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We're back to the typical light schedule in the NBA this Saturday, with four games on the main slate and two games being played prior. Thankfully, we have two favorable game environments to exploit in the Knicks-Pacers and Mavericks-Warriors games. The 76ers-Bulls and Lakers-Timberwolves showdowns project as pace-down, grind-it-out affairs, but we'll need to consider players from each of the eight teams tonight since it's such a small slate.
As always, injuries are a key factor here and we will need to monitor for news and make adjustments as we learn more. The key players to monitor are Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, Patrick Williams, Cam Reddish, Isaiah Jackson, Kevon Looney, and Jevon Carter.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/30/23. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 pm EST.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Luka Doncic, DAL vs. GSW – PG ($11,700 DK; $12,600 FD)
If Luka Doncic is healthy and active tonight, I will be prioritizing him as my preferred pay-up option on this slate. He has the highest ceiling projection among all players tonight, and I don't believe it's particularly close as both Anthony Davis and Tyrese Haliburton are facing difficult matchups. Doncic, meanwhile, gets the leaky Warriors' defense in a juicy road matchup with a high implied total and fast projected pace. Golden State has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing PGs this season. This man put up 97.5 DK points just two games ago. Please don't fade him.
Anthony Edwards, MIN vs. LAL - SG/SF ($9,200 DK; $9,800 FD)
We won't be able to fit Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and Drummond in the same lineup, but Edwards is such a good play that I couldn't leave him out of the article. He's too cheap as he needs just 46 DK points to hit 5x value and is averaging 53.1 DK points per game over his last seven contests. The Lakers aren't the easiest matchup in the world, but they struggle to defend shooting guards as they're allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to SGs over their last 15 games. Edwards would become an even higher priority if Towns is ruled out because he sees the highest usage rate (+3.1%) and DK +/- (5.2) increases with the big man off the floor.
Others to consider: Tyrese Haliburton, Brandin Podziemski, Kelly Oubre Jr., Chris Paul
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jalen Smith, IND vs. NYK - PF/C ($4,900 DK, $4,600 FD)
Jalen Smith is your "this guy is too cheap, and you kind of have to play him" play of the night. There's not a ton of value with the way things stand right now, so Smith is going to be someone we need to have as a value-filler in lineups so we can fit Doncic, Andre Drummond, and more. Smith has played two games since moving into the starting lineup for Obi Toppin, scoring 29.5 and 25.75 DK points over 23 and 25 minutes, respectively. We'd like to see him get more minutes, but those fantasy outputs are more than enough at his current salary.
Julius Randle, NYK vs. IND - PF/C ($8,700 DK, $8,900 FD)
Julius Randle has started to figure things out as the season has rolled along. He isn't posting ceiling games as often as we'd like at his lofty salary, but he put up 63 DK points last night against a tough Magic frontcourt and he'll have a shot to back up that output in a favorable matchup tonight. The Pacers allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing PFs this season and it's the top game environment on the slate. Randle is a smash play tonight.
Others to consider: DeMar DeRozan, Tobias Harris, LeBron James, Aaron Nesmith, Tim Hardaway Jr.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Andre Drummond, CHI vs. PHI - C ($8,000 DK; $9,000 FD)
Paul Reed is the preferred option at center on FanDuel, but we're going right back to the well with the still-underpriced Andre Drummond on DraftKings. Drummond disappointed with 28.5 DK points in his last game after going nuclear with 67.25 (at $4,700 salary) in his first game as the starting center. He played just 21 minutes in his last game and ran into foul trouble, which is not something I anticipate happening against the Embiid-less 76ers tonight. Paul Reed and Mo Bamba are not going to be roadblocks for Drummond tonight - another 20/20 game is a very real possibility here.
Others to consider: Anthony Davis, Paul Reed, Isaiah Hartenstein, Myles Turner
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