RADIO
Jake Finnen highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 12/30/17, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
In the seven games being played tonight, most feature some of the league's more susceptible defenses. The Pelicans, Hawks, Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Magic rank among the bottom 10 when it comes to Defensive Rating. It doesn't mean they will get dominated tonight, it just means that those teams have significant weakspots on defense that can be exploited for fantasy purposes. Don't worry, we'll get there.
Tonight, the 76ers will be without Joel Embiid, so look for Dario Saric and Trevor Booker to be in for big nights. Other than that, DeMarcus Cousins is coming off a big game and is taking on the Knicks frontcourt. The Knicks may be ranked as one of the top defenses against Centers and Power Forwards, but everyone knows when Boogie or Anthony Davis get's rolling, it doesn't matter who is defending them. Since "Fire" took care of the workload last night, expect Anthony Davis do hold his own tonight.
Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 12/30/17. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Jarrett Jack - PG, at NOP ($4,400)
Of the two games that have my attention tonight, the Knicks-Pelicans game will be one of the higher scoring contests. The Knicks will be taking on the Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back, not to mention the Pelicans guards struggle against everyone. New Orleans has no trouble on the offensive end, but the backcourt will have its hands full trying to contain Jarrett Jack while both bigs have their hands full with Enes Kanter and Kristaps Porzingis. Both player will burn you if you do not emphasize locking them down. Before getting lost in what forward to play in this game, think of who will be dishing out all the assists. This value play COULD be better, but Jack should still exceed his projected.
Elfrid Payton - PG, vs MIA ($7,600)
Elfrid Payton has one negative aspect to his game and it's his scoring. BUT someone might point out that averaging 22 points a game over the last week proves me wrong. Seeing how I'm not wrong, and Payton scores most of his points in the paint, he is clearly benefitting from the Nikola Vucevic injury. Until Payton shows signs of slowing down, you are going to want to jump on his bandwagon because he will be racking up triple-doubles, it's only a matter of time.
Marco Belinelli - SG, vs POR ($3,500)
This is just one of those plays that if it hits, it saves your night. Playing Marco Belinelli means you are hoping he has one of his vintage shooting nights. Other than that, you cannot expect much from the veteran. Luckily, I'm banking on him shooting over the Trail Blazers backcourt all friggin' day. His price is so low for what he is capable of and assuming he continues to get the minutes tonight, he's going to be productive.
Other DFS Guards to Consider: Donovan Mitchell - SG, at UTA ($7,500)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Doug McDermott - SF, at NOP ($3,500)
This is a similar play to Belinelli, but Doug McDermott contributes elsewhere and is able to get to the rim on his drives which add another element to his game. With the Pelicans defense giving up so many points, you have to assume the Knicks will try and work the ball around as much as possible. That means finding shooters and letting them get to their spots. Seeing how the top scorers on this team not names McDermott prefer the mid-range and low-post, it give McDermott all the spacing he needs up top and on the wings. Production from the Knicks tends to be sketchy, but they combination of backcourt playmaking and frontcourt power gives the wings in New York as many opportunities as they want each game.
Trey Lyles- PF, vs PHI ($5,700)
Few players have come on as strong as Trey Lyles has the past two weeks. Crazy efficiency and averaging 18 points and eight boards a game over the past week. His price is starting to reflect his upside, but his ability to hit multiple threes has yet to be accounted for. With his potential and minutes, Lyles is always going to be a good play until Paul Millsap is fully recovered. If Lyles continues to play as well as he has, the Nuggets should have no problem easing Millsap back, while Lyles shoulders the frontcourt weight with Nikola Jokic.
Other DFS Forwards to Consider: Al-Farouq Aminu - PF, at ATL ($5,100)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Jusuf Nurkic - C, at ATL ($6,100)
Watching Jusuf Nurkic is infuriating. He flops and struggles to really find his rhythm every game. He's still a seven footer so his low-block turnaround game is still clearly his go-to, but he has shown multiple reasons why you shouldn't play him. He can go from fantasy king to fantasy fool in the matter of a half and this is something you need to take into consideration. With an inexperienced Hawks frontcourt, Nurkic should be drawing fouls up and down the court, but Portland may also decide to go more in the direction of up and coming Zach Collins. Collins has shown a decent bit of range and more physical versatility, but he's still young and inconsistent across the board. The Trail Blazers like to push the ball and if Nurkic struggles tonight, expect Collins to get the green light. While I will still play Nurkic based on his knack for drawing fouls and producing regardless of who is guarding him, do not be afraid to dabble in Zach Collins territory if you need a better value play at Center.
Other DFS Centers to Consider: Enes Kanter- C, at NOP ($6,100)
