NBA DFS Picks Today (12/8): DraftKings & FanDuel Top Plays, Sleepers
The NBA returns on Friday in a big way with a mammoth 13-game slate. Needless to say, there should be no shortage of moving parts with 26 of the league’s 30 teams in action. As usual, we’ve got several noteworthy players carrying questionable tags into the day, including Trae Young, Mark Williams, and Evan Mobley.
Below, you’ll find a few NBA DFS picks that stand out on DraftKings and FanDuel as of the early afternoon hours. If you’re looking for more in-depth analysis, sign up for RG Premium.
Top NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup Optimizer Value
PG/SG James Harden ($7,900)
It took a while, but the Clippers seem to have finally found some footing. LA picked up a nice win over a full-strength Nuggets side on Wednesday, and tonight they’ll head to Salt Lake City for a date with a Jazz team that seems to be among the worst in the league. All Utah did the other night was go down to Dallas and get blasted by 50 points.
The Clips are also finally getting the James Harden they traded for last month. After starting his Clipper tenure playing a distributor’s role, Harden’s starting to generate more usage of late. He’s attempted at least 10 shots in each of the last 4 games, and he’s topped 20 real points in 3 of those outings. He’s also racked up at least 6 dimes in each of those contest, for good measure, including an 11-assist outing against Denver the other night.
Tonight’s matchup against the Jazz is significantly better, and Harden is still hovering in the $8,000 range on DraftKings. I’d expect some ownership here, but he’s a pretty easy plug-and-play in cash games at this price point.
Top NBA DFS FanDuel Lineup Optimizer Value
SG Eric Gordon ($5,500)
Harden’s old teammate, Eric Gordon, should see increased usage tonight for Phoenix. The Suns will be without both Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Grayson Allen when they welcome the Kings to town. Phoenix is only a 2-point underdog here in a game with one of the highest totals on the night (236).
Gordon’s enjoyed a team-high 8.8% usage boost with KD and Beal off the floor this season while averaging 1.04 FP/min. That’s in a fairly significant 141-minute sample, too. Allen’s absence is no small thing, either, as he’s been consistently playing north of 30 minutes per game in a starting role. We have Gordon projected to play 34 minutes, but there’s room for more with Phoenix so thin in the backcourt here.
Gordon still pops as a solid value at $6,300 on DK, but he’s much more appealing at only $5,500 on FanDuel, where the salary cap is $10,000 higher.
NBA DFS Sleepers
C Joel Embiid ($11,700 DK, $12,500 FD)
By the time lineup lock rolls around at 7 PM ET, perhaps Joel Embiid will no longer be a sleeper. As of this writing, though, we have him projected for single-digit ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel. His popularity may well depend on whether some better punt value emerges later in the day.
Regardless, the reigning league MVP finds himself in a very advantageous spot again tonight against Atlanta. The Hawks are really just Pacers Lite these days, as they play at a fast pace with little to no defense of which to speak. Atlanta is 25th in defensive rating, 2nd in pace, and 4th in offensive rating. In a related story, the Sixers’ 124.5 implied team total is the second-highest on the entire slate.
I don’t have to sell you on why Embiid makes for a great play here. He’s leading the Sixers in usage (37.5%) alongside a ridiculous 1.81 FP/min. average on the year. He’s been even better this season than he was during his MVP-winning campaign, and the Hawks aren’t slowing anybody down.
SG/SF Paul George ($8,600 DK, $8,400 FD)
Harden figures to be a popular spend from the Clippers tonight, while we also have Kawhi Leonard projected for double-digit ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel. One way to get some potential leverage away from those chalky Clips is by pivoting to a lower-owned Paul George instead. PG hasn’t been at his very best of late, but the spot against the Jazz is a logical one on which to bet on a bounceback.
George is still leading this team in usage (28%), which is no small feat on a roster with 3 other future Hall-of-Famers. He’s also contributing 1.15 FP/min. and routinely playing around 37 minutes in competitive games. LA is a sizable 7.5-point favorite here, but the Clippers haven’t been consistent enough for me to be too worried about the blowout potential on the road.
He’s another guy whose ownership could rise later in the day depending on value, but for now George looks like a solid way to get a little different while retaining exposure to the Clippers.
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