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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on December 28, 2021. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, Rotoballers! Eight games will populate our televisions, tablets, and cellphones tonight. Plenty of them will be worth a watch as the league still grapples with COVID running rampant. While it's great to see unknowns and "he's still playing?!" guys on the court now and then, it's making our DFS lives quite stressful. So if you're playing these slates, you have to be locked in during that final 30 minutes before tip-off because the news is breaking late and fast from these lineups.
Two games immediately pop out at me on tonight's slate: the Lakers-Rockets clash and the Thunder-Kings matchup. Los Angeles is riding a five-game losing streak and needs it to end sooner rather than later. With the over/under set at 228.5 points, I expect a lot of fantasy points flying around the court in Houston. LeBron James is one of my anchors to build around. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City and Sacramento are the only two teams averaging over 99 possessions per game in their last 10 games. With both defenses providing a lot of favorable matchups on my sheet, I'll also be trying to fill my squads with multiple players from this late-night West Coast shootout.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/28/21. 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
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG, OKC at SAC ($9,500 DraftKings; $9,200 FanDuel)
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander played only 35 games, and it seemed to take some shine off this up-and-coming star. Well, in 2021, the fourth-year guard is doing everything he can to remind us how mesmerizing he can be on the court. He's averaging a career-high in field-goal and three-point attempts, and the results are some contest-winning fantasy performances. Over his last four games, SGA is averaging 27.5 points on 20.8 shots, along with 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 stocks (steals+blocks), and 51.35 DK FPPG (DraftKings fantasy points per game). Now, he visits a Kings lineup giving up 52.54 DK FPPG to point guards over their last 15 games, the worst mark in the league. Nevertheless, Gilgeous-Alexander's skillset knows no bounds (minus a lack of three-point shooting recently), and he is the perfect balance between floor and ceiling to anchor a DFS lineup.
Tyrese Haliburton - PG/SG, SAC vs. OKC ($8,900 DK; $8,200 FD)
While SGA will be a trendy pick in Tuesday's contests, a pivot play off him could be right on the other end of the floor with Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings guard has had a quiet start to his sophomore campaign, but he's turned the corner in the final month of the year, and he's turning in some eyebrow-raising boxscore. In his previous five games, the 2020 All-Rookie First Team selection put up 22.4 points, 10.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 three-points, and 2.2 steals a night. Those numbers equal 47.5 FD FPPG (FanDuel fantasy points per game) and make Haliburton a terrific option at either guard position. He's scored at least 18 points in all five games, and he's registered a double-double in four of the five contests. Over the last 15 games, OKC is the worst defense against point guards and the sixth-worst against shooting guards. So don't be surprised when Haliburton cracks 50 FanDuel points for the third time in four outings.
Kemba Walker - PG, NYK at MIN ($6,900 DK; $7,600 FD)
I mentioned two up-and-coming guards for my first two recommendations, but let's crank up the experience dial a bit and roll with the feel-good story of the month, Kemba Walker. After Tom Thibodeaux essentially banished him, Walker has found a second chance at playing time in the Big Apple after a wave of injuries and COVID shattered the team's rotation. He's started the previous four games (after 10 consecutive DNPs) and is doing whatever it takes to stick in the squad once everyone returns to full health. In those four starts, Walker's averaging 26 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 4.3 triples, and 46.2 DK FPPG. The four-time All-Star has recorded a 70-point fantasy night and a triple-double in back-to-back contests, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do as an encore versus a depleted Minnesota defense.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James - PF, LAL at HOU ($11,300 DK; $10,900 FD)
The Lakers are on a five-game losing streak right now, but it's not because of their leader, LeBron James. In the five games before tonight's matchup with Houston, the four-time MVP registered 31.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.0 stocks, and two three-pointers nightly. Usually, I would fade someone like James in a matchup with a team as bad as Houston. However, Los Angeles has lost five in a row and desperately needs a win to right the ship heading into 2022. James isn't letting this team sink and seems determined to keep it afloat until they get Anthony Davis back on the court. He's producing 57.7 DK FPPG over his previous five games, and without much of a supporting task, he'll need another 55-point fantasy evening if the Lakers want to get back in the win column.
Khris Middleton - SG/SF, MIL at ORL ($8,200 DK; $8,100 FD)
Middleton returned from a knee injury last week and has been a pivotal cog in the Buck's three-game win streak. Since Dec. 22, the 30-year old is averaging 22 points, 6.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers, and one steal per game. Orlando is decimated up and down their lineup and won't provide much of a test for the now-healthy Bucks. As long as the game doesn't become a laughable blowout, Middleton has a 35-point floor. He's also more than capable of taking over the game should Milwaukee decide to monitor some of their other player's minutes during this busy time of the schedule.
Otto Porter Jr. - SF/PF, GSW vs. DEN ($4,900 DK; $6,500 FD)
Recommending Otto Porter Jr. comes with a massive caveat. However, suppose we get word from Steve Kerr about whether Andrew Wiggins will be limited in his return. In that case, I feel comfortable having Porter as a semi-punt play against the Nuggets mostly because Denver is the sixth-worst defense versus power forwards in their last 15 games, but also because of Porter's current form.
The forward is coming off back-to-back-to-back 30-point fantasy evenings, and an electric fourth quarter versus the Suns on Christmas Day. However, if Kerr or any beat reporters report Wiggins is coming back to a full workload, I'll be off Otto ultimately. This kind of last minutes decision is why you need to download the Rotoballer NBA app for lineup notifications and join our premium slack channel for advice all the way till tip-off!
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Love - PF/C, CLE at NOP ($6,700 DK; $7,000 FD)
Evan Mobley (protocols) and Jarrett Allen (protocols) remain out for the Cavaliers, so it's Kevin Love's time to shine. No, don't check your clocks; it is not 2016. Kevin Love is back to starting NBA games, and he's doing a dang good job in the process. During his last three games, Love produced 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, three assists, three triples, and a steal each night. The former All-NBA forward averages 21.3 minutes a night but is racking up 38.2 DK FPPG. That's a whopping 1.79 FPPM (fantasy points per minute) and entirely unsustainable. However, against a Pelicans frontcourt recently allowing 55.12 DK FPPG to centers and a ravaged depth chart, I've got Love firmly in my player pool for this eight-game slate.
Omer Yurtseven - C, MIA vs. WAS ($4,800 DK; $5,400 FD)
Another center recommendation due to some teammate Injuries, Omer Yurtseven, is my favorite value play at the position. Bam Adebayo (thumb) and Dewayne Dedmond (knee) are recovering from their respective ailments, and their teammate is taking advantage of this newfound playing time. Yurtseven is putting up 8.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 1.4 stocks per game in his last five games. Last time out, the 23-year old posted a huge double-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and one assist for 26.25 DraftKings fantasy points. Unfortunately, his lack of contributions in the other categories doesn't provide a stable floor for the Turkish center. Still, at $4,800 against the second-worst defense to centers, he is an excellent bargain-bin option at center on Tuesday.
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