Another small Thursday slate means limited options beyond the elite players. Hassan Whiteside ($9,200) is essentially a lock to terrorize the Lakers, so if you are able to fit him into your lineup, by all means do so. Additionally, Stephen Curry ($8,100) and Kevin Durant ($9,900) are likely to torch the hapless Nets, but in the event of a blowout, they may struggle to justify their respective price tags in just three quarters of action.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/22/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.

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DraftKings DFS Guards

Goran Dragic - PG, vs. LAL ($7,400)

With little help around him — outside of Whiteside — Dragic has taken on a large role in Miami, currently scoring 19.1 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The 30-year-old point guard has posted at least 40 Draftkings points in four of his last six games, averaging 22.8 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds over that span. He should be able to continue that trend on Thursday against a Lakers team that has struggled mightily against opposing point guards all season. Over the last two weeks, Eric Bledsoe, Derrick Rose, Darren Collison, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker have combined to average 24.8 points and 7.2 assists against the Lakers. At $7,400, Dragic isn’t particularly cheap, but with such a great matchup, he is one of the more enticing plays on this slate.

Klay Thompson - SG, @ BKN ($6,500)

Thompson’s 60-point performance from a couple weeks ago is certainly not the expectation, but the 26-year-old remains capable of catching fire on any given night. He is averaging 21.0 points on 51.2% shooting over his last five games, despite shooting below his 37.1% three-point percentage in four of those five contests. The Nets, Golden State’s Thursday night opponents, allow the most points per game, the seventh-highest field goal percentage and the fifth-highest three point percentage. The Warriors haven’t really been blowing teams out on the road, so Golden State’s starters could see normal minutes. However, Thompson is more likely to see the floor in the fourth in the event of a lopsided matchup than Curry, Durant or Draymond Green. Thursday night offers up a perfect opportunity for Thompson, who would easily outperform his $6,500 price tag if he can knock down a few shots from deep.

Austin Rivers - PG, vs. SA ($3,900)

Rivers saw an uptick in minutes when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute missed two games with a shoulder injury last week. Over those two games, the 24-year-old played a total of 72 minutes with 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. Now, with Blake Griffin set to miss several weeks, Rivers could be in line for another increase in playing time— especially if Doc Rivers were to implement some small ball against a Spurs team that has struggled to contain Golden State’s small-ball lineups over the past few years. While he only saw 22 minutes on Tuesday against the Nuggets, Rivers was pretty efficient, finishing with nine points, six assists and two steals. If he can get those minutes back up around 30, he could put up a really strong stat line against the Spurs, who have been surprisingly vulnerable against guards this year. At $3,900, Rivers is a low-risk, high-reward play.

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Kawhi Leonard - SF, @ LAC ($7,800)

This is not an ideal matchup for Leonard, as Mbah a Moute has done a nice job of limiting opposing small forwards this year. In fact, when these two teams met back in early November, Leonard managed just 14 points on 3-for-13 shooting with six rebounds and one assist. However, he did average 19.5 points on 15-for-29 shooting in two meetings last season. Plus, the two-time reigning defensive player of the year can contribute mightily even without his scoring touch. He has recorded six games with at least five steals this season, three games with multiple blocks and five games with double-digit rebounds— the Clippers are less dominant on the boards without Blake Griffin. Leonard has shot at least 50% in eight of his nine games played this month, with 23.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game over that span. Even if he breaks that streak, he still has a legitimate shot at 40 fantasy points.

Serge Ibaka - PF/C, @ NY ($5,900)

Ibaka’s offensive numbers are up across the board from last season, as the defensive-minded forward is scoring 14.9 points per game on .486/.422/.828 shooting. He is also averaging 6.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 0.5 steals. Ibaka has scored at least 38 Draftkings points in four of his last six games, including an 18-point, 10-rebound, five-block showing against the Nets this past Friday. He has totaled four blocks on three other occasions this month alone, and is currently 10th in that category among all NBA players. On Thursday night, the Magic will match up with an inconsistent Knicks team. Julius Randle, Marquese Chriss, Kenneth Faried and Thaddeus Young have all had success from the power forward position against the Knicks over the last week and a half. Ibaka should have no problem playing up to his $5,900 price tag.

Andre Iguodala - SF, @ BKN ($3,400)

Once a 20-point, go-to scorer for the Sixers, Iguodala has developed into a defensive-minded role player for the two-time reigning Western Conference champions. He won’t dazzle in any one category, but he has posted 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game this year. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Iggy almost always hovers around the 25-minute mark. Again, he won’t win you any money single-handedly with a 40-fantasy point showing, but he is a sure bet for 15 Draftkings points night in and night out, with the potential for more if the Warriors run away with the game. Look for Iguodala to fill up the stat sheet on Thursday, providing excellent roster flexibility in the process.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Al Horford - C, @ IND ($6,800)

Through 18 games with his new team, Horford is shooting a career-low 47.2% from the floor to go along with a career-low 6.8 rebounds per game. However, he is also currently riding a streak of three consecutive games with at least 40 Draftkings points. An appealing matchup against the Pacers, whose 47.6% rebound percentage is the second-worst mark in the league, awaits him on Thursday night. Indiana has yielded at least 10 rebounds to opposing big men in each of their last five games. Horford has added a three-point shot to his repertoire over the last couple of years. While he remains inconsistent from beyond the arc (1-for-8 on Tuesday), if he is able to heat up against a Pacers team that allows 10.3 three pointers made per game, then he could provide some extra fantasy value. Those who can’t or don’t want to spend up for Whiteside could look to Horford for solid production at a reasonable price.

Marreese Speights - PF/C, vs. SA ($4,000)

With a knee injury keeping Griffin out for several weeks, Speights is one of the guys needed to step up in his absence. While he is likely to share some of that available playing time with Mbah a Moute, Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass, Speights has proven the most reliable offensive asset of the four at this point. The 29-year-old has a double-double in each of his two games this season in which he has seen at least 20 minutes of action, so if he can crack the rotation a little more on Thursday (he played 17 minutes on Tuesday), he could be in line for another double-double. Plus, he managed 15 points and eight boards in just 18 minutes against the Spurs — Los Angeles’ opponent for Thursday night — back on Nov. 5. At just $4,000, Speights should put up solid numbers and is sure to provide extensive cap relief.

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