Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings and DraftPot - 12/26/15

Happy Christmas hangover day! If your Christmas was anything like mine, you spent it going to the bathroom a lot to check up on your FanDuel teams, only to disappointedly wonder how the Hell Tyreke Evans could score his first point with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Also, spending time with family. Let's get back to the things that matter - Daily Fantasy Basketball picks for Saturday!

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POINT GUARD

Kemba Walker - FD 7700 DK 7000
Opponent - MEM FD Proj. Pts - 33.01 DK Proj. Pts - 34.72
Ready to keep the steadiest hand ever? Walker has been awful in his last 3 games on these prices, but there's something the fantasy point totals are omitting - the opportunity. He's played 41 or more minutes in 4 straight games - leading the NBA during that stretch. So why the terrible fantasy totals? A little case of the run-bads from the field. He's shot 33% in his last 3 games. When that normalizes around his career levels, I suspect his price will jump with it. Memphis has allowed the 10th most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, so this seems like as good a time as any for it to bounce back.

Patrick Beverley - FD 4200 DK 4700
Opponent - NOP FD Proj. Pts - 22.05 DK Proj. Pts - 24.81
Same story, different day. It's redundant to write this basically every day, but while Beverley is priced this way and playing 30 minutes, he's got one of the highest points per dollar floors out there. He's been fairly bad in 2 of his last 3 games, but the minutes are still where they were when he reeled off a long stretch of 5x+ points per dollar on these prices. Today he'll get the Pelicans of New Orleans, who have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Easy 50/50 play, though I'm not sure there's tons of upside here.

On FanDuel, I like Brandon Knight against the Sixers. On DraftKings, I'll go with Isaiah Thomas, even if his usage has been down in the last couple of games.

Also considered: Jameer Nelson, assuming he's playing. Also, Ish Smith will be a must play if he winds up starting for Philly. Keep a close eye on that one.

SHOOTING GUARD

Allen Crabbe - FD 4200 DK 4600
Opponent - CLE FD Proj. Pts - 20.58 DK Proj. Pts - 22.63
If Lillard is out again (and it looks like that will be the case), it'll mean we'll get another 30 minute night out of Allen Crabbe. Crabbe has a good game (19 FanDuel Fantasy points), a great game (26.5 FFPS), and a bad game (13.4 FFPS) in his last three games in this role. Our projection system figures you can split the difference there, and pencil him in for a 5x points per dollar performance against a Cleveland backcourt that lacks an interested/competent defender.

Eric Gordon - FD 5000 DK 5000
Opponent - HOU FD Proj. Pts - 22.28 DK Proj. Pts - 24.58
If there's one thing our projection system is crystal on today, it's this - it's a day to go cheap at shooting guard. James Harden's price has gotten untenable (on FanDuel, at least), and a lot of the mid-range guys have their own concerns. That leaves us with guys like Eric Gordon. Gordon has been playing 33+ minutes per night recently, and has averaged 25 FanDuel fantasy points per game in his last three games. I'd guess that he'll draw James Harden tonight, leaving Patrick Beverley to chase around the on-ball Tyreke Evans. Harden has left to rest the "his defense is really coming along!" narrative - the Rockets have allowed the 7th most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season. I like Gordon everywhere.

Avery Bradley - FD 5200 DK 5200
Opponent - DET FD Proj. Pts - 24.68 DK Proj. Pts - 26.68
The Celtics are an incredibly weird team to try and project, but I like Avery Bradley here based on his minutes and usage in the last two games. The Pistons have allowed the 11th most fantasy points to opposing two guards this season, and they are prone to rotation lapses that can leave some open looks. With Bradley featuring prominently at the moment, and a big scary guy protecting the rim down low, I think it could be a big Avery Bradley performance tonight.

Also considered: Gerald Green, who's playing high 20s minutes and is likely to play more after D-Wade played an overtime game on Christmas.

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SMALL FORWARD

LeBron James - FD 10400 DK 10000
Opponent - POR FD Proj. Pts - 48.75 DK Proj. Pts - 50.68
Here's a solid big money option. LeBron was kind of a let down against Golden State for fantasy purposes on Christmas, but he'll have a nice match-up today with Aminu and the Blazers. While the Blazers have been pretty solid against small forwards this season, one only need think back to their POR/CLE game from earlier this season to know why this recommendation should stick. LeBron dominated the Trail Blazers' in every phase of the game last time around, putting up 33/10/3/3/2 en route to a 57.5 FanDuel fantasy point performance. I'd be happy to play LeBron in any format, though he's more of a 50/50 play based on his recent usage.

