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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on December 20 2021. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Although we're still reeling from a COVID-impacted last few days in the NBA, we're set for a solid six-game slate on Monday night even with the postponement of the Magic-Raptors tilt.
There are still some other individual COVID absences that do reduce the player pool slightly Monday, but we still have plenty of appealing options for cash games and tourney s on both sites. 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 12/20/21. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, Rotoballers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dejounte Murray - PG/SG, SAS at LAC ($9,800 DK; $9,100 FD)
Murray has been well north of 40 DK and FD points in his last two games, and he's averaging 46.3/45.1 on the two sites overall for the season. He already lit up the Clippers for 60.5/58.9 in his one prior meeting against them as well, and there's a 50/50 chance he won't have to worry about facing Paul George's defense Monday due to the latter's elbow injury. The Clippers are also ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to PGs (25.0 percent) and are yielding 47/46 fantasy points per game to the position as well. It's also worth noting Murray has been a better performer on the road, draining 47.0 percent of his shots when traveling, including 37.5 percent from three-point range (42.4, 28.8, respectively, at home).
Tyrese Haliburton - PG/SG, SAC at GSW ($7,000 DK; $7,700 FD)
The Kings are slated to still be down De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Terence Davis, Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes and Alex Len on Monday, which should once again leave Haliburton with some very elevated usage. The second-year wing averages 44.0 DK/42.3 FD points per 36 minutes wihtout Fox, Mitchell and Holmes on the floor specifically, and he'll check into Monday having scored north of 40 fantasy points on each of the two sites in each of the last three games. Haliburton also scored 34.3/33.9 fantasy points against the Warriors in his one prior meeting against them, and although Golden State has been very tough on paper against backcourt players in general, the level of involvement Haliburton should have Monday gives him a chance to power through any difficulties and still deliver a strong return.
Mike Conley - PG, UTA vs. CHA ($6,000 DK; $5,800 FD)
Conley's production has been a bit up and down this season, but his modest mid-level salaries on both sites account for such. The veteran will come into Monday's game well-rested after getting Saturday night's contest against the Wizards off and has delivered at least 29 fantasy points on 10 occasions on DK and in nine instances on FD. The Hornets could certainly be facilitators of that caliber of return, as Charlotte has struggled defending backcourt players and PGs in general. The Hornets check in allowing the eighth-highest offensive efficiency to ones (25.8 percent), as well as the fifth-most DK (53.0) and fourth-most FD (51.3) points per game to the position. Moreover, it's worth noting Conley is currently draining a career-best 45.3 percent of his three-point shots, while Charlotte is conceding the third-highest three-point shooting percentage of any team on the road (38.3 percent).
Also consider: Donovan Mitchell ($9,700; $8,400)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
DeMar DeRozan - SF/PF, CHI vs. HOU ($9,300 DK, $8,900 FD)
Zach LaVine is projected to remain out for the Bulls on Monday due to COVID-19 protocols, and DeRozan sports a team-high 37.3 percent usage rate while averaging 48.8 DK/48.0 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor. DeRozan is typically an excellent play even when the Bulls are at full strength, but even more so against a Rockets team that's undoubtedly improving but still allowing the 3rd-highest offensive efficiency to small forwards (28.2 percent) and 51/49.7 fantasy points per game to PFs, while also ranking 25th in defensive rating (111.3) on the campaign. The fact DeRozan also comes in on a hot streak of scoring over 40 DK points in four straight (three of last four on FD) certainly helps make his case as well.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM vs. OKC ($6,700 DK; $6,900 FD)
Targeting the Thunder with power forwards has worked to perfection most of the season, and Jackson is certainly a player that could overdeliver on his reasonable mid-level salaries in the favorable matchup. OKC checks in allowing NBA-high 30.8 percent offensive efficiency to PFs, along with 51.3/49.8 fantasy points per game to the position for the season. Jackson scored 42.8/43.1 fantasy points in his one prior encounter with the Thunder this season, and although he comes in having generated a pair of sub-20-fantasy-point tallies on each site over the last three, those atypical tallies were due to foul trouble. On that note, the Thunder has elicited an NBA-low 3.3 personal fouls per game from PFs, allaying some concerns about Jackson on that front Monday.
Keldon Johnson - PF, SAS at LAC ($5,400 DK; $6,400 FD)
Johnson sports very reasonable salaries for a player who's delivered over 30 fantasy points on 11 occasions on DK and in nine instances on FD this season, and who's averaging 30.6 DK points in away contests as well. The emerging forward is averaging career bests across the board this season, and he boasts a blistering 46.1 percent success rate from three-point range. The Clippers are also allowing over 45 fantasy points per game on both sites to power forwards over the last 15 games while Johnson has been especially locked in of late, shooting 54.8 percent, including 60.0 percent from distance, in the last five games.
Also consider: Dillon Brooks ($6,400; $6,700)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Rudy Gobert - UTA vs. CHA ($9,200 DK; $9,400 FD)
Much like the Thunder have been helpless against power forwards on most nights, the same holds true for the Hornets against centers. Charlotte is allowing NBA-high 36.3 percent offensive efficiency to fives, along with NBA-high 61.1 DK/ 59.3 FD points per game to the position. The Hornets are also giving up an Eastern Conference-high 48.7 points in the paint per game, an area of the floor where 72.0 percent of Gobert's scoring originates from. The Stifle Tower also checks in averaging over 40 fantasy points per game on each site and is a virtual lock for the double-double bonus on DK, a feat he's already accomplished on 23 occasions.
Ivica Zubac - LAC vs. SAS ($4,900 DK; $5,500 FD)
Zubac is yet another player from the Spurs-Clippers clash that I like the prospects of Monday night at his salaries. The Spurs have been vulnerable to centers this season despite the presence of Jakob Poeltl down low, allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (33.9 percent) and over 55 fantasy points per game to the position on the season. Zubac's involvement on the offensive end can certainly fluctuate, but a matchup against a Spurs squad ranked in the bottom 10 in points in the paint allowed per game (48.1, including an NBA-high 57.3 over the last three) could help in that regard. Zubac's recent underwhelming showings -- he's scored under 20 fantasy points on each site in three of the last four -- should also help keep his rostering rate low Monday, making him an appealing option for tournaments.
Also consider: Christian Wood ($8,800; $8,200)
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