DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Lineup Strategy for Dec. 12
Clippers stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are two elite players on Monday night’s slate.
Monday’s seven-game main slate for FanDuel tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET, and we’ve got all the bases covered for your DFS pursuits.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire’s NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Below are some of the more recent and significant injury scenarios we are looking at for Wednesday’s slate.
MEM Ja Morant (thigh) – QUESTIONABLE
MEM Steven Adams (ankle) – QUESTIONABLE
If Morant can’t make it, Tyus Jones ($5,600) is the likely starter in his place. If Adams is sidelined, pivot to Brandon Clarke ($5,000).
CLE Donovan Mitchell (leg) – QUESTIONABLE
CLE Kevin Love (back) – QUESTIONABLE
Caris LeVert started for Mitchell most recently, so go in that direction if he remains out. With the frontcourt otherwise healthy, Love’s absence won’t have much of an impact.
ATL Dejounte Murray (ankle) – OUT
ATL John Collins (ankle) – OUT
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of shameless self–promotion. We identified Bogdan Bogdanovic ($5,600) as the man to trust Sunday and he delivered, allowing me to cash across the board. While he may not repeat his 28-point performance, his result should be well worth his salary.
WAS Bradley Beal (hamstring) – QUESTIONABLE
WAS Monte Morris (groin) – QUESTIONABLE
Jordan Goodwin ($5,200) and Corey Kispert ($3,900) will be Washington’s backcourt if neither starter makes it onto the court tonight.
SAS Jakob Poeltl (knee) – OUT
Look for Zach Collins ($5,200) in place of Poeltl, who continues to sit.
BKN Royce O’Neale (personal) – OUT
O’Neale has been a solid contributor for the Nets. T.J. Warren ($3,700) needs more reps, so I suspect his usage will rise in O’Neale’s absence.
BOS Al Horford (personal) – OUT
The Celtics seem fine with putting Blake Griffin ($4,300) out there as a starter, so roll over to him in Horford’s absence. It should also be a bit of a revenge scenario for Griffin against the Clippers.
ELITE PLAYERS
Although Luka Doncic ($12,000) is carrying an injury tag, he should be good to go against the Thunder and as always, he’s a nightly chalk option. We are also in the familiar situation of deciding between two duos for DFS production. Paul George ($9,100) and Kawhi Leonard ($6,300) may provide the best value, but I like Kevin Durant ($10,300) and Kyrie Irving ($8,700) more. There’s enough value on the slate to make room for a stack, but I don’t view it as a must.
Moving down the list, the possible absence of Nicolas Claxton leads me to give Kristaps Porzingis ($9,200) an extended look, and I also expect a bit more balance from the Hawks as Trae Young ($9,700) ceded a lot of production to Bogdanovic on Sunday. Young should get some of that back this evening. I also believe that we aren’t overpaying for Jaylen Brown ($8,500) or Kyle Kuzma ($8,400) at their respective salaries.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Rudy Gobert, MIN ($7,600) @ POR
The Timberwolves are sticking around to play Portland again, and you had to like Gobert’s uncharacteristic line Saturday night. Karl-Anthony Towns‘ absence certainly helps, but Gobert turned on the gas in the scoring department instead of dazzling with a big rebound number. He’s now had two games in a row with more than 20 points, and a double-double is always a possibility for the elite defender.
D’Angelo Russell, MIN ($7,200) @ POR
I’m going to keep trusting recency and stick with the Timberwolves. Russell had a hot fourth quarter that resulted in a 30-point performance. His secondary numbers were off, but that’s bound to happen when you’re draining threes with abandon. He could surrender some output to Anthony Edwards this time around, but it’ll still be Russell’s show to direct.
Devin Vassell, SAS ($6,800) vs, CLE
Vassell’s not someone I would usually trust, but he came back from a knee issue with a solid stat line. I doubt we’ll see 35 FDFP frequently, but he may be able to find a lane without Donovan Mitchell available for Cleveland. He needs to keep up the shot volume to help us, but his salary makes him a worthwhile GPP play.
Clint Capela, ATL ($6,200) @ MEM
The Grizzlies represent a pretty good spot for Capela with Steven Adams potentially unavailable. Capela is on an incredible eight-game double-double streak, and all signs point toward another night of double-digit rebounds. I’m also fine with AJ Griffin ($4,500) as a player to take advantage of in this spot.
Also consider: Dillon Brooks, MEM ($6,200) vs. ATL
VALUE PLAYS
Ivica Zubac, LAC ($6,000) vs. BOS
There’s no question that Zubac’s stat lines can be rocky, which is why we see him at this low salary. Boston is on the road without Al Horford to help out, and although it’ll be a mini-homecoming for Blake Griffin, I’d take Zubac over Griffin as the winner inside despite the intangible.
Kyle Anderson, MIN ($5,600) @ POR
I know, we are hammering Minnesota, but it’s hard to find a value bench player who is contributing across the board as much as Anderson has recently. This kind of production may only be temporary, but there seems to be a direct correlation between his numbers and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ absence. As long as KAT is out, I’ll keep looking Anderson’s way.
Luke Kennard, LAC ($3,500) vs BOS
It’s been a rough road back for Kennard, but he woke up with a good result against the Wizards, which is a sign he might be feeling like his old self. At the cheapest salary possible, I think his dual eligibility allows us to give him some run against the Celtics.
Also consider: Charles Bassey, SAN ($5,100) vs. CLE, Victor Oladipo, MIA ($4,000)@ IND (mini-revenge game)
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Jeff has provided sports content for numerous sports outlets and has played fantasy sports since scores had to be tabulated via newspaper. He started working with RotoWire in 2017. Originally from South Carolina, he’s a lifelong Clemson fan now enjoying the sun in Los Angeles.
