Family, presents, good food, and of course, some NBA action. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, and it’s a perfect opportunity to line our pockets with a bit of much-needed cash around the holidays. So hopefully, that’s precisely what I can help all of you reading this do on Christmas Day’s five-game NBA slate. As always, we’ll start with the schedule/odds, followed by the ever so important injury report, as COVID is running wild throughout the league. Then we get into the good stuff. The core plays to build your lineups around, some viable cash game options, GPP darlings, and of course, those crucial value plays to help out with some salary relief. Finally, we’ll wrap things up with some price discrepancies I’ve found on FanDuel and DraftKings. So with all that said, Merry Christmas to you all, and let’s win some money!
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Injury Report
The injury report will be crucial information to pay close attention to throughout tomorrow. There are a ton of question marks heading into Christmas Day’s five-game slate. Apart from key injuries, players continue to be placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Hopefully, some essential players can clear in order to join the holiday festivities. Below is a list of players who are either already ruled out or have a to-be-determined status.
Family, presents, good food, and of course, some NBA action. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, and it’s a perfect opportunity to line our pockets with a bit of much-needed cash around the holidays. So hopefully, that’s precisely what I can help all of you reading this do on Christmas Day’s five-game NBA slate. As always, we’ll start with the schedule/odds, followed by the ever so important injury report, as COVID is running wild throughout the league. Then we get into the good stuff. The core plays to build your lineups around, some viable cash game options, GPP darlings, and of course, those crucial value plays to help out with some salary relief. Finally, we’ll wrap things up with some price discrepancies I’ve found on FanDuel and DraftKings. So with all that said, Merry Christmas to you all, and let’s win some money!
Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel
Injury Report
The injury report will be crucial information to pay close attention to throughout tomorrow. There are a ton of question marks heading into Christmas Day’s five-game slate. Apart from key injuries, players continue to be placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Hopefully, some essential players can clear in order to join the holiday festivities. Below is a list of players who are either already ruled out or have a to-be-determined status.
Core Plays
Kemba Walker (PG-NYK): $6,600 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Yes, you’re reading this correctly. Kemba Walker has found his way back into the core play section after not too long ago being completely banished from the New York Knicks rotation. The unfortunate ankle injury to Derrick Rose left head coach Tom Thibodeau no choice but to welcome Walker back into the rotation with open arms. So far, it’s working for both player and coach. Kemba has been playing lights out since being back in the starting lineup, blowing his salary out of the water each and every night. Including his spectacular Thursday night performance when he scored 44 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists which translated to 66.8 FD and 70.8 DK fantasy points. Walker comes in at a respectable price point on Christmas Day, as well, at a projected roster percentage of 37.7%. He will undoubtedly be popular but may easily end up optimal if he continues his recent stellar play. The question you’ll have to ask yourself is, how much Kemba is too much Kemba?
James Harden (PG/SG-BKN): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
Neither Kevin Durant (COVID-19) nor Kyrie Irving (COVID-19) will be available for the Nets matchup against the Lakers on Christmas, which means it will be the James Harden show. Harden projects as the best pay-up option on the slate and more than likely will be the highest rostered player, but for good reason. Harden has a 27.4% usage rate on the season, but that number skyrockets to 33.5% when Durant is off the court. The Lakers have been playing horrid defense of late, and they will continue to be without their star rim protector/rebounder in Anthony Davis (MCL sprain). From a conditioning standpoint, it is unclear how Harden looks after sitting the last week out in the league’s protocols and missing the team’s past four games. Still, the Nets may not necessarily have the luxury of easing him back in with a light minutes load. The Nets have a considerable chunk of their rotation missing with the COVID-19 outbreak. I’m banking on Harden seeing his usual allotment of minutes and lighting up a banged-up Lakers team who has been lacking defensively.
LeBron James (PG/SF-LAL): $10,800 DraftKings, $10,900 FanDuel
Staying in the same game, LeBron James is just too good of a pay-up option to not consider as a core piece to lineups on a five-game slate. Not to mention he’s an excellent pivot off of James Harden, who is projected to be much more highly rostered than James. Models have Harden close to 60% rostered while LeBron comes in at a much lower 40% but at almost an identical salary with similar upside making him an excellent GPP pivot, as well. James has scored at least 31 points in three straight games and now gets to face a diminished Brooklyn Nets squad. Not to mention LeBron will have some extra motivation during tomorrow’s game. He’s just 13 points away from breaking Kobe Bryant‘s record for most points all-time on Christmas Day. Of course, LeBron isn’t necessarily motivated to break the late, great, Kobe Bryant‘s record, but he will want to be sure he puts on a memorable performance while doing so.
Cash Game Considerations
Sterling Brown (SG/SF-DAL): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
Sterling Brown is one of the better values of the slate, but he’s also a fantastic cash-game play. Brown has had a double-double in back-to-back games while returning 7x or more his salary. The Mavericks are another team that has been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. Luka Doncic (COVID-19/ankle) has already been ruled out, and Kristaps Porzingis (toe) may also sit. That leaves plenty of minutes and opportunity left on the table for Sterling Brown, who has played 70 minutes total in the last two games. DraftKings has also substantially come down on Brown’s salary, which was just at $4,700 last game, where he put up 35.3 fantasy points. That’s a nice discount for a player who has recently smashed his salaries.
Bojan Bogdanovic (SF/PF-UTA): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Bojan checks a lot of the boxes for a good cash game play. For starters, it’s been over two weeks since Bojan failed to tally 20 fantasy points, and he’s scored at least 15 points in each of his last six games. He will see around 30 minutes and give you a solid floor of around 25 fantasy points or more with the potential to get hot from behind the arc. The Jazz matchup may offer some additional upside, too, as the Mavericks are not a great defensive team. Finally, Bojan offers up some very needed stability during a very volatile time for NBA DFS.
