Daily Fantasy DraftKings and FanDuel NBA Picks - Wednesday, December 20, 2023

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Point Guard/ Shooting Guard

Donovan Mitchell FD - $10200 DK - $10000
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 57.73 DK - 60.38

With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out of the mix for the Cavs because of injury, a massive amount of the scoring load has fallen on Donovan Mitchell’s shoulders and he taking a ton of shots in the short-term. Spider has taken 21 or more in each of the last four games, averaging 30 points a game in that stretch.

He’s also dialed up the assists as well and it just essentially the offensive hub for this team right now. The price is climbing, but in a matchup against the Jazz, it isn’t all the way there and he can still be played in cash games.

Fred VanVleet FD - $8400 DK - $8600
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 42.21 DK - 45.36

The Rockets get one of the best DFS matchups around, facing off against the Hawks who rank 27th in defensive efficiency and third in pace. It should be a massive uptick for the Rockets guys here and the 235 over/under is one of the highest you’ll see Houston have all year.

VanVleet is a candidate to play huge minutes in close games, having run 39+ in basically every game over the last month. Few other players have that type of floor, well, on the floor. I suspect he’s a popular play on this slate because of the matchup.

Considerations:

Alex Caruso (FD 5300 DK 5100) could be in play here seeing as how value plays might be few and far between. Pricing has tightened on both sites and guys in this $5K range who play 30+ minutes are looking a bit more valuable now.

We are going to mention other Rockets and along with them, Jalen Green (FD 6200 DK 6400) is definitely in play against the Hawks.

Small Forward

DeMar DeRozan FD - $8100 DK - $8100
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 42.81 DK - 44.22

Without Zach Lavine the Bulls are still relying on DeMar DeRozan a ton and he comes in with a higher floor on a near-nightly basis at this point. DDR has run 39 or more minutes in five of his last eight games, averaging 24 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and more than two blocks + steals in that stretch. If anything, he’s run a little bad from the field in that stretch and the scoring could even make some strides here. I don’t love the matchup against the Lakers, but I still like the price.

Max Strus FD - $5900 DK - $6600
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 34.33 DK - 37.13

Isaac Okoro FD - $5100 DK - $5100
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 26.12 DK - 26.76

As mentioned with Donovan Mitchell, there is a lot of opportunity in the Cavs lineup right now with both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley on the shelf. That’s mean more usage for Max Strus who’s taken 13+ shots in three of his last four games. Now, he’s shot poorly in that stretch which is driving the scoring down, but the looks are there and should continue to be with how hard up the Cavs are for offense without two of their stars. I like the price on both sites where Strus is concerned.

Meanwhile, Okoro has run 32 minutes in each of the last two games since joining the starting lineup for the injured Mobley. The numbers have been more than solid, averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists, and five rebounds. The shooting is a bit run hot, especially from beyond the arc, but he scores fantasy points across the box score so I think the floor is pretty high here.

Power Forward/ Center

Alperen Sengün FD - $8300 DK - $8600
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 50.49 DK - 53.33

It will be tempting and likely correct to stack Rockets on this slate wherever possible because the matchup against the Hawks is basically as good as you’ll find here on Wednesday. Alperen Sengun is the clear payup on this squad, seeing as how he’s having a breakout campaign in his third season.

Sengun is averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, 5.3 assists, and two blocks + steals per game. Dollar-for-dollar he’s one of the best fantasy assets around right now and playing Atlanta should have him as a building block when starting cash games.

Jabari Smith Jr. FD - $6400 DK - $6100
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 33.66 DK - 36.37

To go with Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun, I think you can also consider Jabari Smith Jr. here as well. Foul trouble has buzzed off his minutes in each of the last three games, but it sure seems like the plan is to run him 30+ when things are close. He had five straight double-digit rebound games before falling off a bit over the last week and he’ll get up double-digit shot attempts when the getting is good. The price on DraftKings is particularly attractive.

Isaiah Jackson FD - $5800 DK - $5700
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 39.64 DK - 39.05

If Isaiah Jackson draws the start for Myles Turner again, then he’s definitely a cash game play one more time even with the price hike. Jackson played 25 minutes in the role last game against the Clippers, finishing with 15 points and four rebounds. That’s at the low end of expected production on these kinds of minutes considering his season averages, and Charlotte would represent a much easier matchup. We will have to keep an eye out for news on this one.