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The NBA continues to work through the tail end of a heavily COVID-impacted final month of the calendar year, with Monday night's seven-game slate featuring quite a few big names still sidelined due to health and safety protocols.
The top end of the player pool remains particularly afflicted, with names like Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and Karl-Anthony Towns among those out of uniform for the time being. Nevertheless, the fact there are 14 teams in action does still offer us a solid player pool to work with. Additionally, we have a handful of players in particularly appealing positional matchups that sport reasonable salaries they could well overdeliver on.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/27/21. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, Rotoballers.
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
James Harden - PG/SG, BKN at LAC ($11,200 DK; $11,000 FD)
Harden offered a nationally televised reminder of his ability to still take over a game and offer eye-popping fantasy production when he erupted for a 36-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double on Christmas Day against the Lakers. The Beard should be in a similar high-usage position again Monday, as Kevin Durant is expected to remain out in health and safety protocols. Factoring in Saturday's outburst, Harden boasts a 35.5 percent usage rate and averages 53.9 DK/51.6 FD points per 36 minutes with his star teammate off the floor. Meanwhile, the Clippers are already ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to PGs (25.5 percent) and come in allowing over 44 fantasy points on either site in the last 15.
Jalen Brunson - PG/SG, DAL at POR ($7,700 DK; $7,600 FD)
Brunson should continue handling starting point guard duties Monday with Luka Doncic slated to remain in health and safety protocols. The veteran has been outstanding when running with the first unit this season, and he's averaging 21.1 points, 7.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds across 35.4 minutes per contest during his current seven-game starting stint. The matchup lines up well for another strong night Monday, as the Trail Blazers are allowing 45.6 DK/44.3 FD points per game to PGs over the last 15 and could also be taking the floor without Damian Lillard (personal), who's listed as questionable for the contest.
Eric Bledsoe - PG/SG, LAC vs. BKN ($6,000 DK; $5,500 FD)
Bledsoe is another guard benefitting from the absence of multiple starters on his squad, as the veteran has picked up his production with Reggie Jackson (COVID-19 protocols) and Paul George (elbow) sidelined. Bledsoe has started each of the last two games at point guard in Jackson's stead and produced over 35 fantasy points on each site in those contests, including a haul of 50 DK/53.4 FD points in his most recent contest with George also out. He should have primary ball-handling responsibilities again Monday night against the Nets, which have conceded 51.6 DK/49.9 FD points per game to PGs in the last 15 contests.
Also consider: Malik Beasley ($6,200, $6,000); Jordan Clarkson ($5,300; $5,200)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Zach LaVine - SF, CHI at ATL ($9,600 DK, $8,600 FD)
LaVine enters Monday's contest on fire despite the recent return of DeMar DeRozan to the floor, averaging 29.7 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds on 52.5 percent shooting, including 44.7 percent from three-point range over six December games. He'll have the advantage of facing a depleted Hawks squad Monday that is projected to be missing multiple players from its backcourt rotation and that comes in having allowed 41.8 DK/40.9 FD points per game to shooting guards, along with the second-highest offensive efficiency to the position (24.8 percent). Moreover, LaVine boasts a massive 35.0 percent usage rate with Lonzo Ball off the floor, and the latter is slated to remain out Monday due to COVID-19 protocols.
Norman Powell - SF, POR vs. DAL ($6,600 DK; $6,100 FD)
Powell makes for a cost-effective way to attack a short-handed Mavericks squad Monday. The veteran wing checks in on a nice hot streak that's seen him average 22.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 40.3 minutes over his last eight games. He'll take the floor without both C.J. McCollum (chest) and Jusuf Nurkic (COVID-19 protocols) on Monday, a scenario in which he boasts a 26.4 percent usage rate and averages 35.1 DK/34.1 FD points per 36 minutes. There's even a chance Damian Lillard (personal) also sits out, which would naturally make Powell even more appealing.
Keldon Johnson - SF/PF, SAS vs. UTA ($5,700 DK; $6,300 FD)
Johnson's breakout season hasn't resulted in particularly elevated salaries, which naturally heightens his appeal. The 2019 first-round pick has come into his own and has been impressively efficient with 48.1 percent shooting overall, including 47.6 percent from three-point range. The matchup against the Jazz isn't the most appealing on paper, but starting power forward Jae Crowder is likely to remain out due to COVID-19 protocols Monday and Utah does come in allowing an elevated 47.1 DK/45 FD points per game to PFs in the last seven contests.
Also consider: Mikal Bridges ($5,00; $5,300)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Rudy Gobert - UTA at SAS ($9,100 DK; $9,100 FD)
Gobert has been one of the most dependable high-end centers in the fantasy realm all season, and his matchup Monday should ensure more of the same. The Spurs come in allowing a robust 58.1 DK/55.8 FD points per game to centers in the last 15 games, along with the fifth-highest offensive efficiency to the position on the season (33.3 percent). Meanwhile, Gobert has been a double-double machine as usual and is averaging an outstanding 15.8 points, 15.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.5 blocks across 33.1 minutes in his last 11 games. Finally, consider Donovan Mitchell will miss Monday's game for Utah due to a back strain, and Gobert is averaging 43.2 DK/42.8 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor.
Christian Wood - HOU at CHA ($8,200 DK; $7,900 FD)
The Hornets have made for excellent DFS targets with respect to centers all season, and Wood has more than enough talent to exploit the considerable vulnerabilities of Charlotte's sieve-like frontcourt. The big man has kicked up his contributions on the scoring front lately, posting at least 20 points in nine of the last 12 games while also averaging 11.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks during that span. The Hornets are giving up NBA-high 36.8 percent offensive efficiency to centers for the season, along with NBA-high 68.3 DK/66.1 FD points per contest to the position in the last 15 games. Charlotte is also surrendering an NBA-high 56.9 rebounds per contest, furthering Wood's prospects of a double-double and big night on the boards overall.
Also consider: Nikola Vucevic ($9,000; $8,300)
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