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It's Thursday, RotoBallers, and we've got a small, two-game slate tonight, but not just any two-game slate: the semifinals of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, featuring the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans.
The Bucks/Pacers game has the highest total with an over/under of 255.5 (as of 9:30 AM today), but the Lakers/Pelicans over/under isn't too shabby either at 230.5. The Pacers have been on a tear these last few games, and with Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Aaron Nesmith all hitting at least 40% of their 3-point attempts, the Pacers have the talent to outscore the Bucks from beyond the arc. Let's dig into the rest of the possibilities below!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/7/23. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Damian Lillard PG, MIL vs. IND ($9,000 DK, $9,200 FD)
Lillard has expressed his desire to win the NBA in-season tournament for players with lower salaries. At $9,000, his salary is over $2,000 less than Giannis on DraftKings. This may make him a popular choice, but I anticipate that Haliburton will also be a popular pick despite his price of $10,600 on DraftKings, which is $400 cheaper than Giannis.
That also means Lillard could be chalky, but I'm expecting there to be significant recency bias towards Haliburton, even at his price of $10,600 on DraftKings, which is $400 cheaper than Giannis. This is where DFS players' eyes will go when it comes to picking tonight's stud.
Tyrese Haliburton - PG, IND vs. MIL ($10,600 DK, $11,600 FD)
Tonight's total between the Pacers and Bucks is huge, so there will be no fading of Haliburton tonight. For those of you who are new here, in the last five games, Haliburton is averaging 36 minutes, 32 points, and 12 assists. In the Pacers' sole game versus Milwaukee this season, Haliburton averaged 38 minutes, 29 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists.
It'll be the Giannis and Haliburton show tonight, and I can't wait to watch!
Others to consider: - Bruce Brown PG, IND vs. MIL ($5,800 DK), D'Angelo Russell PG, LAL vs. NOP ($6,300 DK, $6,700 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James - SF/PF LAL vs. NOP ($9,800 DK, $10,600 FD)
James is questionable tonight, but I don't see him missing this semifinal game against the Pelicans. Players have been playing extended minutes during this tournament. While James's average minutes per game during the in-season tournament have been just over 31, he played 40 minutes in the Lakers' matchup against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
LeBron loves adding new records to his esteemed career, and winning the first-ever in-season tournament would be a feather in his cap that Father Time might not be able to deny.
Bruce Brown - PG/SF (DK), IND vs. MIL ($5,800 DK, $6,300 FD *SF only)
So many picks are obvious tonight that it's time to bring in a sleepy ringer in Bruce Brown. Haliburton can't be the only one scoring points for the Pacers tonight, with their implied total of over 125. Brown played 36 minutes during last Monday's 122-112 victory over the Celtics and finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
He put up solid all-around production during the in-season tournament win. Brown has extended his double-digit scoring streak to nine games and recorded multiple steals five times during that stretch. On average, he has 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes per game.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C, MIL vs. IND ($11,000 DK, $12,100 FD)
At $11,000 on DraftKings, the Greek Freak is just $400 more than Tyrese Haliburton and significantly lower in ownership. Between his perceived high price and the concern about Damian Lillard taking shots away from Giannis, I expect his ownership to stay lower tonight.
Watching the NBA's superstars getting excited about anything mid-season has been a revelation, and I expect Giannis to put up huge points tonight in anticipation of getting to the finals and possibly facing LeBron James and the Lakers.
Anthony Davis - C, LAL vs. NOP ($9,600 DK, $11,200 FD)
LeBron James is questionable tonight, and while I expect him to play, if he doesn't suit up or his minutes are being monitored, this will be an opportunity (once again) for the talented big man to step up and help the Lakers get to the finals of this year's in-season tournament.
In 20 games without James this season, Davis is averaging 27.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. With James, that average goes down a bit, but not as much as I thought: 25.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Either way, a strong game could be in order for Davis and the Lakers tonight versus the Pelicans.
Others to consider: - Zion Williamson PF/C, NOP vs. LAL ($8,400 DK, $8,300 FD), Brook Lopez C, MIL vs. IND ($6,100 DK, $6,600 FD)
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