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FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Picks (12/16/17): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Jake Finnen highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 12/16/17, as well as a couple of sleepers to keep in mind while building your roster.

With eight games tonight, we have plenty of flexibility with our options. For the big name players that should exceed their projection tonight, Paul George is leading that charge with a $7,600 price tag, EVEN after playing 45 minutes last night. If Paul George plays, he should produce. If he does not play, Alex Abrines, Josh Huestis and Patrick Patterson will be decent value plays against the Knicks.

The competition is pretty scarce as far as who will the top scoring option for each category, so I'll do my usual thing and find those low-prices options that allows you to play everyone that needs to be played...James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Other than that, Jonas Jerebko, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns are in for high-usage games.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/16/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.

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FanDuel DFS Guards

Raymond Felton - PG, @ NYK ($3,800)

If you didn't notice, Russell Westbrook played 52 minutes last night and will most likely see a few less minutes tonight. I'd be surprised if Westbrook takes the whole night off but Felton will definitely see increased opportunities and Felton also a history of stepping up in key situations for his team. Felton is also an ex-Knick in Carmelo Anthony's return to Madison Square Garden. This game has so much emotion involved and Felton thrives in these games. For a low price, Felton has a ton of upside to make him worth gambling on.

Jeff Teague - PG, vs PHO ($6,400)

Sadly, Jeff Teague has been inconsistent this season. Luckily, the entire Timberwolves organization seems to to suffer from the same misfortune. Teague has not been nearly as bad on the court as his stat lines have seemed, but the Suns backcourt will have no chance of stopping Teague. The Timberwolves have shown flashes of promise all season and this is an easy matchup they should be able to reconfigure their bearings against. That starts with the point guard and Teague will get his chances all night.

Dion Waiters - SG, vs LAC ($5,300)

The Clippers backcourt is still struggling to find a defensive identity and this is just not a hard play. There are two shooting guards you should consider tonight. Dion Waiters and James Harden. Harden will be the most productive SG tonight and Waiters has the most upside against the best matchup. Waiters is capable of going off every night, but his streakiness should be noted. Regardless, this is one of those nights where both teams know it will come down to the backcourts.

Also Consider: Ricky Rubio - SG, @ CLE ($4,900)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Doug McDermott - SF, vs OKC ($3,900)

Doug McDermott has been great as a bench option, but his fantasy profile has only been relevant as off late. Although Michael Beasley tends to overshadow McDermott, but the latter still manages to make the most of his minutes through relentless offense. McDermott is in for a productive night if the Knicks decide to rest Kristaps Porzingis, which hopefully they will not do in Anthony's return, for entertainment's sake. For the player's sake, you can easily capitalize on the spacing of the Porzingis-less, Knicks offense.

P.J. Tucker - SF, vs HOU ($3,800)

The Rockets have been lighting it up lately and especially last night. P.J. Tuckers saw 25 minutes and should see across the board increases as a bench option on the end half of a back-to-back. With Paul and Harden generating offense, Tucker is seeing more open chances and is having one of his more efficient seasons from behind the arc. It's still not ALL that impressive but stat lines follow the law of averages and this game has the potential to be an outlier. He should get extra minutes and should rebound from his previous nights 1-for-4 from three.

Joe Johnson - SF, @ CLE ($3,500)

Joe Johnson only saw 14 minutes in his return to the rotation and grabbed three rebounds, but only three points. Not much was expected in his return and that's why this is a promising sign to build off. Even though it's the second night of a back-to-back, he has the chance to fill a gap left by the potentially injured Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. Joe Johnson will explode in one of these games and still has upside almost halfway in his seventeenth season, coming off an injury.

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

Kevin Love - C, vs. UTA ($8,000)

Remember a while back when I said that thing about Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert being hurt. Well on the opposite side of the spectrum, who will be able to guard Kevin Love in the low-post effectively? If Jonas Jerebko or even Joe Johnson is given that task, Kevin Love is going to need to be played. The other options at center as just as enticing options, but Kevin Love will get rebounds and he has the highest scoring capability of the bunch as well. The Jazz might slow things down, but without Gobert and Favors, Love will score regardless of pace.

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Samuel Basallo

is Returning on Sunday
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Sign Oliver Marmol to Two-Year Extension
Thomas White

is Diagnosed with Oblique Strain
Carmen Mlodzinski

to Compete for Starting Rotation Spot
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
Jacob Melton

is Returning on Sunday
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Nick Suzuki

Enjoys Three-Point Night Against Capitals
Rasmus Dahlin

Collects Three Points Saturday
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Joel Kiviranta

in Concussion Protocol
Joel Eriksson Ek

Available Sunday
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Mark Scheifele

Expected to Play Sunday
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
Adam Wilsby

