Sign In $

You must be a member to view this Article.

NBA Grind Down: Christmas Edition

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-12-27 17:20:22

Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of today’s NBA action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.

Vegas lines are broken down to show projected team totals, to give you an idea of who is favored to win, and often more importantly, how many points they’re expected to score. We also provide pace numbers, so you can spot a game that might have a few extra possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.

We also provide position-by-position matchup rankings for every team, to give you an idea of the players who will be in better situations to succeed. Using Defense versus Position data, every projected starter is listed along with his opponent’s rank in points allowed to players of his position. These color-coded charts will help you spot the best matchups of the night at a glance.

Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

grind%20down%20article%20faq

New Orleans Pelicans at Miami Heat – 12:00 PM

New Orleans Pelicans Miami Heat
neworleansnba Vegas Total 200.0 miaminba Vegas Total 200.0
Vegas Sprd 6.0 Vegas Sprd -6.0
Team Proj. 97.0 Team Proj. 103.0
Team Pace 99.10 Team Pace 95.30
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Tyreke Evans Eric Gordon Alonzo Gee Anthony Davis Omer Asik Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Dwyane Wade Luol Deng Chris Bosh Hassan Whiteside
Opp. Season 3 3 24 3 6 Opp. Season 29 24 15 22 29
Opp. Last 7 26 24 10 3 3 Opp. Last 7 1 30 14 30 21

Christmas-Vacation-Meme-121

New Orleans Pelicans

Record: 9-19 — Road: 3-13 — Last 10: 5-5

The Pelicans have won five of their last ten games. They head to Miami to take on the Heat in the first game on the Christmas slate. The Heat play at a slow pace and have a very stout defense. The Pelicans are only projected to score 97 points, which is the lowest on the board. It is also 5.8 points lower than their average points per game this season.

The Heat have a truly elite defense this season. They are ranked fifth or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. It’s hard to justify paying up for any of the Pelicans’ players in what should be slow-paced game against the Heat.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Anthony Davis

I typically don’t mind targeting Davis in difficult matchups, but with so many superstars on the schedule, it’s hard to justify paying up for Davis against the Heat. He should be one of the lowest owned of the $10k+ players though, which does help his appeal in tournaments.

FD — $10,400 — PF
DK — $10,300 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 23.6 | Last Five Games: 21.4
Min/Game — Season: 35.8 | Last Five Games: 35.5
FP/Game — Season: 44.0 | Last Five Games: 43.2

Tyreke Evans

Evans is a multi-dimensional player that has the upside of posting a triple-double every time he takes the floor. He has been a little boom or bust this season, but he has topped 47 fantasy points in three of his last five games. However, the matchup against the Heat makes him more of a tournament play on Christmas.

FD — $7,300 — PG
DK — $7,800 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.2 | Last Five Games: 20.4
Min/Game — Season: 32.0 | Last Five Games: 33.3
FP/Game — Season: 34.4 | Last Five Games: 37.8

Miami Heat

Record: 16-11 — Home: 12-6 — Last 10: 5-5

The Heat have won five of their last ten games and have an impressive 12-6 record at home. They are listed as 6-point favorites against the Pelicans at home. This will be a pace-up game for Miami and we can safely give their offense a nice boost as a whole. The Heat are projected to score 103 points, which is 6.4 points higher than their average points per game this season.

The Pelicans have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season. They are ranked 25th or worse in all four of the defensive categories listed above. The Heat are in a great spot on Christmas, especially if Goran Dragic is unable to suit up. Value is tough to come by in this slate and Dragic’s absence would open the door for some nice value plays.

Elite Plays

Hassan Whiteside

Whiteside is one of my favorite tournament plays in this slate. I’d label him as an elite GPP play and a decent cash game option. The Pelicans have been one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA and Whiteside’s minutes and production are both trending in the right direction.

FD — $7,700 — C
DK — $7,100 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 15.2 | Last Five Games: 15.6
Min/Game — Season: 28.4 | Last Five Games: 32.0
FP/Game — Season: 33.5 | Last Five Games: 37.3

Beno Udrih

This pick hinges on the availability of Goran Dragic. Udrih played well the other night, scoring 25 fantasy points in 34 minutes of action against the Pistons. If Dragic is unable to suit up, Udrih would become close to a must play in all league formats.

FD — $3,700 — PG
DK — $4,000 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.9 | Last Five Games: 11.9
Min/Game — Season: 14.0 | Last Five Games: 20.3
FP/Game — Season: 9.1 | Last Five Games: 11.1

Secondary Plays

Chris Bosh

Bosh’s price is down across the industry and even though his matchup against Anthony Davis may not seem great on paper, the Pelicans are actually ranked 22nd against power forwards this season.

