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It’s great to be back in the swing of things in the NBA, RotoBallers. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I'm selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.
We have a star-studded slate on tap tonight, with DraftKings offering five games and FanDuel serving up eight games on the main slate. Choosing between Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, James Harden, and Alperen Sengun will be challenging, but that's where we find our edge to take down daily fantasy contests. We still need news on several key players, including Doncic, DeMar DeRozan, Norman Powell, Aaron Gordon, and Austin Reaves.
The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/1/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings and 6:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.
The five players mentioned in the intro paragraph are the guys I want to be exposed to: Jokic, Davis, James, Harden, and Sengun. Jokic and Davis offer the mega-ceiling, and while Jokic has more upside, he's also substantially more expensive. The Clippers aren't great at defending centers, allowing the tenth-most FPPG to the position this season. The Jazz, meanwhile, are allowing the most FPPG to Cs. Both bigs are in extreme smash spots.
LeBron is underpriced, plain and simple. He hasn't been reaching 5x value lately, but we have to be interested anytime we can get James under $10,000 in a favorable matchup. Harden continues to play heavy minutes at a high 30% usage rate for the Clippers, and he's in great form with games of 55 and 66 DK points over his last two. He only needs 46 DK points to hit 5x value, and I believe he'll get there against a Denver team that's allowing the seventh-most FPPG to PGs this season.
Sengun is my final core piece. The Thunder rank middle-of-the-pack against opposing centers, but one metric they struggle to prevent at the position is assists (the most assists allowed to Cs this season). Sengun has been playing exceptionally well lately, posting 66.5 and 55.5 DK points with 7 and 11 assists over his last two contests.
- Nikola Jokic, DEN @ LAC - C ($12,200 DK; $12,300 FD)
- Anthony Davis, LAL @ UTA - C ($10,700 DK; $11,200 FD)
- LeBron James, LAL @ UTA - PF/C ($9,800 DK; $9,400 FD)
- James Harden, LAC vs. DEN - PG ($9,200 DK; $9,600 FD)
- Alperen Sengun, HOU vs. OKC - C ($8,600 DK; $8,800 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.
Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar for players priced at $6,000 or less:
Value is pretty scarce on DraftKings tonight. There are appealing mid-range pieces, such as Ivica Zubac, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and Isaiah Hartenstein, but they don't qualify as "value" picks at their respective salaries. Instead, we'll dive into Spencer Dinwiddie, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, and a smattering of Clippers value.
Dinwiddie is a no-brainer as long as Doncic is out again. He's cheap, playing around 30 minutes per night and producing at a 1.04 FPTS/min rate over his last three contests. The Blazers are also a dream matchup, allowing the sixth-most FPPG to PGs this season. Amen Thompson needs just 28.5 DK points to hit 5x value; he has finished well over that mark in his last four games. The youngster put up 50.25 DK points last game, and while we should temper expectations against the stingy Thunder defense, he's still a great play at his salary.
Keyonte George isn't the most exciting play in the world, but he's a solid bet to finish at or around 5x value at his current salary. He holds the second-highest usage rate on the Jazz at 24.32%, and the Lakers allow the eighth-most FPPG overall. The final value pieces to highlight are Bamba, Jones Jr., and Mann on the Clippers. They remain shorthanded and get a solid matchup against a struggling Denver defense, so we'll take the value wherever we can get it.
Top Value Plays:
- Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL @ POR - PG ($4,400 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Amen Thompson, HOU vs. OKC - SG/SF ($5,700 DK; $6,700 FD)
- Keyonte George, UTA v. LAL - PG ($6,000 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Derrick Jones Jr., LAC vs. DEN - PF ($3,600 DK; $4,300 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
We already covered Harden and Dinwiddie in the "core" and "value" sections - they are among my favorite plays on the slate. Austin Reaves is a great third option at PG, as he's underpriced in a glorious matchup against the Jazz. He's questionable to play with a pelvic contusion, so keep an eye on his status and be ready to pivot to other options, such as Keyonte George, Fred VanVleet, and Shaedon Sharpe.
