FanDuel DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Friday (12/25)

Family, friends, presents, good food and drink, and the NBA. Basketball and Christmas are a beautiful combination, and we’ll be gifted with five games on Friday’s slate, beginning at 12pm EST with Pelicans/Heat and concluding at 1030pm EST with Clippers/Nuggets. As usual, we’ll name values, studs, and fades. Let’s get to it. Happy holidays!

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Value Plays

Point Guard

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• Dragic opened the season in style, popping off for 37.3 FD points in the Heat’s loss to the Magic on Wednesday. The Heat are in a nice pace-up spot against the Pelicans, where Dragic makes a fine value at just $6.4K.
• Marcus Smart got the start for Boston on Wednesday, but with Kemba Walker out indefinitely, Teague saw plenty of run off the bench. He stuffed the stat sheet and scored 19 points in his first game with Boston and is worth his low price on Friday’s slate.

Shooting Guard

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• Coming off a near triple-double in Tuesday’s season opener, Schroder looks poised to be a real threat for the Lakers. Los Angeles gets a great draw with the Mavericks, and Schroder is priced very reasonably at just $5K.
• No Wesley Matthews? No problem. DiVincenzo went 15/5/3/2 across 27 minutes in Milwaukee’s season opener, and as the Bucks’ new starting SG, he’s got a ton of upside. His price is notoriously cheap for the Christmas slate.

Small Forward

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• LeVert had a massive stat line in Tuesday’s win over the Warriors, and while the blowout nature of the game may have contributed to his performance, his numbers were impressive nonetheless. LeVert can fill up the box score with the best of them, and you can get 40-point upside at a sub-$6K price.
• Herro played 32 minutes in the Heat’s first game of the season, and opportunity shouldn’t be an issue for the second-year guard. Miami gets New Orleans in what should be a great matchup for the Heat, and at only $5K, I’m willing to roll with Herro here.

Power Forward

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• The veteran looked spry as ever in Wednesday’s loss to the Kings, going 16/7 across 36 minutes. Denver gets the Clippers’ lackluster frontcourt defense on Friday’s slate, where Millsap can be considered as a salary-saving option.

Center

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• The rookie impressed in his debut, going 19/6 with two steals in the Warriors’ starting lineup. Despite the 31.2 FD points scored, Wiseman’s price hasn’t increased since Tuesday, and he makes a great value on today’s slate.
• Harrell posted a huge game Tuesday, finishing with a double-double in his first appearance with the Lakers. He’s got another great matchup with Dallas’ undermanned frontcourt, and at only $5.1K, he’s a great salary-saver.

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Anthony Davis (LAL) $10,600: Davis is in a great spot to dominate, as the Lakers face Dallas’ shorthanded frontcourt.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) $11,600: The reigning MVP scored 52.6 FD points against a solid Boston defense Wednesday, and he’ll get Golden State’s generous defense on Christmas. That’s a gift, for sure.
• Nikola Jokic (DEN) $9,700: It’s tough to fade a guy who just went 29/15/14 in his first game of the season. Pay up for the Joker against Los Angeles.
• Luka Doncic (DAL) $11,300: The man is a walking triple-double and a usage hog who plays heavy minutes. He’ll be a great play Friday when the Mavs face LeBron James and Co. in the marquee matchup of the day.
• Kevin Durant (BKN) $8,500: Durant had a solid showing in his first game with Brooklyn, and the pricing here is outrageous. Plug KD into your lineups and reap the benefits before his price vaults into the five-figure range.

Notable Players to Fade

• Andrew Wiggins (GSW) $6,600: Wiggins did little in his 31 minutes Tuesday, as he took a backseat to the likes of Steph Curry, James Wiseman, and Kelly Oubre. He’s not worth a look here against Milwaukee’s solid defense.
• LeBron James (LAL) $11,000: He was a fade Tuesday, and that’s the case Friday as well. He’ll likely play, but he twisted his ankle in the opener, and it’s likely he’ll be at less than 100 percent. The Lakers got plenty of production from newcomers Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, and James shouldn’t be expected to carry the load as much as he did a year ago. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
• Zion Williamson (NO) $7,700: Despite the double-double in Wednesday’s opener, Williamson gets a tough matchup Friday with Miami. After committing six turnovers against Toronto, Williamson isn’t a player to trust against the Heat’s strong defense.

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