FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Tuesday 12/5/23

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 a lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

Here at FanDuel Research, we'll also 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

Jalen Brunson ($8,300) -- The New York Knicks (29th in pace) have a massive pace-up matchup today against the Milwaukee Bucks (5th). The Bucks have become a superb fantasy matchup as they sit just 21st in defensive rating. They're permitting 50.2 FanDuel points per night to point guards, the eighth-most. Brunson tagged the Bucks for 56.0 FanDuel points earlier this year, and he's an excellent option on this two-game slate. numberFire projects him for 41.3 FanDuel points (4.97 per $1,000).

D'Angelo Russell ($6,800) -- D'Angelo Russell's usual lack of top-shelf upside -- although he popped off for 59.3 FanDuel points three games ago -- isn't as big of a worry on a two-game slate, and he's a modest-salaried way to get a piece of a Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns clash that should be sweet for DFS (227.5-point total and 1.5-point spread). He's scored at least 35.6 FanDuel points in three straight games.

Others to Consider

Damian Lillard ($9,300) -- For the size of the slate, there's a good amount of high-ceiling players going tonight. Damian Lillard is one such player. While the matchup is meh, Dame has put up between 43.5 and 52.2 FanDuel points in six consecutive games. He's found his fit with the Bucks and is at a salary that is $2,900 less than Giannis Antetokounmpo's.

Wings

Top Plays

Kevin Durant ($10,100) -- I much prefer Kevin Durant tonight to Devin Booker ($10,400). KD has posted at least 61.3 FanDuel points in three of his previous seven contests. He's finished with 52.3 and 53.2 FanDuel points in two games against the Lakers this season. I like the idea of stacking him with this next guy.

LeBron James ($9,900) -- LeBron James has played at least 35 minutes in four of his past six games, and given the big stage tonight, Bron might see extended run versus Phoenix. It's been a while since LeBron had a huge fantasy game, failing to top 50.0 FanDuel points in six straight. However, he's come up big in two previous meetings with Phoenix, going for 56.2 and 51.1 FanDuel points. numberFire's model projects James for 49.5 FanDuel points (5.00 per $1,000).

Others to Consider

Grayson Allen ($4,900) -- Value is hard to come by today. That'll likely push a lot of people to Grayson Allen, who is easy to like given his salary and starting role. Allen has cleared 30 minutes in each of his past six games. The lone negative is he'll probably be very chalky.

Josh Hart ($5,000) -- Josh Hart is a pivot off Allen. Hart doesn't start but usually logs good minutes, playing at least 24 minutes in each of his last 15 appearances. He's a steady contributor on the glass, and Hart averages 22.3 FanDuel points per game for the season, making him a decent value piece on a slate without much value.

Bigs

Top Plays

Anthony Davis ($11,400) -- Anthony Davis is on a heater. Across his last three games, he's averaged 61.4 FanDuel points. He's racked up at least four combined steals/blocks in two of those games, and he has the upside to break the slate.

Julius Randle ($8,700) -- Another former Kentucky big, Julius Randle is projecting super well as numberFire pegs him to produce 45.6 FanDuel points (5.24 per $1,000). That kind of projection ensures Randle will be popular, and he can take advantage of a Milwaukee D that's conceded the eighth-most FanDuel points per night to power forwards (49.6).

Brook Lopez ($6,200) -- Brook Lopez is another projections darling as numberFire forecasts him to score 34.6 FanDuel points (5.58 per $1,000). The Knicks give up the second-most made threes per game to centers (1.7), so the matchup fits well with Lopez's skill set. He tallied 45.0 FanDuel points against the Knicks earlier this year, although that output was propped up by a colossal eight blocks.

Others to Consider

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200) -- Given the small slate, it's unlikely Antetokounmpo falls through the cracks too much, but he isn't projecting well in a tough matchup with New York. That should steer the masses to other high-salary stars, making Giannis a possible tourney-winning GPP pick. We know what kind of upside he has, and he's topped 60.0 FanDuel points in four straight.

Mitchell Robinson ($5,800) -- numberFire loves Mitchell Robinson, projecting him for 32.0 FanDuel points (5.52 per $1,000). Robinson and Lopez will likely soak up a large chunk of the draft percentage at center. Like Lopez, Robinson offers monster blocks/steals upside, averaging five combined blocks/steals over his past three games. If you need to punt somewhere, Isaiah Hartenstein ($3,900), Robinson's teammate, is worth a look.

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.

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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.