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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on December 23, 2021. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Thursday, Rotoballers! I had to do a double-take when I saw 11 games on the schedule for today's slate. Typically, we have three games on a Thursday, and if we are lucky, we get five. So seeing 11 (originally 12) matches on the cards was a massive change. Fortunately, we have some of the best offenses and worst defenses on the court tonight, and it will make for some terrific matchups.
Of the 11 matchups still on the docket, Charlotte at Denver has the highest over/under at 229.5 points. However, Phoenix (-14.5) is the heaviest favorite on the slate, and it may be worth looking at some of their secondary players as an excellent way to find discounts and values on this huge slate. With no games tomorrow and only five on Saturday, we should have every healthy player as a full go. Therefore, I don't mind rolling with a couple of studs and figuring out the rest in the final hour before lineups lock.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/23/21. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dejounte Murray - PG, SAS at LAL ($10,300 DraftKings; $9,900 FanDuel)
When you begin to hear Dejounte Murray's name bandied around as the "You know who I like and is underrated?" player on national podcasts, the cat is officially out of the bag. Finally, it seems like the media is finally catching up to what we DFS players have been witnessing for a year and a half: Murray is breaking out. He's been a delight to roster this season, and I'm looking forward to doing it again on Thursday night. Over his last five games, the Spurs guard averages 17 points, 10.4 assists, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers per game. He's also bagged three triple-doubles in those five contests and is going against a Lakers unit, allowing the fourth-most FPPG (fantasy points per game) to point guards this year.
Tyrese Maxey - PG, PHI vs. ATL ($6,700 DK; $6,600 FD)
Maxey (quad) is slated to return to the court on Thursday after sitting out two games through injury. With teammate Shake Milton (protocols) on the sidelines, it will open up more minutes for the young point guard in his return to action. Before he suffered the injury, Maxey seemed to be jumping back into form with back-to-back efforts of at least 23 points, five assists, multiple threes, and 15 shot attempts. Atlanta is the second-worst defense against point guards on the season, allowing 50.58 FPPG. With his return to action, an immediate bump in minutes, and a great matchup, Maxey fits the bill as a mid-range guard to slot into your fantasy lineups.
Chris Duarte - SG/SF, IND vs. HOU ($5,000 DK; $5,300 FD)
Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) is questionable for the contest against Houston. However, he only played eight minutes on Tuesday before leaving with the same injury, and I can't imagine he's going to be a full go for this game. Enter rookie Chris Duarte. Yes, the obvious choice for Brogdon's replacement may be Caris LeVert ($7,700; $6,400), but I prefer the new guy to the league and the one costing significantly less of my salary cap. Over his previous two games, Duarte averages 16 points on 10 shots, with 6.5 rebounds, three assists, 2.5 three-pointers, and a steal in only 24 minutes. If Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle can bring himself to play the rookie more than half the game, Duarte and his DFS managers will be in for a big night.
Others to consider: Stephen Curry ($11,900; $9,700), Donovan Mitchell ($9,500; $8,400) Jalen Brunson ($8,500; $7,400), Devonte' Graham ($5,500; $6,300) Jalen Green ($4,900; $5,200), Brad Wanamaker ($3,200; $3,700)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Brandon Ingram - SG/SF, NOP at ORL ($9,600 DK; $8,800 FD)
A month ago, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me I would be writing about Brandon Ingram as a DFS option. Yes, it's never wise to write someone off completely, but I never really enjoyed having him on my team last season. However, it's all in the past now, and here we are talking about Ingram against the Orlando Magic. Over his last five games, Ingram's provided 47.35 DraftKings FPPG, hasn't scored below 22 points, and drained, on average, two three-pointers per game. Against a depleted Magic defense, I like my chances with Ingram.
Cameron Johnson - SF/PF, PHX vs. OKC ($4,800 DK; $5,400 FD)
As I mentioned in the intro, I'm intrigued by the secondary pieces in a Phoenix uniform in this heavily favored contest against the Thunder. The Suns come in as 14.5-point favorites. Therefore, if the script follows suit, we should have plenty of mop-up duty and time for the role players to get involved. The last four games where Johnson has eclipsed 30 minutes have given us some of his best fantasy performances as he averages 26.9 DraftKings points. With a blowout in the works, I predict Johnson smashes that average and tops 30 points against the Thunder, and becomes a superb value option among the 11 games.
Others to consider: LeBron James ($11,300; $11,400), Tobias Harris ($9,200; $7,100) Josh Giddey ($7,500; $7,400) Franz Wagner ($7,400; $6,800)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN vs. CHA ($12,200 DK; $11,300 FD)
Anyone worried about Jokic's last two games can skip this section as I am all-in with the Serbian for tonight's slate. Before the previous two games, the Joker played at least 30 minutes in six straight games. In those contests, he averaged 28 points, 13.7 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 2.4 stocks (steals+blocks), and 1.7 three-pointers for 68.01 DraftKings FPPG. He gets to see the worst defense versus centers in the league as Charlotte allows 62.78 FPPG to centers on the season. The only way Jokic doesn't dominate this slate is if the Nuggets blow out the Hornets. And with Vegas giving Denver a 2.5-point advantage, I think the game stays close, and we get a typical Jokic performance.
Mitchell Robinson - C, NYK vs. WAS ($6,100 DK; $5,700 FD)
The key to unlocking Robinson in daily fantasy seems to be through his shot attempts. If he's engaged offensively, he brings the intensity on the boards and defense. Over his last 10 games, he's attempting 4.6 shots per game. However, in the three games where he's gotten six or more looks is when he's shined. Robinson averages 15 points, 12.3 rebounds, three blocks, and 1.3 steals for 39.75 DraftKings fantasy points in that trio of contests. Seeing a Washington frontcourt giving up the second-most points to center should allow Robinson to come through for another 40-plus point evening on our DFS rosters.
Others to consider: Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,600; $10,100), Christian Wood ($8,600; $8,200), Daniel Gafford ($4,800; $5,400)
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