NBA DFS Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Trail Blazers vs. Wizards Thursday Night Showdown

Koby's top NBA DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Trail Blazers vs. Wizards showdown slate on 12/21/2023. His Thursday Night NBA showdown advice.

Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! Welcome back to our weekly showdown. We finally got a set of new teams! This will be a scrappy game against two bottom feeders. Portland is coming off a very solid win against Phoenix on Tuesday and is looking to get something going. However, they will be down their stud Shaedon Sharpe. That being said, it’s a perfect spot for the rookie Scoot Henderson to step up and get some much-needed time on the court. The Wizards have one of the worst defenses in the league so this could be a spot for a couple of shooters from Portland to light it up.

I absolutely love playing the NBA showdowns daily, it has become one of my favorite forms of DFS. Nothing is more thrilling than having a lineup consisting of players from one game and sweating it out while watching it live. There is a lot less room for error though with there being fewer options to choose from. Hopefully, with all the advanced stats, I will be able to bring you the best analysis possible and get you some extra cash for the weekend ahead. So strap in as the season is just beginning and we will be here all year long. 

I will provide you with daily fantasy basketball picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Trail Blazers vs. Wizards NBA DFS showdown slate on December 21. These NBA DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter/X @DFSKoby and please feel free to ask any questions about upcoming slates as I'm happy to answer any DMs or in our RotoBaller Discord!

MVP/Captain Plays

Deandre Ayton- C, $10,800 (DK), $13,000 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2023 Avg. Season Stats: 12.6 points, 1.5 assists, 10.7 rebounds with a combined 1.8 STOCK average.

Deandre Ayton hasn’t had quite the season many were expecting him to have but he has shown flashes throughout the season of what could be. That being said, this is the absolute perfect spot for Ayton to have a special night. The Wizards have been known to give up fantasy points galore to opposing centers this season. And that hasn’t changed, as they give up the most in the league. The last time Ayton had a similar opportunity was against Detroit where he had one of his best games this year in scoring 48 fantasy points! I expect to see something along those lines or better.

Kyle Kuzma- SF/PF, $13,500 (DK), $14,500 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2023 Avg. Season Stats: 23.2 points, 4.2 assists, 6.4 rebounds with a combined 1.0 STOCK average

Kyle Kuzma cooked the Blazers last year and although it may be a different team, it doesn’t change the fact that Kuzma is the No. 1 option on this team. My only worry when it comes to Kuzma is there is a decent chance that Toumani Camara and his defensive prowess may be guarding him. Either way though, Kuzma is going to get his shots up and probably end up being the highest-scoring fantasy player from the Wizards.

Other Captains/MVPs: Anfernee Simons

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DFS Flex Plays

Anfernee Simons- SG, $8,400 (DK), $14,000 (FD)

Anfernee Simons has been unstoppable since coming back from the thumb injury that sidelined him since the first game of the season. He has come back with a fire under him as he has averaged 38.5 FPPG in his seven games back. He also gets a crisp matchup as the Wizards rank second-worst against guards in the NBA. It is a high-end flex play but a pair with him and Deandre Ayton might end up being the optimal way to go. I highly recommend getting Simons in your lineups.

Daniel Gafford- C, $6,400 (DK), $10,000 (FD)

Gafford has been a bit inconsistent this season but he most recently had his best game of the season against the Suns, dropping 56 fantasy points! He gets a solid matchup against the Blazers as they have been giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to centers this season. This a great spot for him to capitalize on and he is a solid mid-tier priced player that will fit into your lineups nicely.

Other Flex Options: Jerami Grant, Tyus Jones

DFS Value Plays

Scoot Henderson- PG, $6,000 (DK), $8,500 (FD)

With Shaedon Sharpe out, this is the perfect spot for Scoot to shine. He hasn’t quite had that coming out game yet, but with the minutes there, he has the opportunity. He will more than likely still come off the bench but will have the opportunity to be the main ball handler in that case. He should also see 30+ minutes. In his two games of 30+ minutes so far, he has finished with 35 and 40 fantasy points in those games. He’s a bit better value on DraftKings but can be used on FanDuel as well.

Bilal Coulibaly- SF, $6,200 (DK), $9,000 (FD)

This slate is lackluster when it comes to value and thankfully the top guys aren’t overpriced like we normally see. That being said, we can fit guys like Bilal Coulibaly at 9k and still have a solid-looking lineup. The one thing I like about him is his minutes, he has consistently 25-30 minutes off the bench this season and has shown to be the main contributor fantasy-wise when Corey Kispert isn’t hitting his shots. Coulibaly is averaging 20 FPPG this season and has had a few outliers of close to 30. If you have the money to get to him, I like him as a cheaper option.

Other Value Plays: Danilo Gallinari, Matisse Thybulle

Have a great night and let's make some cash!

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