The NBA Cup is finally over and Damian Lillard finally got his chip – well, kind of… We get a massive 13-game slate for this fantastic Thursday return to the regular season!
In today’s edition, I recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs while highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks.
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/19/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel.
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FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks
Victor Wembanyama, SAS – PF/C ($11,300)
I’m normally a Wemby avoider when it comes to DFS but this is too good of a matchup to ignore. The Hawks give up the second most FPs to PFs and seventh most to Centers.
Wemby has averaged 52 FP this season and could be in for a 60+ performance here. In the Hawks’ recent games, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, and Nikola Jokic scored over 60 FP against the Hawks. This could be a huge game for Wemby and the best part is he is PF-eligible.
Jaylen Brown, BOS – SG ($8,300)
With a matchup against the defensively-inept Bulls, it’s officially Jaylen Brown season! Chicago is giving up the most fantasy points to opposing SGs this season. Jaylen Brown hasn’t played over 30 minutes in the last two games and still has finished with 30+ FP. I imagine that this game is a bit closer and should result in him playing more minutes and therefore leading to him scoring more.
P.J. Washington, DAL – PF ($6,600)
Luka is out with a heel injury so PJ could be in line for a big game. In the five games Luka previously missed at the end of November, PJ scored 35+ FP in all five games.
Kyrie is also questionable at the moment and if he is out, PJ will get a massive usage bump. The Clippers are a tough matchup for PFs but I think with Luka being out PJ should be a smash play.
Others Under Consideration: Nikola Jokic– C ($11,400), Trae Young – PG ($9,200)
FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
LaMelo Ball, CHA – PG ($9,800)
LaMelo is on his second game back from his injury and in his first game he looked phenomenal, he scored 48 FP in 25 minutes of play. He now gets a great matchup against the Wizards who are giving up the second most FP to opposing PGs this season.
LaMelo is it bit pricy for someone coming back from injury but he should be lower-owned and a solid option in GPPs.
RJ Barrett, TOR – SF/PF ($9,100)
RJ has been a lethal player for the Raptors this season. I believe he flies under the radar here but has a great matchup as the Nets are giving up the second most FP to opposing SFs this season. RJ has scored 40+ in six of his last nine games and 30+ in 14 of his last 15.
Players averaging 30+ PPG in wins this season (min. 5 games):
— Giannis
— Davis
— Jokic
— ShaiAnd RJ Barrett. pic.twitter.com/WbDjvMXfHX
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 18, 2024
Ben Simmons, BKN – PG/PF ($5,800)
Ben Simmons is the perfect tournament play. Cam Thomas is out and now Dennis Schroder is gone. The Nets don’t have very many options at the guard position and in their last game, Ben Simmons played 30 minutes. On top of that the Bulls are giving up the third most fantasy points to opposing PGs.
Others Under Consideration: James Harden– PG ($9,400), Kevin Durant, – SF/PF ($9,000)
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FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks
Jalen Duren, DET – C ($5,800)
Duren has been a bit inconsistent this season, but he gets one of the best matchups on the slate. The Jazz have bled FP to Centers this season and now Duren gets his shot at them. He is a super cheap Center option on this slate.
Kevin Porter Jr., LAC – PG/SG ($5,500)
Kevin Porter Jr. has become a fantasy monster off the bench for the Clippers. He has scored 30+ in four straight games for the Clippers which is good for 6x his price. With Terrance Mann going down with injury, KPJ has taken over as the primary scorer and playmaker off the bench for the Clippers.
Ausar Thompson, DET – SG/SF ($5,200)
Ausar is coming off his best performance of the season of 43 FP. It is also looking like Jaden Ivey is going to be out, which should lead to Ausar getting extended playing time. The Jazz have been giving up the second most fantasy points to opposing SGs this season.
Kelly Olynyk, TOR – PF/C ($4,400)
Jakob Poeltl is out and now Olynyk should get big minutes. He is averaging 1.4 FPPM in his four games played this season. His price is very cheap and I love his PF eligibility. If we see 25+ minutes from Kelly we could see a 30+ FP night from him.
Others Under Consideration: Scotty Pippen Jr., (if Morant is out) MEM – PG ($4,600), Brandon Boston Jr.– SG ($4,700)
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: Jaylen Brown
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Victor Wembanyama
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: LaMelo Ball
- My favorite VALUE play: Kelly Olynyk
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