Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate. I hope you had a profitable weekend and are having a wonderful campaign as we celebrate the holiday season. Hopefully, a big cash is on your wish list and we can help you make it happen.
If you’re going to play NBA DFS you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money. We only have a one-game Showdown slate tonight between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors, so options are limited across the board.
In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $11,200
- FanDuel: $15,000
For the highest projected player in both points and rostership, we have Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks big man is averaging over 50 fantasy points per game and hasn’t gone under 40 since October — 18 straight games of a solid floor production. The Toronto Raptors are also a prime matchup here as one of the softest defenses against opposing centers, allowing the third-most fantasy points to big men on the season.
The Raptors are a bottom-10 defense and a top-10 paced team, so the opportunity will be there for Towns. The only thing is that Towns is questionable tonight with a right knee patellar tendinopathy injury, which forced him to miss the last game. It is crucial to monitor injury news as if he is out or limited in any fashion then there will be plenty of leverage options to turn to. But for now, he projects as a high-rostered, solid play in this Showdown slate. However, don’t think putting him in your lineup will be creative in any way for large-field GPPs.
Jalen Brunson ($10,600 on DraftKings; $14,500 on FanDuel) is going to be the other highest-rostered Knick, but I’m not as confident about the guard assuming Towns plays. His usage and minutes have dipped a bit recently and he’s averaged 42 fantasy points per game. In the last five games that number is lower as well, and he isn’t exactly consistent. In the last game with Towns out he covered 50, but in the previous three games, he didn’t surpass 40 fantasy points. I don’t hate him as a play but prefer him in GPPs over cash contests despite his assumed high rostership.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $11,400
- FanDuel: $16,500
With the Knicks favored by six and in a better matchup for DFS purposes, they are going to garner much higher rostership. But the staple Toronto player for most lineups is going to be Scottie Barnes. He may be the highest salaried player on the slate but he hasn’t gone below 43 fantasy points in eight straight games and has flirted with 60 in three of his last five. That floor-ceiling combo is exactly what to look for here if you’re playing cash games on a Showdown slate. In the last two weeks, Barnes’ minutes, scoring, rebounds, assists and usage have all risen. I trust his consistency.
Josh Hart ($8,400 on DraftKings; $11,500 on FanDuel) is the other cash option I like here. With a bit of a price dip compared to the five-digit options, he still offers a similar ceiling. He’s seen the floor for 38+ minutes in five of his last six games, scoring double-digit numbers in all of them. He’s seen a scoring boost of late and has averaged nearly 40 DraftKings points a game in the last week-plus. With the minutes he will see on the floor he makes for a great cash option.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $6,400
- FanDuel: $9,500
With Gradey Dick’s shooting and ability to go off any night, he makes for an interesting GPP play. Saturday against Dallas he scored 27 and went for 37 fantasy points. He’s produced over 40 DraftKings points on three separate occasions. To keep up with the Knicks he may have to up his shot attempts. He averages 32 minutes a game with 18 points, so he offers a relatively safer floor than most GPP dart throws. Early projections tally Dick for much lower rostership than where he should be. He is a solid cash option but an even better GPP play.
RJ Barrett ($10,000 on DraftKings; $13,000 on FanDuel) is the next best option for GPPs as I expect him to fall through the cracks a bit as a higher-priced Raptor. He’s coming off a couple of duds but still averages over 40 points per contest and his usage rate sits just shy of 30%. The Knicks allow the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Barrett offers solid leverage from the field.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $4,400
- FanDuel: $7,500
It’s tough to find true value on a showdown slate but Miles McBride leads the way as an option. He’s projected at 22 points which makes him ideal for DraftKings. There’s always a chance the Knicks blow out Toronto, meaning McBride would see higher minutes. He’s already averaging nearly 27 minutes per game recently with nearly a 20% usage rate when on the court. He’s covered the 20-point threshold in four of his last five games and can exceed 30 points, which he has accomplished multiple times this year.
The pure punt option is Jamal Shead ($1,000 on DraftKings; $6,000 on FanDuel). He’s averaging 10 fantasy points a game and has peaked at 25. I expect him to get to double-digits here and he offers a salary-saving option.
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