Christmas is approaching rapidly. It's time to gift yourself with a little extra before the holidays. 14 games make up Friday night's slate, and we can expect full force from each team and player as the whole team is off Saturday on Christmas Eve.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/23/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.

 Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NBA and NFL Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

FanDuel DFS Guards

James Harden - SG, @ MEM ($11,400)

We never really need a reason to draft James Harden in daily fantasy, but considering his price continues to skyrocket, I'll explain why for some reassurance. Harden heads into a matchup against a Memphis Grizzlies team recently torched by Isaiah Thomas; 44 points, six assists, three rebounds, two steals, one block, and seven three pointers on 10 attempts. Thomas's stat line looks like something Harden puts together on a daily basis, as he continues to feast on opposing teams. To make things a bit sweeter, the Grizzlies have allowed the third most fantasy points to point guards this season.

Evan Fournier - SG, vs LAL ($6,400)

Over the past couple of weeks, Evan Fournier has transformed back into the scoring machine that made him valuable for daily fantasy last season. Fournier has dropped 2o-plus points in his last five of six games, and heads into a favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers surrender 110.7 points per game, fourth most in the league. Fournier is also a decent threat from behind the arc, and should take advantage of that against a Lakers squad that allows 10.1 3PM per contest.

Also Consider: Isaiah Thomas - PG, vs OKC ($8,200)

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Gordon Hayward - SF, vs TOR ($7,600)

Hayward has recently reasserted himself as the team's top scorer and producer, now that he's back from injury. In his last contest, Hayward posted a double-double against the Sacramento Kings, 28 points and 10 rebounds. The Toronto Raptors have been a solid team all season but have been vulnerable against small forwards, and allow the fourth most fantasy points to the position. He's a solid tournament option, and still relatively affordable for his capability.

Serge Ibaka - PF, vs LAL ($6,500) 

Serge Ibaka makes for a great stack with Evan Fournier, especially against the vulnerable Los Angeles Lakers. Ibaka has been a bit inconsistent in his first season in a new uniform, but remains a double-double threat for daily fantasy. Ibaka displayed some versatility in his last contest and sunk four from behind the arc on five attempts. He's an inexpensive tournament option.

Also Consider:  LeBron James - SF, vs BK ($10,100)

FanDuel DFS Centers

Karl-Anthony Towns - C, vs SAC ($9,400)

The Minnesota Timberwolves/Sacramento Kings matchup is really intriguing, specifically because the battle at the center position between DeMarcus Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns started the season slow, but has come alive of late. Minnesota's big man has posted a double-double in nine straight contests, and should continue his success against the Kings.

Also Consider: Rudy Gobert - C, vs TOR ($7,700)

NBA & DFS Premium Subscription

Get an edge on your NBA DFS competition, every single night of the week:

• DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks: Access to 10 deeply researched lineup picks, and sample lineups - seven days a week! Includes advanced stats to unlock NBA player values, and boost DFS success.
• DFS Optimizer Tool: Generate optimal DFS lineups in seconds. Use advanced features and stats for including/excluding players, cash games vs. GPPs, stacks and more.
• DFS Value Picks: Our Optimizer helps you find, sort and filter the best lineup values and DFS sleeper picks. Premium stats like "Usage Rate" and "Points/$1K" give you a leg up on the DFS competition.
• Daily NBA Projections: Our secret sauce - the Optimizer Tool provides DFS points projections for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo scoring.

Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool

Click here to see a full size version of the tool

Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet

Premium NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet

Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet