TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Daily Fantasy NBA Lineup Picks for FanDuel (12/28/16) - DFS Basketball Advice

Gather-round, Rotoballers, for another edition of NBA Wednesday daily fantasy action. Tonight we're back to the standard 10 game slate, and it sure looks like an enticing one. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/28/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.

Before I get into player selection and analysis, let's take a look at a few Vegas lines that could be of interest - especially for those of you that like to deploy a stacking strategy. As of this writing, not every line has been released, but a few games with high projected point totals that look appetizing are the Pacers at Wizards (213), Nets at Bulls (214), Suns at Spurs (213), Timberwolves at Nuggets (213), and Raptors at Warriors (225.5). Personally, I like the Pacers at Wizards and Timberwolves at Nuggets the most as they feature spreads of less than five points.

 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

Ricky Rubio - PG, at DEN - ($5,800)

Rubio has really turned it on of late, exceeding his price implied total in eight of his last 10 games - and all by a wide margin (an average of nearly 5 fantasy points per night). Tonight, he has a terrific matchup against the Nuggets in what Vegas predicts to be a high scoring affair. The Nuggets move at break-neck pace, which should lead to more opportunities for Rubio, and they also allow more fantasy points to opposing point guards than any other team playing tonight. His 32 minutes per game average and consistent production make him a solid cash game and bargain play this evening.

C.J. McCollum - SG, vs SAC - ($7,400)

The case for McCollum tonight is a fairly simple one - he's the best bargain of the group and he has a good (but not great) matchup, too. As the focal point of the Portland offense, McCollum is a high volume shooter. Because of that, he has the chance to hit - and cruise past - his price implied value on any given night. His shooting has been a bit streaky in the past few weeks, but when he's hitting the number of shots he's most certainly capable of, he crushes his value - especially at a low price like the one he's listed at tonight. For the season, CJ has a 25.7 Usage rate and is scoring nearly a point per minute on the floor.

Also Consider: Zach LaVine - SG, at DEN ($6,500)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Jimmy Butler - SF, vs BKN ($8,500)

There are a handful of directions you could go in tonight with your small forward selections, but I think Butler has the highest floor, and is therefore the smart play in cash games and 50/50's. He does also have a matchup against the lowly Nets, which helps raise his ceiling as well. The Nets struggle tremendously on defense and Vegas is projecting the Bulls to put up a ton of points. I'm expecting the bulk of the opportunity to fall into Butler's lap, and he should excel against a team that has no one on their roster that matches up well against Butler's size and versatility. For the season, Butler has been incredibly efficient in his time on the court, posting a 25.09 PER to date.

Thaddeus Young - PF, at WAS ($5,200)

Power forward is the ultimate value position tonight, and I think Young is the player I can not only squeeze the most value out of, but he's also the one that can produce tournament like numbers on occasion. Tonight is a good opportunity to be one of those occasions, as he's priced incredibly low for a guy that plays 35+ minutes per night and is more than capable of pulling down double digit rebounds each night. On top of all that, he faces a Washington team that allows more points to opposing power forwards than the average NBA team, which helps to raise his floor.

Also Consider:  Paul George - SF, at WAS ($7,600)

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

DeMarcus Cousins - C, at POR ($11,000)

Yes, he's pricey, but Cousins has the highest ceiling of any player taking the floor tonight and you'll need him on your team if you're going to take down a tournament. Cousins has produced 50 FanDuel points or more in three of his last four games and tonight he has an excellent matchup which should allow him to cruise past 50 points, once again. Not only does Portland push the ball, which equates to more possessions and opportunities for both teams, but they also allow the most points to opposing centers of any team in action Wednesday night. For the season, Cousins has an excellent Usage rate of 35.4 and he's producing 1.42 fantasy points per minute.

Also Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns - C, at DEN ($9,100)

 

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




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Norman Powell

Ready to Face Trail Blazers
Robert Williams III

Active Thursday Night
Jerami Grant

Sidy Cissoko Cleared to Play
Kawhi Leonard

Returns to Action Thursday
Jrue Holiday

Available Against Heat
Davion Mitchell

Will Miss Thursday's Game
Santi Aldama

Won't Play Friday
Ja Morant

to Skip Friday's Game
Cade Cunningham

Listed as Questionable for Friday
Jeremy Sochan

Active Against Jazz
Brice Sensabaugh

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Keyonte George

Good to Go Thursday
Gary Payton II

Will Suit Up Thursday
Moussa Cisse

Ready for Action Thursday
P.J. Washington

to be Limited to Under 30 Minutes
Deandre Ayton

Available for Battle of Los Angeles
Brandon Miller

Ready to Rock Thursday
Patrick Williams

is Cleared to Play on Thursday
Josh Giddey

is Available on Thursday
Paul George

Active Against Rockets, Dominick Barlow Drops to the Bench
Cooper Flagg

to Remain on Minutes Limit
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as Their Head Coach
Kris Letang