Exits Early Versus Stars
Gage Goncalves

Hurt in Saturday's Loss
Russell Westbrook

Off Injury Report Sunday
Kawhi Leonard

Set to Play Against Pelicans
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Favorable DFS Option for COTA?
Donovan Mitchell

to Miss Third Straight Game
Joel Embiid

Sidelined Three Games with Oblique Injury
Cooper Flagg

Remains Sidelined Sunday
Darius Garland

Targeting Monday Debut with Clippers
Zion Williamson

Exits Early with Ankle Injury
Keyonte George

is Available to Play on Saturday
De'Anthony Melton

is Returning on Saturday
Draymond Green

is Available on Saturday
Keston Hiura

Exits After Getting Hit by Pitch
Leo De Vries

Exits Early on Saturday
Kyle Stowers

is Dealing with Minor Hamstring Strain
Cody Bellinger

Dealing With Back Injury
Corbin Carroll

Likely to be Ready for Opening Day
Vladislav Namestnikov

Out Week-to-Week
Nino Niederreiter

Recovering From Surgery
Colton Parayko

Doubtful for Sunday
Zach Benson

Activated From Injured Reserve
Anthony Cirelli

a Game-Time Decision Saturday
Roope Hintz

Remains Out Saturday
Andrei Kuzmenko

Out Week-to-Week After Meniscus Surgery
Starling Marte

Royals Agree With Starling Marte
Rafael Devers

Being Shut Down for 2-4 Days With Hamstring Tightness
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Hits Grand Slam in Grapefruit League Game
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Homers for First Spring Hit
Bryce Miller

Shut Down for Five Days With Side Soreness
Spencer Strider

Diminished Velocity a Cause for Concern?
Xander Bogaerts

Can Xander Bogaerts Play a Fully Healthy Season in 2026?
Jordan Beck

Can Jordan Beck Be a 20/20 Outfielder in 2026?
Otto Lopez

Profiles as a Projectable Middle-Infield Option in 2026
Alec Burleson

Carries a Safe Production Floor Heading into 2026
Luis Castillo

May Be Showing Signs of Decline Heading into 2026
Alex Lyon

Picks Up Victory Against Former Club
Mikko Rantanen

Likely to Miss More Than Two Weeks
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
Deni Avdija

Likely to Miss Another Game
Dallas Mavericks

Tyus Jones Set to be Waived by Dallas
Phoenix Suns

Cole Anthony Parts Ways with Phoenix
Quenton Jackson

Earns Three-Year Deal with Pacers
Mason Plumlee

Staying with Spurs For Remainder Of Season
Devin Booker

Targeting Return Tuesday Or Thursday
Keegan Murray

Out at Least Two Weeks
Tyler Myers

Not Expected to Play Saturday
Luke Hughes

Could Return Saturday
Oskar Sundqvist

Available Saturday
Uvis Balinskis

Exits Early Friday Night
Mark Scheifele

Vladimir Namestnikov Hurt in Friday's Loss
Norman Powell

Considered Week-to-Week
Jabari Smith Jr.

to Miss Game Vs. Heat
Kristaps Porzingis

Questionable Vs. Lakers
Draymond Green

On Track to Play Saturday
Lone'er Kavanagh

Set For UFC Mexico City Main Event
Brandon Moreno

Looks To Bounce Back
David Martinez

Set For UFC Mexico City Co-Main Event
Marlon Vera

In Dire Need Of Victory
King Green

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Zellhuber

Aims To Snap Two-Fight Skid
Felipe Bunes

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
George Pickens

Cowboys Not Interested in Trading George Pickens
Ashton Jeanty

Not in Line for Workhorse Role in 2026?
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek a Trade
Kyler Murray

Prefers to be Released
Derek Carr

"Strong Belief" That Derek Carr is "Very Serious" About Unretiring
Andy Dalton

Is Andy Dalton Available for a Trade?
Keith Mitchell

Making The Comfortable Return to PGA National
CFB

Chandler Morris Suing NCAA for Seventh Year of Eligibility
Chris Kirk

Searching for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Brooks Koepka

Making Third PGA Tour Start at Cognizant Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Steady Option at Cognizant Classic
Seamus Power

Seeking More Green in Florida
PGA

Haotong Li Back From a Break as Florida Stretch Starts
Stephan Jaeger

Trying to Put Four Rounds Together in Florida
PGA

Nico Echavarria Again Attempting to Make the Weekend
Patrick Fishburn

Looking for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown

Set for Cognizant Classic Debut
Michael Thorbjornsen

Looking to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Maxx Crosby

Raiders Expect Maxx Crosby to Return
Billy Horschel

Looks to Improve Season at Cognizant Classic
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.
Joe Highsmith

Returns to Defend at Cognizant Classic
Quinshon Judkins

Out of Walking Boot, Will be Ready for Training Camp
Breece Hall

Jets Will Use Franchise Tag on Breece Hall if Extension isn't Reached
Joel Dahmen

Needs Better Consistency Heading Into The Florida Swing
Daniel Berger

Looks to Improve Putting as PGA Tour Begins Its Florida Swing
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Plan to Release Kirk Cousins
Zach Ertz

Plans to Return for 14th Season
Davis Thompson

Struggling to Find Birdies as Florida Looms
Tom Kim

Not Quite Cutting It in 2026
Nicolai Hojgaard

Wants to Build Momentum from Scottsdale
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Returns After Extended Break for Florida Event
CFB

Gunner Rivers Follows His Father, Commits To North Carolina State
Will Zalatoris

Set to Make Tournament Debut at Cognizant Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

Trending Up at the Cognizant Classic
RANKINGS
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1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
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RANKINGS

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K
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