Hoops Habit
Fansided

FanDuel NBA: Best Picks And Lineup For Dec. 21

By Michael Yaffe

Dec 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) looks on in the third quarter quarter at Verizon Center. The Rockets won 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) looks on in the third quarter quarter at Verizon Center. The Rockets won 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next
Dec 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives the ball during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives the ball during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Read on for the top four picks at each position and a sample lineup for Monday’s FanDuel NBA games:

Although a nine-game slate might seem a bit daunting, the upcoming holiday break has led to clustered schedules for a number of teams in action that will be playing their second consecutive game and third in four nights.

While tailoring the lineup in response to the anticipated fatigue factor hasn’t been foolproof so far, as the season wears on we should see an increase in reliability for the tactic, especially for both the rookies and the elder statesmen of the league (rest days notwithstanding).

To that end, the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks (who are hosting Portland) and Brooklyn Nets all qualify as “tired” teams, and as a best practice we’ll continue to avoid those teams’ players and load up against them if the matchups warrant it. Without further ado, here are some building blocks to consider:

John Wall, Washington Wizards ($9,900) vs. Sacramento Kings: Optimus Dime shook off concerns about his ankle issue on Saturday with a Herculean 49.8 fantasy point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. The Kings are a terrible defensive team in general, as their 107.4 PPG allowed is next to last in the league.

More from Fantasy Basketball

While a portion of that statistic can be attributed to their pace factor of 99.4 percent (third overall), the reality is that DeMarcus Cousins is the only starter who’s capable of consistently getting stops from his opposing counterpart.

As the Dallas Mavericks found out last season, Rajon Rondo’s days as a two-way player are ancient history and the Kings sit in the lower third against point guards on FanDuel NBA as a result. Assuming his alleged ailment is still under control, Wall projects as the top option at his position against a tired team that should allow him to produce at will.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls ($8,500) vs. Brooklyn Nets: Butler sleepwalked through 33 lethargic minutes against the New York Knicks on Saturday after being taxed for 56 in the quadruple overtime thriller against the Detroit Pistons the previous night. It didn’t take long for the basketball gods to reward Jimmy Minutes for earning his nickname, as tonight he gets a tired Nets team that is dead last against opposing shooting guards overall.

Butler has already enjoyed a 24-point night against Brooklyn in the initial meeting this season, which was just above his 21.4 PPG overall. But that was at the Barclays Center, where the Nets are 6-8. That may seem like nothing special, but compared to their disgraceful 1-12 road record it’s like they’re two different teams. In Chi-town Butler should have a field day against Bojan Bogdanovic and the Silly Nannies, and the Bulls’ two-game skid should become a thing of the past.

James Harden, Houston Rockets ($10,500) vs. Charlotte Hornets: Listing Harden might seem like a bit of a surprise, since the Hornets are in the top third of the league in defensive rating (102.0); however that stat is a bit misleading, as Nicolas Batum (who starts at 2-guard) isn’t pulling his weight, as his 100.5 defensive rating is just average.

At 6’8”, Batum has the height of a legitimate swingman and he is a decent rebounder (6.5 per game), but beyond that he doesn’t contribute much in the way of blocks (0.6) or steals (1.2) to be considered a defensive threat.

More from Hoops Habit

While the Hornets are middle of the pack overall versus off-guards on FanDuel NBA, the team has slipped to the bottom third over their past 10 games, perhaps due in part to the extended absence of center Al Jefferson. When you factor in the team’s 4-7 road record (as opposed to 11-4 at the Cable Box), the chances are favorable for the Beard to return value this time out.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers ($8,700) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: It’s difficult to cherry pick from this star-studded matchup, but Paul stands out among the household names. While CP3 himself was surprisingly vulnerable defensively for a while, he has since righted the ship and his team is in the lower third vs. PGs over their past five games as a result. The Thunder have since gone the opposite direction, as they are fourth worst over their past 10 games in the same category.

Paul has been on fire lately, as he has produced double-doubles in four of his last five and five of his last seven games. Indeed, his seven steals against Houston on Saturday were a huge fantasy coup (two points apiece on FanDuel NBA), so while he’s firing on all cylinders he merits strong consideration against a Thunder team that has been struggling against PGs these days.

Next: Top Four Point Guards