FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Thursday 12/7/23

Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. numberFire's projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news. numberFire also has player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

In addition to daily projections, numberFire also offers a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

C.J. McCollum ($8,200) -- The building blocks for a huge C.J. McCollum game are there despite a usual acceptance of his tertiary role with the New Orleans Pelicans. His 24.6% usage rate has come with 11.7 potential assists per game in the past 10 contests. Value is brutally difficult to come by on this two-game slate, so a balanced build with mid-range stars like McCollum could be both contrarian and fruitful. numberFire projects him for a healthy 37.7 FanDuel points in this fairly neutral matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

D'Angelo Russell ($6,700) -- In two December contests, D'Angelo Russell has yet to eclipse 10 points, so we're definitely buying the dip on a two-game slate in terms of popularity versus if he wasn't battling 33.3% shooting in that stretch. In the long run, I still expect him to play ahead of Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince when shooting better. Personally, Russell is as low as you can go at a loaded point guard spot to be different.

Malik Beasley ($5,200) -- Value at guard is so poor that Malik Beasley, who I'd normally classify as a wing, must make an appearance. He's taken over the full-time shooting guard spot for the Milwaukee Bucks, logging at least 35 minutes in each of his last five games. Not only is that a great potential role alongside their stars, but he's also usurped 16 points in each contest and made it happen.

Others to Consider

Tyrese Haliburton ($11,600) -- Tyrese Haliburton seems to deeply care about the In-Season Tournament (IST), but his top-shelf production like a 40-point triple-double just isn't super sustainable in the long run. He's held a 68.8 TS% as a guard whose taken 11.2 threes per game in the tournament. I love everything about his game, but a cold night from the floor could woefully underperform this particular salary.

Damian Lillard ($9,200) -- Despite the Indiana Pacers' otherwise world-class profile for fantasy basketball, they're oddly stingy against point guards and allow the fifth-fewest FanDuel points per game (45.6) to them. Topping 25 points in five of his last six games, Damian Lillard is sizzling hot and ready to defy that trend, but that's what bumped McCollum above him at salary for me.

Wings

Top Plays

LeBron James ($10,600) -- With a trophy on the line, not many in NBA history have been more successful than LeBron James, so why are we surprised he's shown up in the In-Season Tournament? He's turned back the clock with a team-best 29.6% usage rate and 51.1 FanDuel points per game, trailing only Anthony Davis on his squad. At the slate's fourth-highest salary, it wouldn't stun anyone to see him lead it in overall scoring.

Buddy Hield ($6,100) -- Buddy Hield's floor isn't as high as you'd hope for this salary due to minute concerns, but he has topped 28 minutes in every IST game as Indiana's rotation fluidity has stabilized just a bit. This game seems right up his alley with a 257.0-point total and fewer concerns about his defense, and the Bucks allow the 13th-most three-point attempts per game (35.6). He's exactly the mid-range core piece you'd think could work in a balanced build.

Aaron Nesmith ($4,600) -- Realistically, I could have bolded "a sub-$5,000 Pacers role player" here because we're all mostly left guessing who gets the fifth key spot for Indiana between Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin ($5,000), and Bennedict Mathurin ($4,800). I wouldn't blame anyone for turning to Mathurin with guard eligibility, but Nesmith (31 minutes) led this trio in court time in our most recent sample on Tuesday. It'll be a crucial choice in single-entry tournaments with basically nadda below $5,000 otherwise.

Others to Consider

Brandon Ingram ($8,400) -- For the Pels' highest salary, Brandon Ingram just doesn't really stand out with a second-highest usage rate (29.5%) during the IST, and he only averages 40.4 FanDuel points per 36 minutes. Plus, he'll be popular coming off a 30-point effort. I do like his floor, but I'm just questioning how realistic it is his upside pops in consecutive games with L.A. allowing 40.0 FanDuel points per game to small forwards (10th-fewest in the NBA).

Khris Middleton ($6,200) -- I've crossed Khris Middleton off for most of the season in his part-time role, so it is worth noting the IST has brought a little bit of "playoff mode" out of the Bucks. Khris logged 26 minutes on Tuesday, which is enough for his usage (25.5%) and talent (40.7 FanDuel points per 36) to pay off this salary. I can't imagine he'll be super popular but could be a razor-sharp pivot off a guy like Hield.

Bigs

Top Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,100) -- I have written up every Bucks starter and will finish it with their center in moments. Indiana's league-best pace factor (107.0) and third-worst defensive rating (102.1) are indisputably the best matchup across the board, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's salary is wholly justified to explode against them. Giannis fried the Pacers for 54 points and 12 boards in their only meeting this season, but Lillard did sit for that one. Still, don't be surprised by a repeat.

Myles Turner ($7,400) -- numberFire's projections don't quite love anyone like Myles Turner today. Turner has only posted 27.3 minutes per game in the IST, but he lept to 34 minutes in Indiana's comeback on Tuesday, and he'll almost certainly match that with Milwaukee's large frontcourt waiting in the wings. On the back of 32.5 projected minutes, Turner is projected for 40.8 FanDuel points at a median. It's a competitive landscape at center, but he's the best process play by a mile.

Jonas Valanciunas ($6,500) -- In the same vein, Jonas Valanciunas' minutes have bumped up during the IST, as well. He saw 29 minutes on Tuesday against a smaller Sacramento Kings lineup, and the Lakers will happily match New Orleans' preference to play big. The Pels will occasionally funnel their entire offense for halves at a time through J.V., and he won't be extremely popular on a two-game slate. If one of those instances takes place on Thursday, you'll be glad you pivoted off Turner.

Others to Consider

Zion Williamson ($8,300) -- I love Zion Williamson as a tournament play while acknowledging the risks. Things are getting a little weird as he was benched for the fourth quarter on Tuesday and is starting to talk about trades publicly, but you won't find a talented player with a 30.3% IST usage rate all too often -- especially on a two-game slate. Williamson's positional jam with Giannis should also bring down his draft rate.

Brook Lopez ($6,600) -- The choice at center between Turner, Valanciunas, and Brook Lopez should swing plenty of results on this slate. In terms of scoring and rebounding equity, Lopez lags well behind the other two, but his role (34 minutes on Tuesday) is actually the most secure of three entering a phenomenal matchup; Indiana allows the second-most points per game to centers (25.5). We all only get a maximum of four Bucks, and using Lopez as one of them is a quick way to be different.

Interested in playing NBA daily fantasy? FanDuel has plenty of contest options to make every moment more. Be sure to check out the NBA betting options, as well.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.