FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice: Monday (12/23)

Coming off a quiet Sunday, Monday’s schedule of games is a deep one that presents an 11-game slate with plenty of opportunities to find value and non-chalky plays. The Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, and Denver Nuggets are the only teams operating on a back-to-back. Tip-off locks at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel

Point Guard

Dejounte Murray (PG – SA): $6,000 at MEM
Since being re-inserted into the starting lineup, Murray has once again become a viable DFS option, though that was expected as he’s always been a strong per-minute producer. Murray has topped 32 FanDuel points in all of his last four contests and now faces the Memphis Grizzlies that rank 23rd in defensive rating and 6th in pace. The matchup for Murray is a strong one, provided he nears his 30-minute playing time mark.

Ish Smith (PG – WAS): $4,500 at NYK
Smith is coming off an absolute stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers but has otherwise been highly productive throughout the entire month of December. With the Washington Wizards currently ravaged by injuries and suspensions, Smith’s insertion into the starting lineup makes him an even more attractive low-priced option. The matchup isn’t bad either as the New York Knicks rank 26th in defensive rating but only 25th in pace.

Shooting Guard

Bradley Beal (SG – WAS): $9,400 at NYK
The hits keep coming for the Wizards, though they haven’t affected Beal in a negative way at all. Beal is playing some of the best ball of his career right now, topping 53+ FanDuel points in four of his last five games. As I mentioned above, the Knicks are not good defensively, and Beal has the freedom to chuck up as many shots as he pleases, as evidenced by his usage rate in which he ranks 11th in the league. The Wizards have to rely on Beal if they have any chance at winning games in their current state, and that bodes well for his ability to rack up both real-life and DFS points.

R.J. Barrett (SG – NYK): $5,500 vs. WAS
Pegging Barrett is a hard task to accomplish, as he puts together a strong performance in one contest and doubles down with an absolute stinker in the next. Looking at the matchup tonight, Barrett has a major positive — on paper at least — as the Wizards rank 30th in defensive rating and second in pace, providing arguably the best atmosphere in the NBA as it relates to positive game environments.

Small Forward

Troy Brown Jr. (SF – WAS): $4,800 at NYK
Milking the contest between the Knicks and Wizards seems like a wise idea as the game currently leads the implied totals of the night. Once again, looking at the injury-ravaged Wizards roster, Brown sticks out as a strong option — yes, even off the bench — which usually hits value at a minimum. His consistency is evident, as he’s scored between 18.4 and 40 FanDuel points in his last 12 contests. Brown’s playing time is also a major positive as he routinely nears 30 minutes of playing time even though he comes off the bench.

Brandon Ingram (SF – NO): $8,700 at POR
Ingram is an up-and-coming star who’s playing a ton of minutes recently (past three contests). Not only does he get a ton of playing time and freedom offensively, but his matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers is a decent one, as they rank 18th in defensive rating and 11th in pace. In his last contest against the Trail Blazers, Ingram managed to total 42.9 FanDuel points and is once again a strong bet to reach value, particularly because his price isn’t insanely high.

Power Forward

Kevin Love (PF – CLE): $6,500 vs. ATL
The Cavaliers are a bad team, but it hasn’t affected Love much as he’s still managed to provide strong value as a DFS option. In his past six contests, Love has registered only one stinker, and even that was a 20.4-point performance. Love’s price has continued to nosedive, leaving him with more room for upside at his discounted price. The Atlanta Hawks are a solid matchup to boot, ranking 28th in defensive rating and ninth in pace.

Richaun Holmes (PF – SAC): $5,400 vs. HOU
Looking at his last three contests, Holmes has demolished his price tag as he’s scored over 33 FanDuel points in all of those games. Holmes’ playing time has taken a slight hit with the return of Marvin Bagley, though he is still hovering between the 24-26-minute mark, providing enough game time to return value at his price. The Houston Rockets are only an average matchup as they rank 16th in defensive rating and third in pace.

Center

Hassan Whiteside (C – POR): $9,000 vs. NO
When Whiteside is on, he’s ON. And luckily for DFS players, Whiteside has really begun to turn the corner into elite status in DFS this season. In his past five games, Whiteside has topped 41+ FanDuel points in four of them and has scored 60+ twice. His ability to snag boards and chip in defensively is among the best in the league, but he’s also managed to chip in a decent amount of scoring to boot. The matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans is also a good one as they rank 27th in defensive rating and seventh in pace.

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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.