FD — $7,200 — PF
DK — $7,000 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.3 | Last Five Games: 20.9
Min/Game — Season: 32.7 | Last Five Games: 32.0
FP/Game — Season: 32.1 | Last Five Games: 28.8

Dwyane Wade

Wade could see a small boost if Goran Dragic is unable to suit up, but odds are he is not going to play more than 30-32 minutes. He is a viable play in cash games thanks to the matchup, but he’s not my favorite shooting guard in this slate.

FD — $7,100 — SG
DK — $6,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 27.3 | Last Five Games: 27.3
Min/Game — Season: 29.7 | Last Five Games: 29.4
FP/Game — Season: 30.4 | Last Five Games: 30.3

Luol Deng

Deng is a nice value option at small forward. He has been seeing a ton of minutes recently, averaging 34.4 over his last five games. If that continues on Christmas, he should be able to reach value against the Pelicans.

FD — $4,700 — SF
DK — $5,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.6 | Last Five Games: 12.5
Min/Game — Season: 30.4 | Last Five Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 19.8 | Last Five Games: 23.1

Gerald Green

Green would also see a small boost if Goran Dragic is unable to play. As you will see, value is tough to come by in this five-game slate, so we have to make some sacrifices somewhere. Green isn’t a bad option, as he has averaged 29 minutes over his last five games.

FD — $4,100 — SG
DK — $4,500 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.5 | Last Five Games: 17.2
Min/Game — Season: 26.3 | Last Five Games: 29.0
FP/Game — Season: 16.5 | Last Five Games: 20.8

Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder – 2:30 PM

Chicago Bulls Oklahoma City Thunder
chicagonba Vegas Total 206.0 oklahomacitynba Vegas Total 206.0
Vegas Sprd 8.0 Vegas Sprd -8.0
Team Proj. 99.0 Team Proj. 107.0
Team Pace 99.50 Team Pace 98.80
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Jimmy Butler Nikola Mirotic Taj Gibson Pau Gasol Proj. Starter Russell Westbrook Andre Roberson Kevin Durant Serge Ibaka Steven Adams
Opp. Season 20 9 6 6 4 Opp. Season 15 7 18 15 24
Opp. Last 7 21 11 9 2 2 Opp. Last 7 19 18 16 8 18

christmas

Chicago Bulls

Record: 15-11 — Road: 4-6 — Last 10: 4-6

The Bulls have lost six of their last ten games and now head to Oklahoma City to take on a red-hot Thunder team. The Bulls are listed as 8-point underdogs with their team total set at only 99 points.

The Thunder struggled on the defensive end of the floor earlier this season, but are now ranked seventh or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. Joakim Noah will not play for the next couple of weeks. This gives a small boost to all four of the Bulls’ bigs – Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic, and Bobby Portis.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Pau Gasol

Gasol has been terrific over his last five games, averaging 41.7 fantasy points per contest. He should see a small boost with Joakim Noah out, but he draws a difficult matchup against the Thunder. Dollar for dollar, there are better options at power forward and center.

FD — $8,900 — PF
DK — $7,600 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.7 | Last Five Games: 19.3
Min/Game — Season: 30.5 | Last Five Games: 35.0
FP/Game — Season: 37.2 | Last Five Games: 41.7

Jimmy Butler

Butler is a little too expensive on FanDuel, but he is sitting at a playable $7,500 on DraftKings. He is coming off of a strong five-game stretch, averaging 38.8 fantasy points per contest.

FD — $8,500 — SG
DK — $7,500 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.2 | Last Five Games: 23.7
Min/Game — Season: 37.5 | Last Five Games: 38.8
FP/Game — Season: 36.2 | Last Five Games: 38.8

Nikola Mirotic

It will be interesting to see if the Bulls start Mirotic at small forward again. With Joakim Noah out, they may want to bring him off the bench to give Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol more rest. That said, we should give him a small boost if he does draw another start.

FD — $4,800 — SF
DK — $4,700 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.0 | Last Five Games: 14.4
Min/Game — Season: 23.2 | Last Five Games: 20.7
FP/Game — Season: 20.5 | Last Five Games: 13.9

Taj Gibson

Gibson isn’t a flashy play, but he is cheap and provides a high floor at his price point. He should see 25+ minutes and he has averaged over 20 fantasy points per game in his last five.