Questionable Thursday
Andre Burakovsky

Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky Available for Blackhawks Thursday
Indianapolis Colts

FBI Investigating the Death of Colts Owner Jim Irsay
Mason Marchment

Available Versus Stars
Alexandre Texier

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Marcus Johansson

Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson Could Return Thursday
David Perron

to Miss 5-7 Weeks Due to Hernia Surgery
Mikko Rantanen

Unavailable Thursday
MacKenzie Gore

Rangers Acquire MacKenzie Gore From the Nationals
Evgeni Malkin

Collects Two Points in Win Over Flames
Christian Dvorak

Notches Three Points in Wednesday's Loss
Clayton Keller

Saves Mammoth From Loss Wednesday Night
Lukas Dostal

Overcomes Avalanche With 40 Saves
Dylan Larkin

Leads Red Wings Past Maple Leafs
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Exits With Lower-Body Injury Wednesday
Josh Doan

Lands Seven-Year Extension From Sabres
Brandon Sproat

Dealt to Brewers in Four-Player Trade
Jett Williams

Brewers Acquire Jett Williams From Mets
Freddy Peralta

Mets Acquire Freddy Peralta From Brewers
Seth Jones

to Miss Olympics
Martin Pospisil

Makes Season Debut Wednesday
Teddy Blueger

Available Wednesday Night
Tom Wilson

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Luke Hughes

Devils Place Luke Hughes on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Valeri Nichushkin

Returns to Action Wednesday
Kris Letang

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Kyle Tucker

Expected to Bat Second or Third in Dodgers' Lineup
Brandon Aiyuk

has "Played his Last Snap as a Niner"
Cody Bellinger

Signs Five-Year, $162.5 Million Contract With Yankees
Adam Scott

Looks to Overcome Putting Woes at American Express
Billy Horschel

Looking to Rebound at The American Express
Josh Allen

Might Need Foot Surgery
Russell Henley

Looks to Build on Strong Start at The American Express
Jason Day

Looking to Start 2026 Strong at The American Express
Wyndham Clark

Looking to Regain Form at The American Express
Sam Burns

Looks to Continue Success at The American Express
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looking to Build on Strong Fall in Season Debut
Kurt Kitayama

Hopes To Continue Strong Start to 2026 Season at American Express
CFB

Princewill Umanmielen Expected to Sign with LSU
Scottie Scheffler

Returns To American Express After Missing Last Year's Edition
Robert MacIntyre

Keeps Momentum Rolling Heading Into American Express
Brian Harman

Can Challenge at American Express if His Putter Stays Hot
Ben Griffin

Outstanding Form Continues Heading Into American Express
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Following Outstanding Finish to 2025 Season
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Get a Jump Start on His 2026 Season
Blades Brown

Set to Make First PGA Tour Appearance of 2026
Kevin Roy

Has Some Confidence Heading to Southern California
Min Woo Lee

Poised to Make Bigger Impact in 2026
Max Homa

Needs a Better Start for 2026
Tony Finau

Trying to Reverse Disturbing Trend
Cam Davis

Aims for More Accuracy at American Express
Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuna Sent to White Sox in Trade
Luis Robert Jr.

Mets Acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel Expected to Become Chargers Offensive Coordinator
Carlos Beltran

Andruw Jones Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Expected to Land at Georgia Tech
Malik Nabers

Giants Hope Malik Nabers Will be Back for Start of Training Camp
CFB

Duke Suing Quarterback Darian Mensah
Cam Skattebo

Should be Ready by OTAs
George Kittle

Expects to Return "Well Before November"
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Entering Transfer Portal
Mookie Betts

Plans to Retire at the End of his Current Contract
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Expected to Hire Jeff Hafley as Next Head Coach
Zach Charbonnet

has Torn ACL
Zach Charbonnet

Needs Knee Surgery, Out for Rest of Playoffs
Tennessee Titans

Mike McCarthy a Finalist for Titans Head-Coaching Job?
Colston Loveland

Suffers Concussion in Divisional Round Loss
Kyren Williams

Scores Two Touchdowns in Divisional Round Win
Buffalo Bills

Bills Fire Head Coach Sean McDermott
Rhamondre Stevenson

Returns in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round Game
Ha-Seong Kim

has Finger Surgery, Out 4-5 Months
Rhamondre Stevenson

Questionable to Return on Sunday With Eye Injury
Woody Marks

Returns Following Brief Exit on Sunday
Dalton Schultz

Won't Return in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round Game
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Open to Aaron Rodgers Returning in 2026?

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP