
The Knicks have the lowest projected total on the entire slate at 104 points, but Randle is one player you may want to consider even in the tough matchup against the 76ers. He's too cheap for his 35-minute projection and the 25% usage rate (and 1.11 fantasy point per minute rate) he posted in the first game of the year. He went for 17/9/9 over 35 minutes against the Pacers but he took a whopping 15 shots, so his night could have been much better. He should see a lot of Tobias Harris and while he's a good defender, he's definitely a player than Randle can score on. Embiid looms as a presence around the rim, but Randle should be heavily involved on both ends of the floor and has a great shot at a double-double bonus tonight.
Isaac Okoro - SF/PF, CLE vs. DET ($4,400)
Sexton and Garland got all the headlines with their impressive opening night performances, but the Cavs' rookie Okoro also had a productive game in his NBA debut. He started and shot 4-for-5 from the field (one 3P) and finished with a decent 11/3/5 line over 33 minutes played. The key piece there is his high minute load. His coach gave him a vote of confidence after the game and it seems that he'll be getting at least 30 minutes moving forward, which makes him a player to consider (in positive matchups) at his cheap salary. While it's not expected to be a high-scoring affair (213-point implied total) and there's risk involved with Okoro being a rookie, he's an intriguing (and mostly unrostered) value play on this slate.
Patrick Williams - SF/PF, CHI vs. IND ($4,500)
Speaking of rookies getting a lot of minutes at an inexpensive price point.. enter Patrick Williams. 2020's fourth overall draft pick received 33 minutes against Atlanta, posting a useful 16/1/4/1/1 line in his first career start. He also had a not-insignificant 17% usage rate in that game, which is notable because LaVine (39%) and White (21%) dominate usage with the first unit. If Williams is going to be the "third guy," he's going to have huge DFS value at this salary. He should reach value, regardless.
Bonus F: Darius Bazley ($5,100)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Christian Wood - C, HOU vs. POR ($5,900)
Getting a few big men in lineups looks like a solid strategy tonight, especially with Wood being at this inexpensive price point. The 25-year-old is actually entering his fifth year in the NBA, but he showed he's for real as he put up 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks over 21.4 minutes per game for the Pistons last season. Those aren't gaudy numbers by any means, but he was held back by the Pistons' ineptitude and he still averaged a great 1.22 fantasy points per minute. All the stars are aligning for Wood to fully break out with the Rockets as their featured small-ball big man this year. For what it's worth, Wood put up 27/10/2/1/1 in his last preseason game. DeMarcus Cousins is out tonight, which should open him up for at least 30 minutes. Get him in lineups at this cheap salary.
Bonus C: Rudy Gobert ($7,400), Jusef Nurkic ($7,000)
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