The NBA slate for tonight's, or rather today's, contests is a little bit strange. This article will not include the two early games, as the five-game slate at 6:00 PM EST is the main, and most anticipated, slate.

Read on for the best daily fantasy NBA lineup picks for FanDuel (12/18/16). The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers.The players I advise are the players that are in my lineup so if it all goes downhill, I'll be tumbling down right next to you. Let's get rolling…

 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

Chris Paul - PG, at WAS ($9,200) 

Chris Paul is a great tournament option tonight against the Washington Wizards. John Wall and company love uptempo games, and that is exactly what is in store for the Los Angeles Clippers. In his last two games, Paul disappointed, but prior to that, he posted 50 and 62 fantasy points consecutively. His price tag is rather high, so find a better option in 50/50 contests, but in tournaments, it does not get much better. The Los Angeles Clippers point guard has a ceiling right around 60 fantasy points.

Goran Dragic - PG, vs BOS ($7,400)

For the time being, Goran Dragic can be uesd in both 50/50 contests and tournaments. He has been playing entirely too well of recent to avoid him in any format. In his last game, he posted over 45 fantasy points in 39 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. That, however, was no fluke. Two games prior to that game, he posted over 45 fantasy points in 31 minutes against the Washington Wizards. His price tag is very reasonable, so take advantage of that until it comes up.

Also Consider:  Sergio Rodriguez - PG, vs BKN ($4,800)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Kawhi Leonard - SF, vs NOP ($8,300)

Kawhi Leonard is not only the best forward option on the board for tonight's five-game slate, he is the best overall option on the board. The New Orleans Pelicans are horrible defensively, and Leonard should have no problems contributing in multiple stat categories. He has over 40 fantasy points in four of his last five games, and against the Phoenix Suns, he posted 39 fantasy points in only 27 minutes. At his current price tag, he is very likely going to hit value. Use him in 50/50 contests and tournaments.

Robert Covington - SF, vs BKN ($5,000)  

Robert Covington should be used in tournaments only tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. The Philadelphia 76ers are struggling to figure out a way to get all of their big men involved in the game, so Covington's minutes could drop any game, but so far so good for the three-point shooter. He posted over 30 fantasy points in two of his last three games, posting over 40 fantasy points against the Toronto Raptors in 40 minutes. If he continues to play big minutes for the Sixers, which it looks like he will, continue to roster him in tournaments. His upside is great.

Also Consider: Jae Crowder - SF, at MIA ($5,500)

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

Joel Embiid - C, vs BKN ($6,800)

Joel Embiid's price tag is down right now, as he struggled in two of his last three games. However, he is a very important part of the Philadelphia 76ers offense, and he will start scoring again. Against the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers, he posted over 40 fantasy points. Embiid is currently only allowed to play around 27 minutes per game, so his ceiling is a bit limited, but he still makes for a great option in tournaments. There are better options for 50/50 contests. For example, Hassan Whiteside gets a good matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Also Consider:  Jonas Valanciunas - C, at ORL ($5,400)

 

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