NBA DFS Picks: Friday 12/20/24

If you're looking to have some fun this basketball season, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections, powered by numberFire, update throughout the day to reflect current news.

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

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

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published.

NBA DFS Picks for Today

Guards

Top Priorities

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,100) -- Before the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup title game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had tallied 62-plus FanDuel points (FDPs) in three consecutive outings. Even though the Miami Heat are 11th in adjusted defensive rating (111.3), all three of his previous outings where he scored 62-plus FDPs came against teams in the top 12 in adjusted defensive rating.

Darius Garland ($7,100) -- The Bucks are giving up the fifth-most FDPs per game to PGs (51.1), and Damian Lillard has been ruled out of Friday's contest with a calf injury. The absence of Lillard provides a boost for Darius Garland as he won't need to defend the All-Star guard, and he notched 51.4 FDPs versus Milwaukee earlier this season.

Others to Consider

Cason Wallace ($5,400) -- Cason Wallace returned to the starting lineup on Thursday against the Orlando Magic, and despite finishing with a season-worst 9.2 FDPs, he's capable of accumulating points via stocks (steals plus blocks). The rookie guard has posted multiple stocks in 9 of his last 11 contests while achieving 27-plus FDPs in 5 of those outings.

Delon Wright ($3,500) -- If Delon Wright is named as the replacement for Lillard in the starting lineup, he'll become a popular salary-saving option at PG at the minimum salary. While the Bucks could elect to insert either A.J. Green or Gary Trent Jr. into the starting five instead of Wright, our projections currently have Wright as the second-best point-per-dollar play on the slate.

Wings

Top Priorities

Paul George ($8,800) -- For the third time in December, the Philadelphia 76ers will square off with the Charlotte Hornets, who Paul George has produced 50-plus FDPs against in the previous two meetings. The Hornets are 23rd in adjusted defensive rating (114.7), 22nd in effective field-goal percentage allowed (55.3%), and 25th in free-throw rate allowed (27.9%) while they have given up the 3rd-most FDPs per game to SFs (50.3) over their last seven contests.

Jimmy Butler ($8,200) -- The last time we saw Jimmy Butler take the court he exploded for a season-high 87.8 FDPs, and the Heat will need him to be special again on Friday if they want to defeat the Thunder at home. On a small three-game slate, Butler provides a solid floor of 38 FDPs per game while he's earned 40-plus FDPs in three of his last five appearances.

Others to Consider

Kelly Oubre ($6,300) -- Kelly Oubre would become more of a priority if Joel Embiid is inactive again for the 76ers as that would leave more rebound chances and scoring opportunities for the versatile wing. Minutes aren't an issue for Oubre right now -- he's logged 34-plus minutes in five straight games -- and he just registered a season-best 40.8 FDPs against the Hornets earlier this week.

Luguentz Dort ($5,800) -- With limited options on a smaller slate, Luguentz Dort is someone potentially worth taking a chance on in hopes he can accumulate FDPs via real-life points and stocks. Dort has accrued multiple stocks in 8 of his last 10 outings, which has led to him putting up 27-plus FDPs in five of those contests.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200) -- Amid the absence of Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely take on even more responsibility for the Bucks -- especially in the playmaking department. According to FantasyLabs' On/Off tool, Giannis is producing 35 points, 10.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes whenever Lillard hasn't been on the court for Milwaukee this season.

Jarrett Allen ($7,800) -- With the expectation that the Cleveland Cavaliers try to have Evan Mobley guarding Giannis as much as possible, I'll give the slight edge to Jarrett Allen in this matchup. Besides Allen notching 39-plus FDPs in two of his last five games, the veteran big man scored 50 FDPs versus the Bucks earlier this year. While none of the three games on Friday have a lofty total, the Cavs-Bucks showdown has the highest total.

Others to Consider

Isaiah Hartenstein ($7,400) -- Across his first 11 games as a member of the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein has proven he can stuff the stat sheet with eight double-doubles and eight games where he recorded multiple stocks. Even in a tough matchup versus Bam Adebayo and the Heat, Hartenstein is averaging 37.6 FDPs per game this season, and Miami is permitting the fifth-most rebounds per game to Cs (15.9).

Brook Lopez ($5,300) -- Despite Giannis logging impressive numbers when Lillard isn't on the floor for the Bucks this year, Brook Lopez is the player who sees the biggest bump in usage rate (+6.3%; 21%) in the same scenario. This is a solid salary for Lopez as FanDuel Research's projections have him pinpointed as the best point-per-dollar play on the slate currently, and he's projected to have the most blocks (2.2).

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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.