FD — $4,700 — PF
DK — $4,400 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 12.6 | Last Five Games: 11.1
Min/Game — Season: 22.5 | Last Five Games: 27.6
FP/Game — Season: 18.1 | Last Five Games: 21.3

Bobby Portis

Free Bobby Portis day is here! With Joakim Noah out, that should open up 15-20 minutes for Portis off the bench. Again, take a note of who the Bulls start at small forward, because if Mirotic starts, Portis could be the first big man off the bench.

FD — $3,800 — PF
DK — $3,300 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 29.5 | Last Five Games: 32.7
Min/Game — Season: 10.6 | Last Five Games: 13.8
FP/Game — Season: 12.9 | Last Five Games: 18.8

Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 20-9 — Home: 13-3 — Last 10: 9-1

The Thunder have won nine of their last ten games and draw a decent matchup on Christmas against the visiting Bulls. The Thunder will likely be pumped up for this matchup, as Chicago got the best of them earlier this season. The Thunder have an implied team total of 107 points, which is the third-highest on the board.

The Bulls have been mediocre defensively this season. While they are ranked third in defensive efficiency, their fast pace of play has hurt their points allowed per game (12th) and their fantasy points allowed per game (23rd). Steven Adams isn’t featured below, but he’s a serviceable punt against the Bulls.

Elite Plays

Russell Westbrook

Between Westbrook and Kevin Durant, I am giving a slight edge to Westbrook against the Bulls. He draws a slightly better matchup, as Derrick Rose is not an elite defender. Westbrook has been very productive recently, he just hasn’t had to play as many minutes thanks to all of the blowouts that the Thunder have been in.

FD — $10,400 — PG
DK — $10,400 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 29.7 | Last Five Games: 29.4
Min/Game — Season: 34.1 | Last Five Games: 31.2
FP/Game — Season: 48.4 | Last Five Games: 41.3

Secondary Plays

Kevin Durant

Durant could be considered an elite play here, but I’d rather take the savings at small forward and play Kawhi Leonard against the Rockets. Durant has immense upside, but he’ll likely have Jimmy Butler defending him, which is a tough individual matchup.

FD — $10,000 — SF
DK — $10,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 24.5 | Last Five Games: 24.2
Min/Game — Season: 35.2 | Last Five Games: 33.1
FP/Game — Season: 43.7 | Last Five Games: 39.2

Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors – 5:00 PM

Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors
clevelandnba Vegas Total 212.0 goldenstatenba Vegas Total 212.0
Vegas Sprd 7.0 Vegas Sprd -7.0
Team Proj. 102.5 Team Proj. 109.5
Team Pace 95.40 Team Pace 102.10
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving J.R. Smith LeBron James Kevin Love Timofey Mozgov Proj. Starter Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Brandon Rush Draymond Green Andrew Bogut
Opp. Season 24 4 14 14 13 Opp. Season 13 14 3 2 1
Opp. Last 7 10 16 7 1 30 Opp. Last 7 17 3 4 25 4

Christmas-Vacation-Jelly-Of-The-Month

Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 19-7 — Road: 6-6 — Last 10: 7-3

The Cavaliers have won seven of their last ten games. More importantly, this will be Kyrie Irving third game back from injury. Cleveland draws a tough matchup against the Warriors in what will be an NBA Finals rematch. The Cavaliers are 7-point underdogs with their team total set at 102.5 points.

The Warriors have been efficient defensively, but their pace of play hurts their numbers in terms of points allowed per game and fantasy points allowed per game. Kyrie Irving will probably see somewhere in the range of 20-25 minutes. He’s a little too expensive to use at the moment. He also cuts into the fantasy appeal of J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, and Mo Williams.

Elite Plays

LeBron James

James is the only fantasy option on my radar from the Cavaliers. There are only a few games during the season when we can count on James getting up for a specific matchup and this is one of them. Look for James to take over and put his team on his back. He would love nothing more than to hand the Warriors their first home loss.

FD — $10,400 — SF
DK — $10,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.8 | Last Five Games: 30.6
Min/Game — Season: 36.4 | Last Five Games: 33.6
FP/Game — Season: 45.6 | Last Five Games: 44.2

Secondary Plays

NONE

Golden State Warriors

Record: 27-1 — Home: 13-0 — Last 10: 9-1

The Warriors are 27-1 on the season and a perfect 13-0 at home. They host the visiting Cavaliers in what is a rematch from last year’s NBA Finals. If things continue to go as they are, this could be a preview of this season’s championship as well. The Warriors have an implied team total of 109.5 points. While that is the highest total on the board, it is six points lower than their average points per game this season.

