Let's be honest with ourselves here, some of these games are going to be frustrating. This part of the season is when the NBA is at it's least predictable...most unpredictable....you get what I'm saying, it's hard to predict. Regardless, it's not like we are lost with no bearing of how these games are going to go, it's just the variance is much higher with all the injuries, trends, and players returning.
Friday's 5-game slate is lined up to be a solid night with all but one game being inter-conference matchups. Even though the Hawks are, as of right now, listed at -11 versus the Bucks, the won't change this from being a high-scoring game with a ton of potential from some of the lower end players, but we will get to those guys later.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/27/19. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!
DraftKings DFS Guards
Devin Booker - PG/SG, @ GSW ($6,900)
The Warriors will most likely still be on a high from their Christmas day win over the Rockets, so look for this game remain competitive throughout and should be decided by the star power of each team. Since Devin Booker hasn't been playing well recently, his price has taken a justifiable downturn, but since this is still Devin Booker we are talking about, there is no way he can really be faded with that price and upside against this opponent.
Terrence Ross - SG/SF, vs. PHI ($4,500)
There are few players that are as notably streaky as Terrence Ross, but that can work in our favor. Last game was clearly his best game of the season and Ross tends to build off of his big games. He might not post another season-high, but he will carry this momentum in a game where the Magic will need his spacing. Looking at the options for shooting guard tonight, there aren't many solid value plays. Ross' price won't kill you, but you have to understand the risk that goes into this pick is he isn't scoring. He might be a great role player, but we need stats and that means he needs to be hitting his three's against the 76ers.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Darius Bazley - SF/PF, @ CHA ($3,600)
Darius Bazley has been consistent in terms of minutes, but he really hasn't had but one solid game this season. He's playing the Hornets which means he has upside in terms of rebounding and scoring in the paint, but Bazley has actually seen the most minutes versus better teams. Unfortunately, minutes don't necessarily translate to in this case so we will need Bazley to take advantage of this matchup and perform in the box score rather than just being a quality role player. It's 4;30AM so I guess I'm being a bit optimistic with some players who pass the eye test, but haven't really performed in the box score.
John Collins - PF/C, vs. MIL ($7,600)
You could not of asked for a better return from John Collins, so let's keep it going. The Bucks have a decent defense because of their individual talent, but their frontcourt is lacking the strength and athleticism to guard someone like Collins. With Eric Bledsoe still missing time, Trae Young has a ton of upside and the more he can space out the offense, the more Collins can get easy involvement in the offense. The two three's aren't really a surprise since he managed to hit a few early in the season last year, but don't expect the production in his first game back to be a nightly thing. That being said, double-digit rebounds seems like a sure thing against Milwaukee.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Meyers Leonard - PF/C, vs. IND ($3,600)
If this was Sesame Street, the letter of the day would be momentum. Meyers Leonard just started putting together his first quality string of games and since the Heat are going up against a very talented frontcourt, the Heat will need their bigs to contribute. Bam Adebayo still takes priority for anything center related for Miami, but Leonard still starts and has the upside to have a big night against anyone. His size works to his advantage in most cases, and since if anything the Pacers lack true size in their bigs, players like Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, and Adebayo all have an incredible amount of upside.