RADIO
John Brubaker highlights the top FanDuel and DraftKings NBA DFS lineup picks for 12/29/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers, and Happy (upcoming) New Year! I hope this week of NBA DFS has treated you well. I'm continuing to work on my NBA model, trying to gather more information to make sure all of you are as armed as possible going into each slate. Even with the small adjustments I've made so far, it seems to be working. I'm trying to implement different factors to separate cash options against GPP options. I'll continue to keep you all updated with the adjustments I make, and with all of that said, let's get to tonight!
Tonight we have a decent-sized slate, with nine games on tap. With now both FanDuel and DraftKings having multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates a bit differently to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can change during the day as well, so I'll do my best to update as news comes out!
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 12/29/21. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Eric Bledsoe - at BOS (FD: $5,500, DK: $6,400)
I'll start today's slate off with Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe had a rather solid outing on Monday, logging 15 points, six assists, and two rebounds as well as a steal in a matchup against Brooklyn. The night could have been better, though, with Bledsoe only logging 28 minutes and not playing at all in the fourth quarter. The Clippers will once again be without big names like Paul George and Reggie Jackson. This opens up value for Bledsoe who averages exactly one fantasy point per minute on both sites.
Anfernee Simons, vs UTA (FD: $3,700, DK: $4,300)
Relative to his ownership, Simons had a rough night on Monday logging just 11 points, a rebound, and two assists in 27 minutes. Despite the matchup being a rough one tonight against Utah, I feel compelled to go back to the well here. He should play somewhere in the 27-32 minute range tonight. With Portland coming into this one massively shorthanded with Jusef Nurkic, CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, and others out tonight, Simons averages 0.79 FanDuel points per minute and 0.83 DraftKings points per minute. I prefer him on FanDuel due to his dirt-cheap price, but I'll have shares on both sites for sure.
Joe Ingles, at POR (FD: $4,500, DK: $4,000)
Joe Ingles cracks the starting lineup with Donovan Mitchell out, creating a solid value opportunity against a poor Portland defense that comes into this matchup 23rd in shooting guard efficiency. My projections have Ingles playing roughly 30 minutes tonight, and he averages 0.77 FanDuel points per minute and 0.82 DraftKings points per minute. He's not expensive on either site, but with both the fantasy points per minute being higher and the price lower, Ingles is definitely a better play on DK.
Also consider: Devin Booker (FD: $7,600, DK: $8,400), Jordan Clarkson (FD: $6,100, DK: $5,800)
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FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Cam Reddish, at CHI (FD: $5,400, DK: $6,200)
Reddish has been killing it in the absence of Trae Young, especially on Monday where he logged 33 points, four rebounds, and two blocks against this same Chicago team. While Trae should return to the lineup tonight, the Hawks still have a laundry list of players out. This should open the door for Reddish to play 32+ minutes. Even with Trae Young on the floor, Reddish averages 1.32 FanDuel points per minute and 1.64 DraftKings points per minute with guys like John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among others off the floor. The matchup is tough, but his positive regression in usage in this situation should be enough for Reddish to hit value tonight.
Jimmy Butler, at SAS (FD: $8,500, DK: $9,300)
Jimmy Butler has been on fire since returning from a back injury, including a massive game last night against Washington where he logged 25 points, 15 assists, eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Butler and Duncan Robinson are the only two starters slated to play tonight's game for Miami, and with players like Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, and PJ Tucker off the floor, Butler averages 1.61 FanDuel points per minute and 1.57 DraftKings per minute. My early projections have him playing roughly 34 minutes tonight and getting a very strong matchup against the Spurs who come into this one ranked 25th in small forward efficiency. He's among my favorite "studs" tonight, but will tread with caution as Miami is on a back-to-back.
Justin Holiday, vs CHA (FD: $3,700, DK: $4,300)
A bit of a sneaky play here that I'd recommend for GPPs only. Holiday had a solid game on Sunday against the Bulls, logging 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He's only a 0.57 fantasy point per minute player on both sites but should play roughly 30 minutes tonight in a strong matchup against the Hornets tonight who allow the highest PPG and come into this one ranked 29th in small forward efficiency. This is another play I'd recommend on FanDuel due to his extremely cheap price.
Also consider: Larry Nance (FD: $5,700, DK: $5,400), Mikal Bridges (FD: $5,300, DK: $4,800)
FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Domantas Sabonis, vs CHA (FD: $8,400, DK: $10,700)
A safer play from the Pacers here as Sabonis is primed to have a huge night against the Hornets. Sabonis, a 1.22 FanDuel and 1.27 DraftKings point per minute player, should play around 35 minutes in a great matchup against the Hornets who rank 29th in both power forward and center efficiency. I can't believe the staunch difference in pricing here, and while I will most likely play him in cash on both sites, he's a must-play on FanDuel at his ridiculous price.
JaVale McGee, vs OKC (FD: $5,200, DK: $5,100)
JaVale will likely be one of the more popular players if not the most popular player on either site tonight. His price was rightfully raised after the news of Deandre Ayton being placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols, but there's still value in McGee. McGee averages 1.4 fantasy points per minute on both sites and should play anywhere between 22 and 25 minutes tonight. If he ends up logging closer to 25 minutes, he has slate-breaking upside, but I'd tread with caution in case he flops as he did on Monday.
Also consider: Mike Muscala (FD: $3,800, DK: $3,500), Myles Turner (FD: $7,200, DK: $7,400)
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