NBA DFS Picks Today (12/30): DraftKings & FanDuel Top Plays, Sleepers
Although it’s only a 4-game NBA DFS slate on both FanDuel and DraftKings tonight, the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks decided to make it an exciting affair. The Knicks sent RJ Barrett back home to Canada along with Immanuel Quickley and some picks, while OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa are off to the Big Apple. While the Raptors aren’t on the main slate, the Knicks are heavily undermanned, as the trade is yet to officially go through, and they’ll be without their new acquisitions.
Top NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup Optimizer Value
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PF/C – Julius Randle ($8,700)
Without RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims on the court, Julius Randle has seen a 5% usage increase this season. This will likely take a dip once Precious Achiuwa and OG Anunoby are in uniform for the Knicks, but that won’t be the case tonight. New York receives the best possible matchup against the Pacers, and as long as they can keep things close, this one should be filled with fantasy goodness.
Although Luka Doncic still has a slightly better RGV than the Knicks stars, I love sticking with the mid-range tonight and getting overweight on everything New York. The Knicks’ implied total tonight is 5.8 points higher than their season average, which is quite impressive considering they’ll be without 2 of their top-4 scorers. Randle comes at a discount on DraftKings tonight and has the added bonus of positional flexibility, as we’re able to play him at PF or C.
Top NBA DFS FanDuel Lineup Optimizer Value
PG – Jalen Brunson ($9,000)
While Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart are elite salary-saving options tonight, Jalen Brunson is the prize alongside his teammate Julius Randle. Although Randle sees the bigger usage bump, it’s actually Brunson who has benefited more with the injured and traded players off the court. He sees a 4.4% usage bump and an incredible 10.2% jump to his assist rate en route to 14.4 more fantasy points per game. Choosing between Brunson and Randle tonight is tough, so I want to play both together as much as possible.
NBA DFS Sleepers
C – Andre Drummond ($9,000 FanDuel, $8,000 DraftKings)
The Andre Drummond experience is not for the faint of heart. In his first start, he absolutely smashed. He easily eclipsed a 20-20 points and rebounding performance while outperforming expectations as the chalkiest player we’ve seen this season. While he still projected well in his second start after his price doubled, he put up a major dud. Tonight, he gets an easier-than-meets-the-eye matchup with the 76ers who are without Drummond’s nemesis, Joel Embiid.
Drummond can smash or fail in any matchup at any price- it really just depends how into the game he is and if he can stay out of foul trouble. His price tag on DraftKings is still far too low at $8,000 and he’s still projected for minuscule ownership for a 4-game slate. While the price is a bit steeper on FanDuel, he’s currently projected for 2% ownership over there and is more than capable of breaking a slate.
PG/SG – Stephen Curry ($8,300 FanDuel, $8,800 DraftKings)
The Warriors get a strong matchup tonight against the Mavericks in a pace-up spot facing a poor defense. The spread is high and tight, as the injury-riddled Mavericks visit California to take on the Warriors. Luka Doncic is still listed as questionable for this one, but he’s expected to play. If he does, I could see this turning into a shootout between Doncic and Curry. Not only do the Mavericks play fast and weak defensively, but they’re also one of the very worst teams in the NBA at defending the 3-point line.
Curry’s 3-point prop tonight is at 4.5 across the industry, and the RotoGrinders projections actually have him exceeding that tonight. That’s a really nice bonus over on DraftKings where we get added points for 3-pointers. While the bonus isn’t there for FanDuel, he comes at a nice price discount. Curry is currently projected for less than 20% ownership on DraftKings and just slightly higher on FanDuel, making him a great tournament target for a short slate.