December 23, 2016

The top DraftKings daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for 12/23/16 by Justin Bales. Expert NBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings.

We have a huge slate tonight, as the NBA is preparing for Christmas. That means we have a ton of great options for varying price tags. It's always interesting to see whether people like to use a scrubs and stars lineup or a lineup filled with moderately priced players. Both options seem feasible tonight.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 12/23/16. 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 @BalesSJustin.

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DraftKings DFS Guards

John Wall – PG, @MIL ($9,100) 

John Wall has been playing at an elite level for quite some time, but his price tag does not represent that. He’s averaging 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 2.8 steals per game over the last 10 days. He also gets a solid matchup against the Bucks, who he scored more than 50 fantasy points against in their only matchup this season. Wall should continue to exceed value at his current price tag, and he can be used in all leagues tonight.

Kyle Lowry – PG, @UTA ($7,400)

Kyle Lowry saw his price drop for this game because he gets a terrible matchup against the Jazz. Lowry has been an extremely consistent option this season, though, as he is generally scoring 40 or more fantasy points on a nightly basis. He’s a huge part of the Raptors offense, and he can contribute in multiple categories. The matchup is less than ideal, but Lowry can safely be used in all leagues at his current price tag.

Patrick Beverley – PG, @MEM ($5,800)

Patrick Beverley has looked outstanding recently, as he has nearly triple doubled in two of his last four games. He scored 44.75 and 41.75 fantasy points in those games, respectively. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 10.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is a fairly safe option because of his ability to score in multiple categories, but he does get a tough matchup against the Grizzlies. Beverley is still cheap enough to be used in all leagues.

DraftKings DFS Forwards

LeBron James – SF, vs BKN ($10,100) 

It took entirely too long, but LeBron James is finally more than $10,000 on DraftKings. He has been on fire recently, as he’s averaging 28.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 50 or more fantasy points in seven of his last nine games, including a huge 79.75 fantasy point performance against the Hornets. He gets an elite matchup against a weak Nets defense, and James can be used in all leagues tonight.

Jon Leuer – PF, vs GS ($5,000)

Jon Leuer has been a big part of the Pistons team this season, and there is talk that he could slide into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. He has looked great since returning from injury, as he’s averaging 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, in 28.1 minutes per game over his last four games. He gets a good matchup against a fast paced Warriors team that has struggled against the power forward this season. Leuer has been playing well enough to be used in all leagues on this slate.

Luol Deng – SF, @ORL ($4,900)

Luol Deng recently started at power forward for the Lakers, and he will again tonight if Julius Randle is ruled out. That could give Deng a few more opportunities for rebounds, and he looked good at power forward last night. Regardless of his position, he will be locked into big minutes, and he has been playing extremely well for the Lakers over his last few games. He gets a decent matchup against the Magic tonight, and Deng can be used in all leagues for his low price tag.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Pau Gasol – C, @POR ($5,600)

It was difficult to choose between Pau Gasol and Mason Plumlee, but ultimately, I chose the former. Gasol hasn’t been playing big minutes for the Spurs, but he has been extremely consistent, and he has also flashed good upside. Gasol is contributing in multiple categories, which is great for a center in the NBA. He gets a matchup against a fast paced Blazers team, and he should see plenty of opportunities for fantasy points tonight. He is playing well enough to be used in all leagues.

Montrezl Harrell – PF/C, @MEM ($4,500)

Montrezl Harrell drew the start in the Rockets last game because of the injury to Clint Capela. Harrell played 28 minutes and scored 17 points with three rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in that game. He will likely draw the start again tonight, and he has played well when given the minutes in his career. He’s a high energy player, and he gets a decent matchup against the Grizzlies tonight. Harrell may be best suited for tournaments, though.

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