RADIO
Last week, the first Tuesday of the 2020-21 NBA season featured two games; the second? A massive serving of 10 games that is sure to cause option paralysis for some fantasy managers. As of Monday night, there was no game slated for a points total lower than 217, an indication of the high level of offensive efficiency that has been displayed to kick-off the year.
While the season may be just a week old, it’s already deep enough into the year for injuries to have wreaked havoc on depth charts. With many teams being ultra-cautious after a shortened off-season, monitoring rest cycles will be more pertinent than ever, but there’s still ample talent and upside to be gleaned. For those eyeing single-game stacks, the Bulls/Wizards contest is projected for the highest total of the night and features a slew of high-octane scorers.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/29/20. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG - OKC vs. ORL ($8,000)
At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Gilgeous-Alexander would have to deliver a pile of production on a nightly basis to help keep his team competitive. While it’s just a two-game sample size, Gilgeous-Alexander certainly looks up to the task.
An inherent value play due to the nature of the Thunder’s young roster, there’s truly very few scenarios where Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t take a pile of shot attempts and handle the ball for the vast majority of the contest, no matter the opponent. Those two elements give him tremendous upside, while also delivering a stable floor, all of which makes for him being a targetable fantasy asset on a near nightly basis during the early portion of the year.
Coby White, PG - CHI @ WAS ($5,900)
Chicago has kicked off the year playing at the second-fastest pace (111.5) in the league. That breakneck speed should benefit White, particularly against a Wizards defense that has allowed 121 points per game to begin the season. Having shot only 35 percent from the field overall, White can be viewed as more of a GPP option, although his price tag is flexible enough to justify any format. In a similarly-paced matchup versus the Warriors on Sunday, White took 19 shots and delivered 20 points and five assists.
Duncan Robinson, SG - MIA vs. MIL ($4,600)
After highlighting Robinson as a potential value play during the Christmas Day slate due to the Pelicans’ propensity for yielding three-point attempts, we’ll double down today and point out that the Bucks do so at a similarly high rate. While Robinson’s statistical production is inherently tied to his long range marksmanship, there may be more shots to go around if Jimmy Butler (ankle) does not suit up.
Regardless, Robinson displayed his ability to hit with consistency from deep versus Milwaukee during the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year, as he combined for 12 made triples -- including six in Game 4 -- over the first four contests.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Julius Randle, PF - NY @ CLE ($7,700)
The first three games of Randle’s ‘20-21 campaign have been some of the most consistent and dominant performances that he’s produced in his professional career. Viewed as the No. 1 scoring option on a balanced Knicks roster, Randle has averaged 23.7 PPG to this point, all while shooting 55.3 percent overall. But while the raw scoring numbers have been impressive, it’s the 55.6 percent three-point percentage and 6.3 APG that have jumped off the page and made him a DFS darling. Without Kevin Love (calf) on the floor, Cleveland’s interior may be stretched thin when it comes to keeping Randle from dominating the game.
Cedi Osman, SF - CLE vs. NY ($4,200)
For the second straight game, the Cavaliers are slated to be tremendously thin at the small forward spot. While Osman came off the bench Sunday, that may serve to keep his roster percentage down, as he has carved out a consistent role offensively no matter his bench spot, having scored in double figures and knocked down multiple three-pointers in each of his first three games this year. Without Love in the lineup as well, Osman could be funneled toward the glass more, giving him additional upside as a rebounder.
Naz Reid, PF - MIN @ LAC ($4,500)
The biggest beneficiary of Karl-Anthony Towns’ (wrist) injury figures to be Reid, who entered the starting lineup in his stead Sunday. Across his 12 career starts, Reid has averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while also maintaining his role as an efficient shot blocker, with better than one steal and one blocked shot averaged in those contests.
With just Ed Davis available behind him on the depth chart to spell for minutes at center, Reid’s time on the floor should also be in line for an increase. His Tuesday price tag will likely be the lowest that he’ll sit until Towns returns to the lineup.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Thomas Bryant, C - WAS vs. CHI ($5,200)
Just a year removed from struggling mightily to contain the opponent's center, the Bulls are right back at the bottom of the barrel to begin the new year. That works in Bryant’s favor, as he has accrued double-digit shot attempts and scored in double figures in each of his first three contests. Averaging nearly 58 FD points allowed per contest to opposing centers, any big man tasked with a hefty minutes total facing Chicago is up for immediate consideration, particularly in cash game formats.
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