Daily Fantasy DraftKings and FanDuel NBA Picks - Friday, December 29, 2023

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Point Guard/ Shooting Guard

De'Aaron Fox FD - $10300 DK - $9400
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 52.96 DK - 56.32

Trae Young FD - $10200 DK - $9900
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 51.47 DK - 56.7

Kings and Hawks have, by far, the highest implied total on this slate with a 251.5 total at the time of this writing. That is 10-15 points higher than basically every other game going. It’s going to be a spot to target and what better way to start than with the two point guards?

De'Aaron Fox and Trae Young are both pretty expensive at this point, so we will need to find savings elsewhere, but that should be a massive issue with the way the slate is shaping up.

Fox has improved on last season, which is saying something, and he is averaging 30 points on 49/40/74 shooting splits. The Hawks have the fourth-worst defensive efficiency in the league and run the fourth-fastest pace as well. It’s just such a smash spot for all of the Kings with Fox leading the way.

Meanwhile, Trae Young gets almost as good a matchup with the Kings running the eighth-fastest pace and playing the 22nd-ranked defensive efficiency. Trae has played 40 or more minutes in the last three games and Atlanta is desperately trying to keep their season relevant.

He’s taken 20+ shots in five of his last eight and is averaging 30 points and 12 assists over the last month. This could be another great game.

Tyrese Maxey FD - $8400 DK - $9000
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 45.25 DK - 48.88

At $8400 on FanDuel, Tyrese Maxey still hasn’t been fully price-corrected for Joel Embiid out of the mix. The matchup against the Rockets isn’t a good one, considering they are slow and pretty efficient on defense, but Maxey is a favorite to get up 20 shots in this game. And even if the efficiency dips with Embiid off the court, the minutes and usage in a close game should be more than enough to justify rostering him in cash on FD.

If Donovan Mitchell were to sit again then Craig Porter Jr. (FD 6500 DK 6600) is a cash game play once again even with the price steadily climbing.

Small Forward

Jalen Johnson FD - $6100 DK - $6300
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 36.32 DK - 38.24

Jalen Johnson is fully back in the fold for the Hawks after missing extended time with injury, and the minutes floor should be pretty high for him here against the Kings. He played 29 in his first game back, going for 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. We should see that number tick up into the mid-30s, and he’s a solid FanDuel play, all things considered. Even in his first game back, he saw solid ownership. I suspect it is the case once again.

Tari Eason FD - $6200 DK - $6300
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 35.8 DK - 36.72

Jae'Sean Tate FD - $3800 DK - $4500
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 21.16 DK - 21.59

The Rockets are now without Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. in the starting lineup, and that should open up plenty of minutes for some of their young wings. I’m expecting Tari Eason and Jae’Sean Tate to draw the starts here, with the latter getting the nod last game when Brooks sat. We will have to keep an eye on this because the Rockets do have Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, and Amen Thompson as well, so there are different ways for them to go.

Clearly, Tari Eason is the real fantasy prize here, considering how much he can pile it on in even a limited run off the bench. He’s averaging 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks + steals in just 21.5 minutes per game this season. A bump of that number closer to 30, and he’s an easy play even in the $6K range on both sites.

Power Forward/ Center

Kyle Kuzma FD - $7500 DK - $8000
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 40.55 DK - 44.98

The Nets and Wizards game should feature plenty of scoring here, with neither team seemingly all that interested in playing defense this season. Brooklyn ranks 23rd, and the Wizards rank dead last at 30th in defensive efficiency. It could produce some bigger lines, though these teams tend to spread out the fantasy love. Of all the Wiz guys, Kuzma is likely the “safest” at his price points though he’s struggled of late for sure. That’s kept the salary in check, and I think we are buying a bit on the low side.

Paul Reed FD - $5900 DK - $5300
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 30.87 DK - 32.32

Joel Embiid will sit again, and Paul Reed will draw the start for the third game in a row. The first time out, on Christmas, it was a bit of a mess and he ceded a ton of run to Mo Bamba. But things snapped back into shape last game, with Reed running 32 minutes and finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four blocks+steals. The DraftKings price is much too low if you think he runs close to 30 again.

If you think they can stay on the court, then Jarrett Allen (FD 8300 DK 7900) and Dean Wade (FD 5400 DK 5000) are interesting playing against the Bucks on Friday.