The high team total may be enticing, but this is actually a very tough matchup. The Cavaliers are ranked sixth or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game this season. Harrison Barnes is doubtful for this game. We could see a heavy dose of Andre Iguodala (Finals MVP) against LeBron James.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Stephen Curry

As mentioned above, this is a tough matchup for the Warriors. They should still score a lot of points, but I have a hard time paying a premium for players against elite defenses. Curry is more of a tournament play in my eyes.

FD — $10,900 — PG
DK — $10,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 27.4 | Last Five Games: 25.2
Min/Game — Season: 34.9 | Last Five Games: 37.1
FP/Game — Season: 48.0 | Last Five Games: 45.6

Draymond Green

Green is more expensive than he has been all season. His recent production has justified the price bump, but I’m not a fan of paying $9,200 for him, when Blake Griffin is cheaper and in a far better matchup.

FD — $9,200 — PF
DK — $9,200 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 16.7 | Last Five Games: 20.2
Min/Game — Season: 34.9 | Last Five Games: 39.0
FP/Game — Season: 38.1 | Last Five Games: 49.1

Klay Thompson

Thompson is in the same boat as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. He just seems a bit too expensive for the matchup. The good news is that this game is expected to stay close, which means a full complement of minutes. That said, I’d rather target Kobe Bryant in his last Christmas game ever.

FD — $7,200 — SG
DK — $7,400 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.1 | Last Five Games: 23.6
Min/Game — Season: 31.8 | Last Five Games: 33.1
FP/Game — Season: 27.7 | Last Five Games: 33.6

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets – 8:00 PM

San Antonio Spurs Houston Rockets
sanantonionba Vegas Total 204.0 houstonnba Vegas Total 204.0
Vegas Sprd -8.0 Vegas Sprd 8.0
Team Proj. 106.0 Team Proj. 98.0
Team Pace 95.60 Team Pace 100.20
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Tim Duncan Proj. Starter Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Clint Capela Dwight Howard
Opp. Season 23 19 28 30 16 Opp. Season 11 1 1 1 3
Opp. Last 7 8 5 5 27 9 Opp. Last 7 13 19 3 14 13

Christmas-Vacation-Meme-031

San Antonio Spurs

Record: 25-5 — Road: 9-5 — Last 10: 9-1

The Spurs have won nine of their last ten games and they are now 25-5 on the season. They head to Houston on Christmas to take on a Rockets’ team that has been playing much better basketball recently. The Spurs have an implied team total of 106 points, which is 3.6 points higher than their average points per game this season.

The Rockets are one of my favorite teams to see on the schedule. They play at a fast pace and are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. They have not been particularly effective defending any single position on the floor. The one concern here is that the Spurs play again on Saturday night.

Elite Plays

Kawhi Leonard

Leonard is my favorite play at small forward. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are obviously strong plays, but Leonard is considerably cheaper and he has by far the best matchup of the three. On the season, the Rockets have allowed the third-most fantasy points to small forwards.

FD — $8,900 — SF
DK — $8,400 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 22.3 | Last Five Games: 22.2
Min/Game — Season: 33.2 | Last Five Games: 32.8
FP/Game — Season: 38.8 | Last Five Games: 38.9

Secondary Plays

I generally don’t like to make assumptions when it comes to DFS, but hear me out. This game is expected to stay relatively close and with a game on Saturday night against the Nuggets at home, Popovich may decide to sit his veterans in the second half of the back-to-back. That could lead to a few extra minutes for Duncan and Tony Parker in the Christmas day game. They are both intriguing tournament options against the Rockets.

Tim Duncan

FD — $6,200 — C
DK — $5,500 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.9 | Last Five Games: 13.0
Min/Game — Season: 26.4 | Last Five Games: 23.6
FP/Game — Season: 25.5 | Last Five Games: 21.3

Tony Parker

FD — $5,500 — PG
DK — $5,100 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.1 | Last Five Games: 22.5
Min/Game — Season: 26.8 | Last Five Games: 26.1
FP/Game — Season: 23.8 | Last Five Games: 26.6

Houston Rockets

Record: 15-15 — Home: 9-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Rockets have won six of their last ten games and they have climbed back to .500 on the season. They draw an awfully tough matchup on Christmas though. The Rockets are 8-point underdogs against the Spurs in what will be a pace-down game for Houston. The Rockets are only projected to score 98 points, which is the second-lowest team total on the board.

