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We've got an eight-game slate in our sights Monday night, which affords us what many would consider a close-to-ideal player pool for tournaments. There are some key injuries as usual, but with five projected totals of 225 points or more as of Monday morning and plenty of strong candidates along the salary spectrum, we're in very good shape overall for DFS purposes.
There are some very good options in favorable matchups across each price point on the salary cap at each position, setting up what should be a fun night of lineup construction for both cash games and tournaments.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/5/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock, which is at 7:00 pm ET tonight. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry - PG, GSW vs. IND ($10,900 DK; $10,300 FD)
Curry always has one of the safest floors on a slate, and Monday night's matchup could actually draw out one of his higher-percentile performances. The prolific sharpshooter checks into the interconference clash having just posted a 30-point, 10-assist double-double against the Rockets on Saturday night, his third 30-point effort in the last five games alone. The Pacers check in as vulnerable candidates to Curry's skill set, considering they've allowed the sixth-highest three-point shooting percentage (37.2), including a 37.5 percent figure when traveling.
Indy is even allowing the second-most steals (2.4) and blocks (1.1) per game to ones, while Curry comes in with a block in back-to-back games and three multi-steal tallies in his last eight alone. Finally, the fact Indy has conceded the second-most assists per contest in the last three (29.7) certainly helps prop up Curry's prospects further.
Jrue Holiday - PG, MIL at ORL ($7,400 DK; $7,700 FD)
Holiday should be back on the floor Monday night following a night off for several Bucks starters Saturday on the back end of a back-to-back set. The veteran point guard will draw a highly appealing matchup for point guards as well, one that's seen the Magic allow the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating (28.7) to the position. Orlando has also given up over 50 fantasy points per game to ones on the season and 48.0 percent shooting to PGs, making it an all-around strong matchup for a player in Holiday who's shot 51.3 percent, including 47.1 percent from behind the arc, in his last two games.
Shake Milton - PG/SG, PHI at HOU ($6,800 DK; $6,500 FD)
Milton will continue in the starting five Monday night with Tyrese Maxey (foot) still sidelined, giving him an opportunity to continue what's been a rock-solid fill in run against one of the most vulnerable teams in the league to point guards and scoring in general. Milton has averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds across 38.1 minutes over his last eight games on the first unit, shooting an outstanding 54.7 percent, including 45.5 percent from three-point range, in that span. Then, the Rockets check in allowing NBA-high 58.9 DK/57.3 FD points per game to point guards while also surrendering league-high figures in points (27.7), assists (10.7), made threes (3.6) and steals (2.7) per game to the position as well.
ALSO CONSIDER: Luka Doncic - PG, DAL vs. PHX ($12,700 DK; $11,900 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Pascal Siakam - PF/C, TOR vs. BOS ($9,500 DK, $10,000 FD)
Siakam has knocked off the rust from the long layoff due to his groin injury, progressively rounding back into his career-best early-season form. The big man comes into Monday night's showdown against the Celtics having averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals on 54.3 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from three-point range, over his last three games.
Boston has been excellent all the way around this season, but big men have been somewhat of a weakness with Robert Williams (knee) still not suiting up. The Celts are ranked No. 14 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to centers (30.8) while giving up over 47 FD points and over 50 DK points per contest to the position. The Celtics have also given up over five more rebounds per game on the road (53.4) than at home (48), adding to Siakam's appeal.
Jaylen Brown - SG/SF, BOS at TOR ($8,400 DK; $8,600 FD)
Brown has naturally been a critical part of the Celtics' red-hot start to their Eastern Conference title defense, and he'll come into Monday night's battle against the Raptors on a two-game stretch that's seen him average 35.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal on 51.2 percent shooting, including 50.0 percent from three-point range.
The talented wing is hitting several new career bests thus far this season as well, shooting a career-high 50.9 percent while also establishing new high-water marks in points (27.0), rebounds (7.0) and assists (3.5), the latter equaling a career-high figure he put up last season. Toronto has given up over 42 DK points per game to small forwards as well and has been more vulnerable to long-distance shooting recently, allowing a 38.7 percent success rate from behind the arc in the last three.
Tim Hardaway Jr. - SG/SF, DAL vs. PHX ($4,600 DK; $5,200 FD)
Hardaway has snapped out of an unusual multi-game funk of single-digit scoring tallies over his last three contests, averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 50.9 percent, including 50.0 percent from three-point range, in that span. The veteran as eclipsed 40 DK points twice and fallen less than a point short of doing the same on FD during the sample, and the matchup Monday night lines up well for him to continue overdelivering on his salaries.
The Suns have struggled against the small forward position in preventing scoring, allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position (24.2), along with 48.4 percent shooting, including 39.2 percent from three-point range. Phoenix is also giving up 37.0 percent three-point shooting overall on the road, leaving Hardaway poised to potentially overdeliver on his salaries again if he gets hot.
ALSO CONSIDER: Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C, MIL at ORL ($11,900 DK; $11,800 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Bam Adebayo - MIA at MEM ($8,000 DK; $8,900 FD)
Adebayo has served as a critical offensive component in addition to his usual formidable rebounding presence in recent games with the Heat sporting a makeshift roster saddled with multiple nightly injury concerns. The big man has a trio of 30-point efforts in the last eight games alone, and he's been especially impressive in the last four with averages of 30.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting a nearly impeccable 96.0 percent from the charity stripe.
The Grizzlies rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to centers, giving up the 14th-highest figure in the league (31.6) in that category. Memphis is also surrendering over 50 fantasy points per game on either site to the position and the 11th-most points in the paint per home game (50.4), numbers that buttress Adebayo's already strong case, especially at a DK salary he's already provided at least a 5x return on in 12 of 21 games.
Ivica Zubac - LAC at CHA ($6,600 DK; $6,300 FD)
Zubac continues to put up career-best numbers for the season and comes into one of the best matchups for centers with a trio of double-doubles in his last four games alone. The veteran big man absolutely maximized a similarly appealing scenario four games ago against the Pacers, when he delivered an astounding 31-point, 29-rebound effort that netted 76.8 DK/74.3 FD points in 36 minutes.
The Hornets check in allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (34.7), along with NBA-high 60.6 DK/60.4 FD points per game to the position. Charlotte has also surrendered the third-most rebounds per game (55.3) and the most blocks (7.2) per contest, giving Zubac plenty of paths to fantasy success via areas he usually thrives in.
Kevon Looney - GSW vs. IND ($4,500 DK; $4,500 FD)
Looney's salaries are eye-catching when considering he's on a nice run that's seen him average over 25 DK/FD points on either site in the last five games. The veteran has a trio of double-digit rebound efforts in that span, and Monday, he'll be locked in to the same matchup that Zubac exploited for his aforementioned massive game eight days ago. No team has allowed more fantasy points per game to centers than the Pacers over the last seven, with Indiana conceding over 69 DK and over 67 FD points per contest to the position in that span.
Indiana is also surrendering the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position for the season (33.9), along with the seventh-most rebounds (53.7) per contest overall. It's also worth noting Indiana has allowed the third-highest offensive efficiency rating in the paint (61.8), while Looney is scoring just 80 percent of his points in that part of the floor.
ALSO CONSIDER: Clint Capela, ATL vs. OKC ($6,400 DK; $6,200 FD)
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