Sunday’s NBA slate brings along a few superstars on DraftKings and FanDuel for a mid-sized slate. Let’s look at the player pool to discuss the top NBA DFS building blocks today for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Be sure to check out the Stokastic NBA DFS & Fantasy Basketball home page, where you can find NBA DFS picks and analysis for each slate of games.
NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today: Sunday, Dec. 18
Core Play of the Day — LeBron James: Los Angeles Lakers-Washington Wizards
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 54.62 | FanDuel: 52.61
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 44.8% | FanDuel: 22.8%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10000 | FanDuel: $11000
Things seem more straightforward tonight when compared with Saturday’s adventurous injury and load management news that took out the majority of the superstar options. Anthony Davis (foot) could be out for the next month and potentially through the All-Star Break, which means LeBron James will once again have to carry the postseason hopes and dreams of the Lakers all by himself.
The Washington defense has been slipping, allowing 117.8 points per 100 possessions over the last 10 games, which is the third-worst defensive efficiency rating in the league. The Wizards are also playing at a top-10 pace, so James will be in the mix for a triple-double. There is not much more to add since we are all familiar with the work of the 37-year-old maestro.
Russell Westbrook should see a boost in minutes as well, and though he is likely to continue coming off the bench, he will have full run of the second unit and have a revised playing time baseline of around 30 minutes. The much-maligned veteran has a pair of triple-doubles in his last four games. Thomas Bryant also should be quite popular as the discount dandy du jour, as he will be one of the direct beneficiaries of the minutes vacated by Davis.
Pascal Siakam: Toronto Raptors-Golden State Warriors
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 52.39 | FanDuel: 50.85
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 16.9% | FanDuel: 33.5%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10200 | FanDuel: $9600
Over his last 10 games, Pascal Siakam has had several impressive performances, and he is eligible as a power forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel. In this stretch, he has averaged 35.4 minutes per game and 17.7 field goal attempts. This has culminated in 23.6 points. 7.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.5 combined blocks and steals. In three of these games, the Cameroonian has posted 50 or more fantasy points, and the Stokastic projections have him in line to flirt with that milestone once more in this matchup at home against a decimated Golden State squad.
Toronto is actually favored by 5.5 points at home. Of course, a lot of that has to do with Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins both being on the shelf. OG Anunoby is going to miss a fourth consecutive game with a hip injury, which means more rebounding and scoring opportunities for Siakam.
Additional NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Picks Today – Sports Wagering Opportunities
Tonight LeBron James has a 5.5 over/under line on his assist prop for his matchup against the Wizards. The Stokastic NBA player projections have him for 6.0 rebounds and a 57% likelihood that he exceeds this threshold. Though this is not a lofty success rate, we are getting the wager in a +115, which does cushion the downside.
James is averaging 6.3 assists per game this season, which is a tick above what we saw last year. Though his rates in this category do not change much when Davis is off the court, we know that the entire offense will be running through James either as the facilitator or the primary scorer. The pace and dreadful Washington defense bode well for him surpassing this threshold tonight.
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Charlotte Hornets-Denver Nuggets
Over the last 10 games, the Hornets and Nuggets have been in the bottom four with regards to defensive efficiency. During this stretch, these teams have played at a league-average pace, and this game boasts a 235.5 implied point total. Even though Denver is favored by 9 points, do not be concerned with blowout risk. In the last fortnight, we have seen teams end up winning outright when resting significant portions of their rotations.
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LaMelo Ball has been outstanding in his two games back from his most recent injury. In these appearances, he is averaging 33.4 minutes and 18 field goal attempts, including a ridiculous 13 from behind the arc. Terry Rozier continues to play big minutes with Dennis Smith Jr. on the shelf and James Bouknight having fallen out of favor. Theo Maledon is the only other point guard on the roster, so expect the duo of Ball and Rozier to continue to be the driving force of the Charlotte offense.
The return of Gordon Hayward has curbed the upside of PJ Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr., though both are still viable tournament options. On the late slate, former Nugget Mason Plumlee is worthy of tournament consideration.
Two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic continues to be a phenomenal fantasy option, even with Jamal Murray back in action. Michael Porter Jr. remains out, which bodes well for Aaron Gordon to continue his strong play. In his last 12 appearances, Jokic is averaging 34.3 minutes, 28.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 2.3 combined blocks and steals. The Hornets simply do not have anyone even capable of slowing him down, and he should be in the mix for a triple-double. Murray and Gordon are strong options, though keep tabs on the status of Murray, who sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game.
Bones Hyland, Bruce Brown Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are fine plays. However, if Murray ends up being out, this trio would be borderline core options.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight is a staggered slate and, of course, Sunday always brings in some wonky NBA news. Be sure to tune into the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock show on YouTube at 5:00 p.m. ET for all of the up-to-date analysis.
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