Kawhi Leonard - FD 8900 DK 8600
Opponent - DEN FD Proj. Pts - 39.97 DK Proj. Pts - 41.57
Paul George - FD 9100 DK 9100
Opponent - MIN FD Proj. Pts - 41.9 DK Proj. Pts - 44.57
George has seen his price come back down to Earth due to an unreal recent shooting slump (1/14 against the Spurs, for instance), but in the absence of any health-related news, I think we have to assume he's the same guy we saw earlier this season. It's essentially a league average match-up with the Timberwolves here, so nothing much to see here other than a chance to grab George in a buyer's market across the industry. As for Leonard, he's been good on these prices and has a nice match-up with the Nuggets, who have allowed the 10th most fantasy points to opposing threes this season. Throw in the likelihood that some of the big boys will be resting today, and he's a great play.

Tobias Harris - FD 6400 DK 6500
Opponent - MIA FD Proj. Pts - 30.41 DK Proj. Pts - 31.98
Harris is locked into a 35+ minute rotation in games that stay close, and he's paid 5x points per dollar or better in 3 of his last 4 contests. While Deng and Winslow have strong defensive reputations, the Heat have allowed a league average fantasy total to opposing small forwards this season in spite of playing the league's 2nd slowest PACE. A high floor here, but the reduced possessions may limit the upside.

On FanDuel, Jeff Green is still a phenomenal value.

POWER FORWARD

Anthony Davis - FD 10400 DK 10200
Opponent - HOU FD Proj. Pts - 53.63 DK Proj. Pts - 54.49
My best Christmas present? Riding Anthony Davis as a 9% play in double ups on Christmas to the tune of 64 FanDuel fantasy points. Davis absolutely worked Chris Bosh and the Miami front-court, and played 45 minutes in regulation. He might play fewer minutes than those tonight, but he'll also be up against a Houston team with no natural match for his mid-range/inside game combination. Houston has gotten torched for the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season, and I think we see another huge game out of Brow here.

Pau Gasol - FD 8900 DK 7500
Opponent - DAL FD Proj. Pts - 39.51 DK Proj. Pts - 40.15
Taj Gibson - FD 4700 DK 4900
Opponent - DAL FD Proj. Pts - 25.34 DK Proj. Pts - 25.75
So much damned value out of the Chicago big men today. Gasol put up 45+ fantasy points on Christmas, and Gibson paid 6x points per dollar on his number. That was against OKC, who's allowed a bottom 5 total of fantasy points to opposing big men this season. Today they'll have the Mavs, who have allowed the 11th most FPs to opposing PFs. Great play in all formats, the both of em. And heck, you can also consider Bobby Portis, even if he only plays 20 minutes again.

Kristaps Porzingis is an interesting tournament play on FanDuel, where he's still pretty affordable.

CENTER

Kelly Olynyk - FD 4100 DK 5000
Opponent - DET FD Proj. Pts - 27.23 DK Proj. Pts - 28.82
If he's going to play 30 minutes, I'm not sure what else you're supposed to do here. He's been good for better than a fantasy point per minute as a member of the starting line-up. He should play 30 minutes, and he's $4,100 on FanDuel. I'll play him positively everywhere if he's back in the starting line-up for Amir Johnson.

Karl-Anthony Towns - FD 7600 DK 6900
Opponent - IND FD Proj. Pts - 38.36 DK Proj. Pts - 39.03
Gorgui Dieng - FD 5300 DK 5500
Opponent - IND FD Proj. Pts - 25.98 DK Proj. Pts - 26.38
You can have your pick of Timberwolves centers, today! Towns and Dieng have figured out a way to coexist on the court together, playing a combined 64 minutes in each of their last two games. Towns is the electric upside guy, and Dieng is the steady double-up guy. The Pacers have turned into a fast team - playing the 7th fastest PACE in the league - and they've also allowed the 6th most fantasy points to opposing big men this season. Love either of these fellas today.

Also considered: Jahlil Okafor against the super fast paced Suns. I might wind up going with him for 50/50s if Olynyk isn't starting for some reason. Lots of possessions means big upside, there.

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