Monday brings the resumption of the NBA season with a HUGH 13-game slate locking at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks. Tyrese Haliburton, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are strong options tonight, particularly with so many value options at the center position. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Monday, December 11
Tyrese Haliburton: Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 57.84 | FanDuel: 55.65
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 7.3% | FanDuel: 4.5%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,900 | FanDuel: $11,700
There is ample frontcourt value today with Isaiah Hartenstein likely moving into the starting lineup due to Mitchell Robinson being slated to miss the next three months while recovering from ankle surgery. Lauri Markkanen is missing an eighth consecutive, and now Walker Kessler is out again, this time with a sore foot. Plus, John Collins (illness) is a game-time decision, so Omer Yurtseven should see something closing in on 30 minutes or however long his fouls hold out. Then we have Nick Richards and Orlando Robinson squaring off, as both Bam Adebayo and Mark Williams are sidelined tonight.
Tyrese Haliburton was not able to lead the Pacers over the Lakers on Saturday for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament championship, but he should be refreshed and ready to go back to work against the Pistons in Detroit. Over the last 10 games, Detroit has been dreadful on defense, allowing 120.1 points per 100 possessions, and with this game total pushing 247.5 points, we will want a part of it. Haliburton has increased his fantasy production by 20% over last year, and he is one of the few players averaging 50-plus fantasy points per game.
Luka Doncic is the other top point guard option, and he is in the midst of another outstanding season, averaging 1.6 fantasy points per minute. And with Kyrie Irving, Grant Williams and Maximilian Kleber all out with injuries, even more of the scoring will fall on his shoulders. When Irving is off the court, Doncic receives about a 4% increase on his fantasy production, and while that may not seem like a lot, it could help him reach 70 fantasy points for the fourth time in the last five games. Derrick Jones Jr. is a strong value play with so many Mavericks out of commission, particularly where he can be rostered as a small forward. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a neutral option on FanDuel, but he has the third-best fantasy-point-per-dollar ratio on DraftKings and has the coveted shooting guard/small forward dual eligibility, which qualifies him for five of the eight roster slots.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 57.6 | FanDuel: 56.65
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 4.7% | FanDuel: 3.2%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,200 | FanDuel: $11,900
Giannis Antetokounmpo last played on Thursday, so the extra days off should have him at the top of his game. Just 11 days ago in Chicago, the Bulls topped the Bucks 120-113 in overtime. They played that game without Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. The former is going to be out for close to a month with a sore right foot, though the latter will be available tonight. Even though the Bucks are double-digit home favorites, they have lost two of their last four games and are barely above the chaotic fray of the Eastern Conference standings. They need to start banking wins, so expect them to be focused tonight.
Antetokounmpo has tallied 55-plus fantasy points in each of his last seven outings, with five games above 60 fantasy points. Chicago may also be without Alex Caruso, which is certainly not going to help a defense that is among the 10 worst in the league.
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Additional NBA Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Luka Doncic is an outstanding option in the DFS world, but if you are not able to make things work with his lofty salary, he has a +280 line to record a triple-double in the sports wagering market. Looking at OddsShopper, we can see that FanDuel is currently offering the best number by a significant amount over the rest of the market. This is like getting a 20% booster without having to do any of the legwork.
NBA Bet Pro has Doncic projected for 37.9 minutes, 33.710 points, 9.93 rebounds and 8.88 assists. Triple-doubles are not easy — well, unless we are talking about Nikola Jokic or prime Russell Westbrook on a bad team. However, Doncic has reached this milestone in two of the three games that Irving has missed, and he fell short in the third game with 18 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
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Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
We ae back to the chaotic regular season NBA with 26 teams in action tonight, which should have plenty of surprises as the injury reports are firmed up.
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