NBA DFS action on Wednesday, Dec. 23 locks at 7 p.m. EST with a robust 13-game main slate. Before you lock in your NBA DFS picks and favorite lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and SuperDraft, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS picks, including Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns and more.
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NBA DFS Picks: Key Building Blocks | DraftKings + FanDuel
Tonight we have 26 teams in action, and there are plenty of mispriced players for their roles, preseason minor injuries, uncertain rotations, etc. That means we really do not have to worry too much about salary cap constraints tonight. Keep in mind that Boston, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Milwaukee and New Orleans are all playing again in less than 48 hours on Christmas Day. Most of the key players on those squads are unlikely to top 36 minutes.
Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
DraftKings $10,000, FanDuel $11,400, Yahoo $53
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 40.3%, FanDuel 24.2% Yahoo 20.8%
With Kristaps Porzingis out, we will once again see Luka Doncic racking up insane usage, rebound and assist rates. Of course, he is one of the marquee players who will be taking the court again on Friday for the NBA Christmas Extravaganza, so while he is likely to see a relatively reasonable 32-35 minutes, we know he is very capable of reaching triple-double territory in this matchup.
While it is not exactly apples to apples, let’s look at his production in the four meetings with Phoenix last year. In those games he averaged 28.6 minutes with 30.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.75 steals and 1.3 3-pointers. We don’t have to think too hard about this play, and we can take confidence that Doncic should easily flirting with 50 fantasy points.
Wanna bet?
Alex “Awesemo” Baker’s projected stats (part of Awesemo+) have James Harden scoring 28.69 points, which makes the under 29.5 at -118 on OddsShopper an intriguing way to hedge some our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups. We know that he has new teammates in John Wall, Christian Woods and DeMarcus Cousins, which could take some time for the dust to settle. Click on the image below to start shopping for the best edge in betting and check out all the player props available for the Wednesday night action!
Karl-Anthony Towns: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons
DraftKings $9,700, FanDuel $9,400, Yahoo $46
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 6.9%, FanDuel 18.5% Yahoo 5.2%
We last saw Karl-Anthony Towns in regular-season action back on Feb. 10. Minnesota was not in the NBA Bubble this summer, and we know that Towns and his family have been dramatically impacted by the pandemic. Towns played in all three of the Timberwolves’ preseason games, posting 22 minutes in the opener and then 27 minutes in the other two games.
Prior to being shut down, he was regularly topping 50 fantasy points when healthy. Keep in mind last year that he also was attempting a career-high 7.9 3-pointers per game and nailing them at a 41.2% rate. In his preseason action he was exceeding that rate of volume, which is an interesting wrinkle for his all-around game. It is reasonable to expect 34-35 minutes in this matchup with the Pistons, and Minnesota will be off until Saturday.
Towns is a core building block in all formats, but he is a little easier to work in on DraftKings and Yahoo with their roster flexibility. In cash games on FanDuel, we may want to look at Deandre Ayton, Wendell Carter or DeMarcus Cousins. However, Towns is currently projected as the most popular center on that site at 18.5%.
NBA DFS Picks: Good Value
Kyle Anderson: Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs
DraftKings $4,200, FanDuel $3,800, Yahoo $10
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 5.9%, FanDuel 23.7% Yahoo 20.6%
Kyle Anderson stands out on FanDuel and Yahoo, where he is essentially carrying a minimum price tag. Additionally, he has posted nearly 2.0 combined blocks/steals per game over the last three seasons, and those are worth 3 points in the scoring format for those sites.
On DraftKings the small forward eligibility is particularly helpful, and the price is right. We should see him approach 30 minutes tonight, and it is a good matchup against a shaky-looking San Antonio team.
Wendell Carter: Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls
DraftKings $4,400, FanDuel $5,500, Yahoo $18
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 23.7%, FanDuel 2.7% Yahoo 4.8%
In his final three preseason games, Carter was playing between 23 and 25 minutes. This is an intriguing spot for him tonight, as we know that Atlanta is looking to play fast, and the Bulls have picked up the pace as well under new head coach Billy Donovan. The third-year center is relatively nimble for a big man, and there should be a tremendous opportunity for rebounds and putbacks in this game.
Another bonus is that Clint Capela is dealing with a sore Achilles and may be held out tonight. Carter is a double-double threat every time he takes the court, and he is too cheap on DraftKings. While he is a little more expensive on FanDuel and Yahoo, keep in mind that we get 3 points for blocks and steals, which gives Carter upside in that scoring format.
NBA DFS Picks: Risky Value
Elfrid Payton and Alex Burks: New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
Payton: DraftKings $5,400, FanDuel $5,700, Yahoo $17
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 1.1%, FanDuel 1.7% Yahoo 7.0%
Burks: DraftKings $4,800, FanDuel $4,200, Yahoo $13
Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 7.3%, FanDuel 22.2% Yahoo 17.6%
Often times this is this section of the article I will point out some chalk that is looking risky and offer an alternative option. That was the case on the two-game slate yesterday, where I discussed the downside potential for Eric Paschall and recommended the pivot to teammate Marquese Chriss in large-field tournaments. While that was a successful strategy, it was not particularly a difference maker.
For tonight, there will be more options than we can fathom, and it should be relatively easy to find players that meet our own personal risk/reward criteria. So I want to point out the likely Knicks starting backcourt duo of Elfrid Payton and Alec Burks. Tom Thibodeau is now at the helm, and we know he has a history of playing his starters heavy minutes and he is not a fan of rookies and young players. It would not be a surprise to see both of these guards play upwards of 30 minutes, and potentially more if New York can keep this game reasonably close down the stretch.
 Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Darius Garland: CLE vs. CHA – $11
- Lonnie Walker:Â SAS at MEM – $10
- Killian Hayes:Â DET at MIN – $12
SuperDraft Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: OKC at HOU – 1.45x multiplier
- Dejounte Murray:Â SAS at MEM – 1.65x multiplier
- Wendell Carter:Â CHI vs. ATL – 1.90x multiplier
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of moving parts tonight, so be savvy with your player allocations if you are building 20-plus lineups. We have a one-day break, and then we get the massive tournaments for the five-game Christmas Day slate .
Be sure to tune into the Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows beginning at 5 p.m. EST for all of your up-to-date information and analysis.
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