NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Saturday (12/23)

It’s Festivus, so feel free to air your fantasy grievances all over twitter! There might be plenty of grievances after tonight’s 10-game slate, especially with the Dallas injury report hanging over our heads yet again.

Be sure to check out all the great content at FantasyPros as we gear up for both NBA and NFL this weekend, and Happy Holidays!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Top Play

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,700 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel

This is the big news of the day, as Luka Doncic missed last night’s game. I’m tentatively expecting him back since the general feeling is that his quad injury isn’t serious, and Luka couldn’t ask for a better matchup. The Spurs are second in pace, 24th in overall defensive efficiency, and have allowed the most FPPG to combo guards. Luka has been insane without Kyrie Irving, averaging almost a monster triple-double in 39.9 MPG. The Spurs have absolutely no one capable of stopping him.

Cash Picks

Ja Morant (PG -MEM): $9700 DraftKings, $9700 FanDuel

Ja Morant has not been the least bit limited since returning from his 25-game suspension, averaging 47 DraftKings PPG with a 33.7% usage rate. The Memphis vs. Atlanta game has a tight 1.5-point spread and a 238.5 O/U, and both teams are top ten in pace factor. I expect Dejounte Murray to guard the bigger-bodied Desmond Bane, which leaves Trae to not remotely handle Ja’s downhill game.

Paolo Banchero (F – ORL): $8100 DraftKings, $8000 FanDuel

Anytime the Indiana Pacers are involved, it’s generally the fantasy game of the night, and tonight is no different. Orlando is seventh in pace and the Pacers are first, and this game has a 1.5-point spread and a 244.5 O/U. Paolo Banchero is the epitome of consistency if you look at this year’s numbers compared to his rookie year, and his assist and usage rates have slightly climbed since Markelle Fultz went down. The Pacers are 28th against opposing frontcourts and 29th in overall defensive efficiency.

Value Plays

Craig Porter Jr. (G – CLE): $5700 DraftKings, $5400 FanDuel

Craig Porter’s price has risen $1000 on each site since his past game, but there’s still enough value here to be playing him in cash. I wish his minutes were a little more stable into the 30s, but he should start again with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley all continuing to be out. In the past two games Porter has started, he’s averaged over a fantasy point per minute while doling out 17 assists. This isn’t a good matchup against Chicago’s defense, but the per-minute upside is still too cheap to ignore.

Matisse Thybulle (G – POR): $4200 DraftKings, $4200 FanDuel

Matisse Thybulle needs minutes to be a fantasy asset since he’s a very low-usage player, but he got 30 last game and tonight sets up for that again. The Blazers will need his perimeter defense to slow down Golden State’s shooting, and Shaedon Sharpe has already been ruled out for a second straight game. Thybulle does not have a GPP ceiling, so consider this a cash punt only.

NOTE: If Luka Doncic is ultimately ruled out again, this flips the slate on its head and the Dallas players would become the top values.