Top PG Options:
- James Harden, LAC vs. DEN ($9,200 DK; $9,600 FD)
- Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL @ POR ($4,400 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Austin Reaves, LAL @ UTA ($6,200 DK; $6,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Amen Thompson is the guy here. With his current play, he's still underpriced, and I like him as a tournament option in a difficult matchup against the Thunder. He has shown that he has 50+ DK point upside and will continue to rack up points and peripheral stats coming off the Houston bench. Terrance Mann, Cason Wallace, and Kris Dunn are uninspiring value plays, while Shaedon Sharpe is a solid mid-range option with upside.
Top SG Options:
- Amen Thompson, HOU vs. OKC ($5,700 DK; $6,700 FD)
- Austin Reaves, LAL @ UTA ($6,200 DK; $6,200 FD)
- Shaedon Sharpe, POR vs. DAL ($5,900 DK; $5,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
There is not much to love here outside of Amen Thompson. Mann, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, and Dalton Knecht are options, and I'd give the edge to Hachimura and Knecht as they're somewhat locked in for at least 30 minutes. Dillon Brooks, Julian Champagnie, and Quentin Grimes are additional pivots at the position, and I like Grimes the most from the trio, as he has scored 35.25 and 31.25 DK points over his last two contests.
Top SF Options:
- Amen Thompson, HOU vs. OKC ($5,700 DK; $6,700 FD)
- Quentin Grimes, DAL @ POR ($4,300 DK; $4,800 FD)
- Dalton Knecht, LAL @ UTA ($4,800 DK; $5,500 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Power forward is where we can start to get a little more excited. We have LeBron at the top of the board, and as mentioned in the "core" section, he's among my top plays on the slate. The "King" is too cheap for the upside he brings to the table in this matchup against the worst defense in the NBA.
Jones Jr. was also mentioned as a top option in the "values" section, so we'll focus our attention elsewhere. PJ Washington has finished over what he needs for 5x value in each of his last five games, scoring at least 43 DK points in three contests during that stretch. He'll continue to take on additional usage and fantasy production with Doncic out of the lineup, and it doesn't get much better than a matchup against the Jazz.
Top PF Options:
- LeBron James, LAL @ UTA ($9,800 DK; $9,400 FD)
- Derrick Jones Jr., LAC vs. DEN ($3,600 DK; $4,300 FD)
- PJ Washington - PF/C ($7,100 DK; $7,300 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Center is the most exciting and loaded position on the slate. Jokic, Davis, and Sengun look incredible at the top of the salary board, while we have very appealing mid-range options in Ivica Zubac, Deandre Ayton, and Isaiah Hartenstein. Jokic is my favorite, as he has the most straightforward path to the highest ceiling on the slate, but he's very expensive and may hamstring the rest of your lineup. I have zero issues getting to Davis and Sengun, and I believe this will be an excellent slate to go "double center" in lineups.
Hartenstein, Zubac, and Ayton have consistently scored around 40 DK points per game lately. All three have very similar ceilings, so I'm OK with mixing and matching them with the hope that one of them pops off for a monster game.
Top C Options:
- Nikola Jokic, DEN @ LAC ($12,200 DK; $12,300 FD)
- Anthony Davis, LAL @ UTA ($10,700 DK; $11,200 FD)
- Alperen Sengun, HOU vs. OKC ($8,600 DK; $8,800 FD)
- Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. DEN ($6,900 DK; $7,100 FD)
- Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC @ HOU ($7,000 DK; $7,800 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Celtics @ Cavaliers (o/u 233.5) FanDuel Only
- Lakers @ Jazz (o/u 228.5)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama. It doesn't feel great to fade two of the best players in the NBA, but here we are. Neither has posted a true "ceiling" game in a while, and the opportunity cost is too high, with players like Jokic, Davis, LeBron, and Harden being higher priorities on this slate.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite overall play on the slate: Nikola Jokic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: James Harden
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
- My favorite value play: Spencer Dinwiddie
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