Stephen Curry (PG-GS): $11,200 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Value is abundant for just a five-game slate, which will allow you to easily plug some high-end options into your lineups. Curry is a viable candidate to go off for 60 or more fantasy points on any night, and Christmas Day seems like the perfect environment for some “Chef Curry” fireworks. His salary has come back to earth at a reasonable $11,200 on DraftKings, but the $10,000 on FanDuel is very appealing. Today, Stephen Curry looks like a great play in cash and GPP’s. I mean, can you go wrong taking your chances on the greatest shooter of all time?
GPP Targets
Alec Burks (PG/SG-NYK): $7,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Alec Burks makes for a viable pivot off the highly rostered Kemba Walker on Christmas. He’s going to see plenty of minutes and have the opportunity to outscore his teammate. That’s not going to be an easy task on DraftKings at over $1,000 more expensive than Kemba, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities either. You have to take some uncomfortable shots in large field GPP’s, and there’s a path to Burks going for 6x and being optimal at below 5% roster percentage. At $5,600 on FanDuel is a different story. Burks is a smash play at that cheap of a price point and is one of the best bargain plays of Christmas Day over at FD, but will certainly be one of the more popular players to look to.
Jalen Brunson (PG/SG-DAL): $7,600 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
With Luka Doncic (COVID-19/ankle) out, Jalen Brunson will again be in the starting lineup and should continue to play well for the Dallas Mavericks. When Brunson has started this season, he has averaged 20.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. As previously mentioned, the Mavs could also be without Kritaps Porzingis (toe), which would mean even more usage for Brunson. Regardless, Brunson has 50 point upside and could win someone a GPP on Christmas Day.
Otto Porter Jr. (SF/PF-GS): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
Otto Porter is another nice value piece, and while he’s most likely going to be popular, a good play is a good play. Porter is too cheap on both FanDuel and DraftKings, given the current state of the Warriors’ depleted roster, and I could easily see him being needed for the optimal lineup. He’s played at least 29.5 minutes in the past two games while scoring over 30 fantasy points in both of them. Porter offers a solid floor with upside when he sees that amount of minutes given his ability to contribute in multiple categories while producing over a fantasy point per minute. Porter Jr. is an outstanding play across the board.
Value Plays
Paul Millsap (PF/C-BKN): $3,000 DraftKings, $3,600 FanDuel
The Nets have two potential value options at the forward position for Christmas in Paul Millsap and Blake Griffin. I’m going to highlight Millsap, but either one is viable, especially with how undermanned the Nets are. The lack of depth is one of the main reasons I’m looking Millsaps way. Similar to James Harden, Millsap just cleared the health and safety protocols, so his conditioning may be of concern, but the Nets are going to have to give minutes to whoever can suit up. Millsap is the minimum on DraftKings, and he averages 0.99 DK points per minute with Durant and Aldridge off the floor. The veteran forward won’t need much playing time to pay off a minimum salary. If he’s forced into big minutes against a Lakers team whose lack of defense has already been highlighted, he becomes an excellent play.
Gary Payton II (PG/SG-GS): $4,300 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Steve Kerr has already said he doesn’t anticipate either Andrew Wiggins (COVID-19) or Jordan Poole (COVID-19) to be able to return in time for today’s matchup in Phoenix, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. That means Gary Payton will continue seeing additional minutes for the Warriors. He played 33.4 minutes in their last outing, finishing with 30.0 DK points, and he’s scored 25.5 DraftKings points in three straight games. For a player who is in an expanded role and averaging 1.01, DraftKings points per minute this season, Gary Payton II is entirely too cheap, in my opinion.
Skylar Mays (SG-ATL): $3,400 DraftKings, $3,500 FanDuel
Mays is coming off a 14 point, 11 rebound double-double in 33 minutes on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He logged a stellar 33.75 fantasy points, and he will find himself in a similar situation on Christmas Day, where he will get another opportunity to have a big game. We know that Trae Young (COVID-19) isn’t going to play, so Mays should once again be in the starting backcourt for the Hawks. Cam Reddish (ankle) did leave last game due to an ankle issue but is listed as probable on Atlanta’s injury report. If Reddish cannot go, then it would be an even more considerable boost to Mays’ fantasy outlook. Either way, 30 plus minutes from a player this cheap is going to project well.
Advantageous Pricing
- John Collins (PF/C-ATL: $7,800 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
- Paul Millsap (PF/C-BKN: $3,000 DraftKings, $3,600 FanDuel
- Otto Porter Jr. (SF/PF-GS): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
- Alec Burks (PG/SG-NYK): $7,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
- Stephen Curry (PG-GS): $11,200 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
- James Harden (PG/SG-BKN): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
- Kemba Walker (PG-NYK): $6,600 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
- Devin Booker (SG-PHO): $8,700 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
- Frank Ntilikina (PG-DAL): $3,400 DraftKings, $3,900 FanDuel
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG-ATL): $4,700 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Jaylen Brown (SF-BOS): $9,400 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
- Dorian Finney-Smith (SF-DAL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
- Sterling Brown (SG/SF-DAL): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C-MIL): $11,400 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
- Jayson Tatum (PF-BOS): $10,400 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
- Julius Randle (PF/C-NYK): $10,200 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
- Blake Griffin (PF/C-BKN): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
- Nicolas Claxton (C-BKN): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
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Evan Ritter is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Evan, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter.
