NBA DFS Expert Survey: Monday, December 18th
Our panel of experts is here to give you their NBA DFS picks for the upcoming slate by answering a handful of questions to help you make crucial lineup-building decisions. Want to know squirrelpatrol’s favorite tournament play? Or Noto’s favorite salary saver? Find out below!
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Monday, December 18
Which useful trend or statistic stuck out most during your research?
Notorious: This is a slate full of elite matchups, as the worst six defenses in the league are all on the schedule (Raptors, Kings, Clippers, Pistons, Hawks, and Nets). This is also a slate full of potential blowouts, as there are 5 games with double-digit spreads (SAC/WAS, TOR/CHA, ATL/DET, PHI/CHI, and OKC/MEM).
TJ Zwarych: Outside of Memphis, there’s not a ton of cheap value early in the day. I plan to be overweight on affordable studs like Scottie Barnes, Trae Young, and the Clippers while scarily being underweight on Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid.
tcsmith031: Not only does Desmond Bane lead the Grizzlies in usage (31.7%) with Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart, and Ja Morant off the floor, but he also has an elite 32% assist rate across a sizable 327-minute sample. The matchup against OKC isn’t great on paper, but Bane is going to play a massive offensive role for the Grizz.
TastefulTides: As of now, the top tier of studs are very hard to get to on both FD and DK. It looks like I have will have to reluctantly fade Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid. I will try and make Trae Young my most expensive player. That being said, the best strategy might be to try and go the balanced build approach. Due to the size of the slate, there are plenty of mid-range choices that have big ceilings.
Bobby Gomes: The IND/LAC game has the 3rd-highest total on the slate (245) with a close spread (Clippers -3). The Pacers are 1st overall in pace and offensive rating. The Clippers are 28th in defensive rating. Sounds like a high-scoring game that will be competitive. Kawhi Leonard and Tyrese Haliburton are two strong building blocks on this massive slate.
Who is your top overall play (when considering price, matchup, roster construction, etc.) on the board and why?
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