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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on December 9, 2021. Mike Marteny provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a smaller three-game slate on DraftKings tonight. There are a lot of stars with the Lakers on the slate and plenty of value to get them if you want them with Ja Morant, Ben Simmons, and Jamal Murray all still sidelined. The injury report doesn't look too bad right now, but that might change in a few hours.
We begin the night with the Jazz heading east to Philly. An hour later, the Grizz host the Lakers. We end this at 8:30 pm Eastern down in San Antonio with the Nuggets visiting fro up north. This may be a small slate, but it should be a good one!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/9/21. 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, SA vs. DEN ($9,700 DK, $9,800 FD)
Is Murray matchup-proof? He has at least 48 DraftKings points in eight of the last ten games. That includes laying 60 on the Clippers and nearly putting up that mark on the Suns and Boston. Tuesday against the Knicks might have been the new floor for Murray as he fell a few points shy of 40. He should be back in the mid-40's tonight against a team that is still struggling defensively without Jamal Murray. This year Murray is also picking up enough rebounds that he is a nightly triple-double threat. With the Lakers likely at full strength, Murray has the highest ceiling on the slate.
Donovan Mitchell - PG/SG, UTA at PHI ($8,800 DK, $8,400 FD)
Mitchell feels cheap right now. Both sites have been slow to adjust to his hot streak. Mitchell has scored at least 30 real points in four straight games now. In fact, he hit that mark before the end of the third quarter last night! When you add in the half-dozen assists that Mitchell keeps putting up with his point total, those can pay off the price rather quickly. Mitchell has been right around 6x value at this price since Thanksgiving and blew it away last night. Lock him in until he cools off.
Tyus Jones - PG, MEM vs. LAL ($6,000 DK; $5,800 FD)
Jones has filled in nicely since Ja Morant went down. He's not nearly the player that Morant is, but Jones has been a serviceable scorer and good facilitator, which is all Memphis and DFS players alike can really ask for. Jones has topped 30 DraftKings points three times in the last four games. The game that he missed was against Miami, so we can excuse him for that one. The Lakers are still horrid against guards, so we should see one of Jones's better games here.
DRAFTKINGS ONLY PICK:
Derrick White - PG/SG, SA vs. DEN ($6,300)
White is $1,600 more on FanDuel, which is closer to where he should be priced. White put up 38.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Denver. He has also topped 40 DraftKings points in three of the last six contests while breaking 5x value in two others. His poor shooting against Phoenix over the weekend hurt his bottom line in that game, but aside from that, White has been efficient with his shot and piling up stats across the board. I really like him at this price on DraftKings tonight. There are better uses of the money on FanDuel.
Others to consider: Desmond Bane ($6,900 DK, $6,400 FD), Mike Conley ($5,800 DK, $6,500 FD), Monte Morris ($5,400 DK, $5,600 FD), De'Anthony Melton ($4,600 DK, $5,700 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Anthony Davis - PF/C, LAL at MEM ($10,000 DK/FD)
Davis was content to let the King hold court against the Celtics on Tuesday, but he still almost hit 50 DraftKings points. The ceiling isn't as high for Davis with all of the Lakers healthy, but he has the best floor since he's the one that plays the best defense. Davis's peripheral stats give him a higher floor, especially on FanDuel. Memphis doesn't pose much of a problem for the Lakers. Davis put up 42 DraftKings points in 33 minutes in the first meeting. Due to the way Memphis has been playing, there's reason to believe this could stay close. If it does, Davis could be in for a very nice game.
Dillon Brooks - SG/SF, MEM vs. LAL ($6,200 DK, $6,100 FD)
It's unfortunate that Brooks is still only SF eligible on DK, but I'll make room for him. He's a usage monster with Ja Morant off the court. The bad news is that he's one of the most inefficient players on the planet. He just doesn't know it, won't admit it, or both. However, I like to chase usage on slates this small. If he can shoot anywhere near 50%, Brooks has slate-breaking ability. I like him better on FD because of higher points for peripherals, but I won't ignore the usage on either site.
Royce O'Neale - SF/PF, UTA at PHI ($4,300 DK, $4,900 FD)
O'Neale is an often overlooked asset in DFS, but he is turning into a poor man's Draymond Green. O'Neale is averaging eight points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on the season, but he has 22 rebounds, 14 assists, and 33 points over the last three games. He is contributing across the board lately. You never really know what you're going to get out of the Sixers, but O'Neale's newfound stat-stuffing tendencies leave him as a sneaky value on a slate where we need it.
Others to consider: LeBron James ($10,100 DK, $10,400 FD), Will Barton ($6,800 DK, $6,000 FD), Talen Horton-Tucker ($5,500 DK, $5,100 FD), Doug McDermott ($4,200 DK, $4,300 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN at SA ($11,800 DK, $11,100 FD)
Jokic has only been under 50 DraftKings points once since Halloween. He has the best floor on the entire slate on either site and his 72.75 DraftKings point explosion last night highlights just how high his ceiling is as well. I'm hoping Denver doesn't rest him. If Jokic is in the lineup for the Nuggets, he should be for us as well. No one is running hotter right now.
Jakob Poeltl - C, SA vs. DEN ($6,400 DK; $6,700 FD)
The Spurs still don't play Poeltl more than 30 minutes, but he produces well when he's in there. Poeltl is more involved in the offense this year and he has always been an excellent defender. He is averaging a double-double since returning from virus protocols on November 18. This is not a great matchup for Poeltl, but it's still good enough when he's priced in this range. I don't think I'd waste my C slot on FD on Poeltl in this matchup, but he's firmly in play on DK.
Steven Adams - C, MEM vs. LAL ($5,100 DK; $5,700 FD)
I give up on trying to figure out how the Grizzlies are going to use their centers. They wasted Jonas Valanciunas's talents for several years as well. The pendulum has swung to Adams lately and he has put up some strong stat lines in the last six games despite only playing over 30 minutes twice. Adams is a force on the glass and shouldn't have to grapple with A.D. all that much. JJJ will likely get the A.D. treatment. That could funnel even more towards Adams in this game. He's a strong play for the price if you are looking to punt C on FD.
Others to consider: Joel Embiid ($11,000 DK, $10,600 FD), Rudy Gobert ($8,400 DK, $8,900 FD), Dwight Howard ($4,400 DK, $4,900 FD)
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