DFSGhost 
The NBA does not seem to like the idea of pausing the season nor delaying any games, at least for the time being, with the notable Christmas Day action so close. Thus, the player pools will be as slim as ever, with both few pay up options and having to navigate our way through which value plays will actually see valuable minutes down the stretch for their respective teams. It’s Mojito Monday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors (-13)
With one of the longest injury reports that the NBA has to offer, Sacramento players will continue to be one of, if not the highest rostered group on this slate. Having De’Aaron Fox, Terence Davis, and Davion Mitchell in health and safety protocols certainly opens things up for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, who will both continue to be vital in our lineups, especially the former. In the front court, Tristan Thompson will continue to get the start at the ‘5’ with Damion Jones subbing in for him, with both Alex Len and Richaun Holmes (GTD) likely being out for the Kings.
While both Steph Curry and Draymond Green draw back into the lineup for the Warriors tonight, they’ll be without both Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, who are in health and safety protocols. Despite the high spread in favor of the NBA Championship contender, I still have a ton of interest in Curry, who can certainly lead the slate in scoring. On the other hand, there is also going to be a ton of minutes and offensive production to go around in the back court and on the wings, with players such as Damion Lee and Gary Payton II.
All in all, the spread of this one does not scare me whatsoever considering it is far and away the best game environment on the NBA slate. Sacramento sits 5th in the league in pace while also ranking 29th in defensive rating, which bodes well for one of, if not the best offense in the NBA, who currently rank 4th in offensive rating. Rotations will be condensed on both sides of the ball and I expect Sacramento to stay in this one longer than most will think, before the Warriors eventually pull away with it.
SA Spurs @ LA Clippers (-5)
Because most of the injuries in this game are GTD, the field will stay away from it, making it intriguing from a rostership perspective. To begin, it is none other than Dejounte Murray who peaks my interest on the second half of a back-to-back, lining up against a Clippers team that we love to pick on with opposing primary ball handlers. Should Doug McDermott miss this game, as he did last night with a tooth injury, look for Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell to pick up extra minutes on the wing at affordable prices across both sites for tonight’s NBA slate.
On the flipside, the shape of the Clippers truly rides or dies with the availability of Paul George. With Serge Ibaka (GTD) unlikely to play tonight and Isaiah Hartenstein already being ruled out with an ankle injury, Ivica Zubac could be in for a rare night where he sees 30+ minutes against Jakob Poeltl and the Spurs front court, with Nic Batum picking up substantial minutes as the small-ball center. Moreover, the Clippers suddenly get an even thinner bench, with fringe players such as BJ Boston and Justice Winslow. Should Paul George play in this one, he’ll be my top target on the NBA slate, and should he sit out, there is a ton of value to be had, in addition to a real interest in key players such as Reggie Jackson, Terence Mann, and Luke Kennard.
Even if we do not get Paul George news before lock, I’ll be rostering at least one LA Clipper tonight alongside Dejounte Murray. With both teams down to 7-man rotations, with fringe players seeing 5-10 minutes as the deep bench, we know where the offensive production is going to come from, and most importantly, there are a ton of minutes and shots to go around, which will be key on this NBA slate.
Honorable Mention:
- OKC Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies (-8.5)
You can find us on Twitter @DFS_Ghost and @Bucn4life