The Spurs have the best defense in the entire NBA. They are ranked first or second in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. As I always do with the Spurs, I will be avoiding their opponent for fantasy purposes. You can take a chance on James Harden in tournaments, but I’ll be fading this team altogether.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

NONE

Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 PM

Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers
laclippersnba Vegas Total 207.5 lalakersnba Vegas Total 207.5
Vegas Sprd -11.0 Vegas Sprd 11.0
Team Proj. 109.3 Team Proj. 98.3
Team Pace 98.70 Team Pace 98.80
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Chris Paul J.J. Redick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Blake Griffin DeAndre Jordan Proj. Starter Jordan Clarkson Louis Williams Kobe Bryant “(player-popup)Larry Nance Jr Roy Hibbert
Opp. Season 30 29 23 24 30 Opp. Season 12 15 17 9 18
Opp. Last 7 27 28 28 24 29 Opp. Last 7 14 21 29 29 15

Christmas-Vacation-Shitters-Full-111

Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 16-13 — Road: 6-7 — Last 10: 6-4

The Clippers have won six of their last ten games and are now 16-13 on the season. This game has the largest spread of all five of the Christmas games, as the Clippers are favored by 11 points. While this could easily turn into a blowout, there is no denying the favorable matchup. The Clippers are projected to score 109.3 points, which is the second-highest team total on the board.

The Lakers have passed the Pelicans for honors as the worst defensive team in the NBA. They are now ranked dead last in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. If this game stays close, the Clippers may be the top team to target on Christmas.

Elite Plays

Chris Paul

Paul has been playing his best basketball of the season recently, averaging 44.4 fantasy points in his last five games. His price has come up across the industry, but he is still an elite play against the Lakers, who are ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to point guards this season.

FD — $9,000 — PG
DK — $8,600 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 22.7 | Last Five Games: 23.5
Min/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 34.6
FP/Game — Season: 36.2 | Last Five Games: 44.4

DeAndre Jordan

Jordan is my favorite center for cash games on Christmas. The Lakers are ranked dead last in rebounding differential and they have the worst defense in the NBA. He should get plenty of open looks in the paint and he will hopefully add some blocks and rebounds to his impressive stat line.

FD — $7,500 — C
DK — $6,700 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 11.5 | Last Five Games: 10.7
Min/Game — Season: 32.6 | Last Five Games: 31.9
FP/Game — Season: 32.9 | Last Five Games: 29.5

Secondary Plays

Blake Griffin

On the surface, Griffin would usually be an elite play against the Lakers. While he is still worth a look, you have to look at the entire slate from a roster construction standpoint. DeAndre Jordan is my favorite center and I generally don’t like to pair those two together, especially in potential blowouts.

FD — $9,000 — PF
DK — $9,000 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 26.0 | Last Five Games: 24.3
Min/Game — Season: 34.9 | Last Five Games: 37.9
FP/Game — Season: 41.7 | Last Five Games: 38.5

J.J. Redick

Redick has been playing his best basketball of the season, averaging 23.3 fantasy points in 28.8 minutes in his last five games. He is a nice source of value against the Lakers, who are ranked 29th against shooting guards this season.

FD — $4,600 — SG
DK — $4,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.9 | Last Five Games: 20.1
Min/Game — Season: 26.9 | Last Five Games: 28.8
FP/Game — Season: 19.2 | Last Five Games: 23.3

Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 5-24 — Home: 2-8 — Last 10: 2-8

The Lakers have lost eight of their last ten games and are now only 5-24 on the season. They are listed as 11-point underdogs on Christmas against the Clippers. They are projected to score 98.3 points in this matchup though, which is 1.6 points higher than their average points per game this season.

The Clippers have been mediocre defensively this season. They are ranked between 12th and 17th in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. Lou Williams, D’Angelo Russell, and Jordan Clarkson are all decent tournament options, but none of them are on my radar for cash games.

Elite Plays

Kobe Bryant

This is Bryant’s final Christmas game. He has the narrative going for him, he comes into this game in great form – 34.9 fantasy points per game in his last five, and he is facing the Clippers in a battle of Los Angeles. Bryant could end up with 25 shot attempts in this one.

FD — $7,200 — SG
DK — $6,400 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 26.6 | Last Five Games: 30.7
Min/Game — Season: 30.7 | Last Five Games: 29.9
FP/Game — Season: 27.9 | Last Five Games: 34.9

Secondary Plays

NONE

MERRY CHRISTMAS GRINDERS!

About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious