FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Saturday, 12/21/19

While it's the holiday season, these players have not been rewarded with health. We've been bombarded by injuries over the past couple weeks and it's opened up a ton of value on these last two slates. While it was mostly Toronto on Friday, we're going to take advantage of other injuries here. There are also two games being played before the 7ET slate but we're going to go ahead and avoid those since they're not a part of the main slates. With that in mind, let's get into it!

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Point Guard

Ben Simmons FD - $7900 DK - $8200
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 44.82 DK - 43.74

While Simmons is a guy who can disappoint, we absolutely love his athleticism in a matchup like this. Let's begin with that opposition, facing a Washington club who sits dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. That doesn't even take into consideration that they surrender the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards and Simmons should be able to stuff the stat sheet at ease against these guys. That was evident in their last meeting, collecting 17 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on 80 percent shooting. 

George Hill FD - $4400 DK - $4400
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 22.86 DK - 23.22

With Eric Bledsoe out for another week or so, Hill should continue to see big minutes at point guard. Over his last five games, Hill is averaging 24 DK points across 24.2 minutes of action. That equates to 5.5X value and it's scary to think how good he could be against this team if he reaches the 29 minutes he played in the most recent outing. The Knicks currently sit 25th in defensive efficiency and Hill could receive some extra run off the bench in what's expected to be a lopsided result. 

Dejounte Murray has been much better recently and remains in consideration in the $6,000-range.

Shooting Guard

James Harden FD - $11100 DK - $11600
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 61.48 DK - 64.28

Harden is always a good play and we have to love that his price dropped after a disappointing performance on Thursday. It actually dropped more than $500 which is truly miraculous considering he still finished with 47 fantasy points. That emphasizes just how dominant this guy has been, averaging 39.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.2 steals over his last 22 games. Getting that guaranteed 60 fantasy points into your lineup is hard to overlook at any price and we can't overlook the fact that he faces a 23rd-ranked Suns defense too. 

Bruce Brown Jr. FD - $4700 DK - $4900
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 26.04 DK - 25.47

With Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard and Blake Griffin all injured, Brown has become one of the best values in DFS. Over his last six games, Brown is averaging 28.8 DK points across 25 minutes of action. That's an incredible rate and he actually posted similar numbers earlier in the year in an almost identical circumstance. The simple fact is, this dude is starting at point guard in these players absences and is being forced into a stat-stuffing role. We absolutely love this increase in role and production in a game that's expected to be close between two bad teams. 

Donte DiVincenzo has been starting for the Bucks recently and could see big minutes against the Knicks. 

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes FD - $4500 DK - $5300
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 27.71 DK - 28.46

Barnes is not someone that I want to trust for DFS purposes but this $4,500 price tag on FanDuel is laughable. We're talking about a guy who's averaging 27 fantasy points across 35.4 minutes a game for the year. Those are usually numbers that you see from a player in the $6,000's and it's truly hard to understand this reasoning for the price tag. What makes it even more bizarre is the fact that he's been better recently, averaging 27.7 FanDuel points across 37 minutes over his last 13 fixtures. All of that makes him a great play against anyone but facing a 26th-ranked Grizzlies defense is simply a bonus. 

Markieff Morris FD - $4300 DK - $5500
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 29.97 DK - 31.26

With Griffin and Kennard expected to miss this game, Morris should make another start. Whenever Morris does start, he usually averages double-digit shots and 30 minutes of play. That's all we can ask for from a player below $4,000 on FanDuel and it's clear that they're pricing is a bit off on this slate. Before posting a dud in his last game, Morris averaged 29 DK points in 30 minutes of action over his previous two games and is now averaging 24 fantasy points per game across his last six starts. That's stellar news against a Bulls team who owns a 28th OPRK against opposing small forwards this season.  

If Joel Embiid sits out in the second half of a back-to-back set, Tobias Harris becomes one of the best plays on the board. 

Power Forward

Kawhi Leonard FD - $9100 DK - $8500
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 49.58 DK - 49.93

Revenge game narratives are always dangerous but we really like the price of Leonard right now. This is a guy who was in the five-figure range early on and his price has steadily been dropping since Paul George entered the void. While the production has matched the price drop, he's still plenty good at this price. In fact, the Claw is still averaging 47 DK points per game for the year and has yet to score fewer than 32 fantasy points in any game this season. Kawhi showed just how important is what to face his former team earlier this season, collecting 38 points and 12 rebounds while taking a season-high 32 shots. If he gets 32 shots against this 21st-ranked defense again, Leonard could be the highest-scoring player on the slate. 

Davis Bertans FD - $6000 DK - $7000
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 35.41 DK - 37.2

With so many Wizards injured right now, Bertans has found himself firing up threes at will. In fact, Bertans has attempted at least 12 three-pointers in six of his last eight games while averaging 34.5 DK points per game across his last nine outings. That's fantastic production and it should continue as long as he keeps getting up that many shots while playing 33 minutes a game. While Philly does have a good defense, the lack of depth on this roster should make Bertans a near guarantee for 30 minutes and double-digit shots yet again. 

Lauri Markkanen has been much better recently and gets a great matchup against the Pistons. 

Center

Andre Drummond FD - $9600 DK - $10300
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 53.67 DK - 53.67

With Griffin expected to miss this game, Drummond is one of the best plays on the board. In the first 10 games without BG this season, Drummond averaged 21.2 points, 18 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. That's easily his best stretch of the season and it's no surprise that all of his numbers jump with Griffin's 31 percent usage rate on the bench. Getting to face the Bulls is the icing on the cake, with Chicago allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. In the last game against Chicago without Griffin, Drummond had 25 points, 24 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks, if you need any more incentive. 

Brook Lopez FD - $4600 DK - $4400
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 29.64 DK - 28.05

These price tags are crazy. While Lopez has been struggling a bit this season, he should still be above $5,000 on both sites. This is a guy who's already averaging nearly 25 fantasy points per game this season which equates to 6X value. Lopez actually dropped 31.5 DK points across 33 minutes in his last game and that's the second time he's scored over 30 fantasy points in the last week. That's no surprise from a guy who's had 40-point averages in the past and he should continue to see an increased role with Bledsoe sidelined. Not to mention, he gets to face a 25th-ranked Knicks defense here. 

Hassan Whiteside and Karl-Anthony Towns face one another and that's good news for both with each guy playing subpar defense. 

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