Opening night NBA DFS action on Tuesday, Dec. 22nd locks at 7 p.m. EST with a two-game main slate. Before you lock in your NBA DFS picks and favorite lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and SuperDraft, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS picks, including LeBron James, Montrezl Harrell and more.
[CARUSO]
[SportsbookAffiliates]
NBA DFS Picks: Key Building Block
LeBron James: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
DraftKings $9,600, FanDuel $11,000, Yahoo $49; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 48.0%, FanDuel 41.7% Yahoo 33.0%
It feels like we just witnessed LeBron James claim another NBA Trophy as well as Finals MVP honors. Though he will be 36 next week, we can bet that he will be champing at the bit, even though this was the shortest offseason in NBA history. As LeBron heads into his 18th season, he has a supporting cast that is much improved when compared to a team that just won the title.
Analysis on the short slates to open the season is always tricky, but there are a few key things to consider. The Lakers will not play again until their Christmas Day matchup with the Mavericks, who are coming to Los Angeles on Friday. That will give James and company 72 hours between games. Also, LeBron did not play in the first two preseason games but played 15 and 25 minutes in the final two. Because of that, he should be ready for something in the mid-30s. Finally, we know that there is not likely to be a lot of defense in these first few games, so even though Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on the other side, it is reasonable to expect nominal defensive checking for most of the game.
Wanna bet?
Alex “Awesemo” Baker’s projected stats (part of Awesemo+) have Stephen Curry scoring 20.71 points, which makes the under 27.5 at -110 on OddsShopper an intriguing way to hedge some our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups. Click on the image below to start shopping for the best edge in betting and check out all the player props available for the Tuesday’s NBA Opening Night action!
This year we are debuting several new premium NBA tools, including the Awesemo Big Board, which accounts for projected points, popularity, value and leverage. James tops the board on DraftKings for both points and value, but on FanDuel his $11,000 price tag does not get great marks for value. However, since FanDuel requires that we start two small forwards, he is still an interesting option and he gains leverage over the more popular — and $9,500 priced — Leonard.
Raw points are key on the short slates and James rivals teammate Anthony Davis in all of the baseline formats. Davis is a strong consideration on SuperDraft, where he gets a 1.15x multiplier compared to the 1.00x modifier for LeBron James.
NBA DFS Picks: Good Value
Montrezl Harrell: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
DraftKings $5,300, FanDuel $5,100, Yahoo $16; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 45.8%, FanDuel 23.0% Yahoo 40.6%
This offseason, Montrezl Harrell changed locker rooms in the Staples Center, leaving the Clippers and joining the Lakers. This is an excellent opportunity, and Harrell should see healthy minutes off the bench with the second unit as well as serving as the immediate backup for LeBron, Davis and fellow newcomer Marc Gasol in the frontcourt. Dwight Howard is now in Philadelphia, and JaVale McGee hooked up with Cleveland, so Harrell is going to get plenty of minutes.
Harrell started the first two preseason games when James and Davis were held out. The extra run ensures that he is in shape and that he should be reasonably effective when he is on the court. The mixture of minutes with the second unit, while also supplanting the starting bigs, should have him approaching 26-28 minutes on Tuesday. A lot of gamers will be looking to Eric Paschall, who is similarly priced and starting for the Warriors, but I prefer Harrell.
NBA DFS Picks: Risky Value
Eric Paschall: Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets
DraftKings $3,800, FanDuel $4,900, Yahoo $19; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 68.0%, FanDuel 27.1% Yahoo 28.0%
With Draymond Green and Alen Smailagic already ruled out, Eric Paschall will likely draw the starting assignment. Yahoo got ahead of the game, but he is priced like a reserve option on DraftKings and FanDuel. The worry here with Paschall is that he is going to be wildly popular, as he should be given his situation. However, that is not helpful on a short two-game slate.
There are several variables that could prevent the second-year-man from racking up the fantasy points. This offseason the Warriors added Kelly Oubre, a player who is not afraid to take his shots. Neither are Stephen Curry or Andrew Wiggins, which already leaves Paschall as the fourth option when they share the court. As the bench unit feathers in, usage will again lean toward available shooters in Damion Lee and Kent Bazemore.
Finally we have the added variable of rookie James Wiseman, who should see decent minutes off the bench. If we are looking for a direct leverage option, Marquese Chriss is in a similar price range as Paschall while coming in at half of the popularity. While Chriss carries plenty of risk himself, he is also a double-double waiting to happen, and he will likely get more minutes on the court with fewer dominant shooters soaking up usage.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Patrick Beverley: LAC at LAL – $10
- Marc Gasol: LAL vs. LAC -$10
- Marquese Chriss: GSW at BKN – $13
SuperDraft Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks
- Paul George: LAC at LAL – 1.45x multiplier
- Montrezl Harrell: LAL vs. LAC – 1.65x multiplier
- Ivica Zubac: LAC at LAL – 1.90x multiplier
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that we have a long season ahead of us as well as a busy week that includes 13 games on Wednesday and of course the massive Christmas Day tournaments. Do not go too crazy with your bankroll as you shake off the rust and get back into the swing of NBA DFS.
Be sure to tune into the Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows beginning at 5 p.m. EST for all of your up-to-date information and analysis.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Looking for more NBA DFS picks content? We have loads of daily fantasy basketball articles, data, cheat sheets and more on the Awesemo NBA home page. Just click HERE.
