DraftKings and FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (12/31/23): NBA DFS Lineups

December 31, 2023

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on December 31, 2023. John Brubaker provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

It's a Sunday in the NBA, we have a solid five-game slate to break down. I hope you all had a fantastic 2023, and let's head into 2024 with a massive win and get our bankrolls prepared for the next 366 (happy leap year!) days.

We have just one team on a back-to-back tonight: the Lakers. Let's see how that affects some of our lineups and how we want to attack this slate.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/31/23. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 PM EST on FanDuel and DraftKings.

DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Ja Morant, MEM vs. MIL – PG ($9,600 DK; $10,000 FD)

I'll start tonight's slate off with Ja Morant. Morant has been awesome since returning from his 25-game suspension, averaging 26.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He draws a strong matchup tonight against a Kings team that ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency overall and 20th in defensive efficiency against point guards. Memphis also gets a small boost in pace (0.38) in this spot. Morant projects pretty close to his season averages tonight; projecting to 25.89 points, 5.38 assists, and 8.8 rebounds in this one.

Trey Murphy III, NO vs. LAL – SG ($5,400 DK; $5,300 FD)

I'll take a look at Trey Murphy next. Murphy, despite coming off the bench, projects to an 18.17% usage rate across 20 minutes tonight. While Murphy and the Pelicans project to minor offensive regression (-2.27), they do take on a Lakers team that was just in a dogfight last night in Minnesota. I think this opens the door for some fast-paced basketball with a lack of lockdown defense from LA. Murphy projects to 14.52 points, 4.29 rebounds, and 1.7 assists tonight off the bench, and the Pelicans project some positive regression there (+2.87).

Others to consider: Jrue Holiday, CJ McCollum, Josh Giddey, Derrick White

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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Jaylen Brown, BOS vs. SA – SG/SF ($8,700 DK; $8,700 FD)

I'll take a look at Jaylen Brown next. Boston is probably in the best offensive spot of the night against San Antonio which ranks 25th in defensive efficiency. Boston should also see a nice pace boost here as well, a bump up from their 26th-ranked 100.2 pace. Brown projects to play 33 minutes in this one while maintaining a 26.88% usage rate. The Spurs also rank 25th in small forward efficiency so Brown should see a bit of a funnel here. He projects to 22.54 points, 5.42 rebounds, and 3.58 assists.

Luguentz Dort, OKC vs. BKN – SF ($4,700 DK; $5,000 FD)

I'll head to Oklahoma City and take a look at Lu Dort. Dort doesn't necessarily have a ton to offer fantasy-wise while he's on the floor as he carries just a 13.34% usage rate. However, we need some sort of value here and we'll take it with a guy who's going to play nearly 30 minutes in this one. He projects to 10.71 points, 3.88 rebounds, and 1.3 assists against a Brooklyn defense that struggles against small forwards (27th in SF efficiency).

Others to consider: Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Williams

DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Kristaps Porzingis, BOS vs. SA - PF/C ($8,000 DK; $8,800 FD)

I'll head back to Boston to take a look at my first center of the night, Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis is also a beneficiary of this offense and pace boost tonight. The Spurs rank 29th in center efficiency, giving Porzingis a fantastic matchup here. He projects to 21.18 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.79 assists. The biggest concern with these Celtics players is the blowout factor here, and while that's something to consider, I'm willing to take my chances on KP here.

Bismack Biyombo, MEM vs. SAC – C ($3,900 DK; $4,600 FD)

I'll wrap things up with Bismack Biyombo. It's tough to assume Biyombo plays more than 20 minutes tonight, but we do have to take a stab at some value now and again. This will be the "dart throw" of sorts for me on this slate as Biyombo draws a solid matchup against the Kings, who rank 18th in center efficiency. Biyombo projects to just 4.5 points, 6.06 rebounds, and 1.27 assists in this one, but is worth taking a shot on if you're playing in max-entry tournaments.

Others to consider: Jonas Valanciunas

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