FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Monday 12/18/23

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

Trae Young ($10,100) -- As someone who has targeted Dejounte Murray ($7,900) in these spots all season, it's time to accept Trae Young has a different role this year that's well worth a five-digit salary. He's topped 50 FanDuel points (FDP) in each of his last three games with a gaudy 32.2% usage rate in the current campaign, and Trae has added 18.2 potential assists per game to it. Barring a fluke game, he'll undoubtedly carve up a Detroit Pistons defense allowing the most FDP per game to opposing point guards (54.7).

Fred VanVleet ($8,000) -- Most of the NBA is playing the regular season, but Fred VanVleet has played at least 37 minutes in six of his last seven games like he's in the playoffs. FVV is shining in numberFire's projections with 40.8 expected FDP playing such a heavy role. While VanVleet's game total (215.0) isn't ideal, there are other mini-stack candidates to come that'll help us correlate key pieces from the Houston Rockets' affair with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Vince Williams Jr. ($4,600) -- Unfortunately, Derrick Rose's renaissance season took a hit. He's week-to-week with a hamstring issue. Vince Williams Jr. had already usurped David Roddy ($4,500) in the Memphis Grizzlies' starting lineup, but now, there's plenty of room for both. Williams logged 30 minutes in Memphis' last game, and Roddy was at 28 off the bench. You won't find much better roles for $4,000-range players on the slate.

Others to Consider

Jordan Poole ($6,900) -- As frustrating as he can be, Jordan Poole presents us a 27.8% usage rate in a game with a mammoth total. The Washington Wizards visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday with FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds projecting a slate-high 248.0 combined points. The knuckleheads -- including Kyle Kuzma ($8,000) -- come at reasonable salaries when this game might be far closer than advertised should De'Aaron Fox (shoulder) miss a second consecutive tilt.

T.J. McConnell ($5,800) -- I rarely write up a player I likely won't use, but the Tyrese Haliburton injury situation deserves some love. He's questionable with a knee bruise. Unfortunately, Haliburton's absence led to one of the ugliest NBA DFS rotations I've ever seen with 11 players drawing at least 10 minutes on the court and no player topping 27 minutes. With T.J. McConnell's salary proactively elevated, I'm not the juice is worth the squeeze against the Los Angeles Clippers' 111.0 defensive rating.

Malik Monk ($5,800) -- If Fox sits again for the Kings, we didn't get a very good sample of what the court will look like. Keegan Murray drained 12 of 15 three-pointers in a once-in-a-career type of night. I still would default to Monk commanding this offense late; he's posted 42.1 FDP per 36 minutes with Fox off the floor this season behind a healthy 29.1% usage rate.

Wings

Top Plays

Desmond Bane ($8,600) -- Just as Desmond Bane was starting to get some help, it has vanished again. Bane has posted 48.2 FDP per 36 minutes with Rose and Marcus Smart both off the floor, so he'll likely be the offense's heliocentric force again. There are blowout risks here against an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that plays excellent defense (110.9 rating), but OKC is also fourth in pace factor, so this should be an up-and-down game if it stays true to a 10.5-point spread.

Bojan Bogdanovic ($6,900) -- The Atlanta Hawks are willing to trade baskets, so it's entirely possible the Pistons have a chance to snap their losing streak in a shootout tonight. If they're going to, their top scorers -- Cade Cunningham ($8,200) and Bojan Bogdanovic -- will likely have to shine fairly bright. The tough part about stacking this game's 246.0-point total is Detroit's unsettled rotation, but Cunningham and Bogdanovic hold usage rates above 26.5% as the only two regulars in the 30-minute range.

Isaac Okoro ($4,200) -- With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley on the shelf for separate injuries, Isaac Okoro has moved into a starting, full-time role for the Cavs once again. That didn't use to be notable news with Okoro's historical production rate, but he's posted 25.1 FDP per 36 minutes this season. He's another solid yet uninspiring $4,000-range option to mix and match with members of his game. nF has Okoro pegged for 20.8 FDP on Monday, but I'd take the over.

Others to Consider

Paul George ($8,700) -- On top of a nice revenge narrative against the Indiana Pacers that drafted him, Paul George returned to a slight salary discount on Saturday and seemed totally fine, dropping 25 points in 31 minutes. If we do get to take swings at the Pacers' value options, the Clippers' studs should all be in line for a field day against the league's top team in pace factor (107.3) that is combined with its third-worst defensive rating (120.4).

Cameron Thomas ($6,400) -- numberFire's projections are typically gospel, but I just believe they've got the Brooklyn Nets wrong at the moment. When Cameron Thomas is on the floor, he's the guy. He's posted 37.6 FDP per 36 minutes when Mikal Bridges (37.1) and Cameron Johnson (31.1) lag considerably behind. Plus, Thomas' usage rate (31.7%) crushes the next-highest Nets starter (Bridges at 24.5%) with all playing. At comparable -- or higher -- salaries, I want Thomas instead.

Deni Avdija ($5,800) -- Entering a tremendous DFS environment, now is the time to buy Deni Avdija again. He's hit a rough patch with 40.2% shooting in December, but that mark is 50.2% overall even factoring in this month. Avdija's low usage (17.9%), peripheral-stat production is a high-floor alternative to the zaniness -- but upside -- Kuzma and Poole can present. I wouldn't hesistate to use him in conjunction with one of the scorers.

Bigs

Top Plays

Domantas Sabonis ($10,200) -- With De'Aaron Fox at risk of missing tonight's game, it could become Domantas Sabonis' show. The Wizards' defensive shortcomings are apparent inside, allowing the most points (26.0) and rebounds (9.0) per game to opposing centers on average. Sabonis' 46.2 FDP per 36 minutes average with Fox off the floor isn't the slam-dunk increase you'd hope, but most of that has come playing with a less efficient bench unit.

Onyeka Okongwu ($6,200) -- Though Okongwu has yet to do real damage in a starting role with Clint Capela (knee) out, tonight could be an explosion. Okongwu draws a Detroit squad allowing 61.4 FDP per game to opposing centers (second-most in the NBA). The frustrating outings on Friday and Saturday could leave his draft rate far, far lower than it should be within the best environment on the slate.

Santi Aldama ($5,400) -- Rose isn't Memphis' only key absence tonight. The team has Bismack Biyombo listed as doubtful with a back issue. That should promote Xavier Tillman ($4,300) back to the center spot, but Tillman has logged consecutive DNPs entering tonight. Instead, expect the Grizz to lean heavily on Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,900) and Santi Aldama as a frontcourt pairing. Aldama logged 26 minutes on Friday, and the always-productive forward has posted 36.1 FDP per 36 this season.

Others to Consider

Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,000) -- I haven't even mentioned Anthony Edwards' questionable status, which is due to a hip injury. If Edwards sits, plenty of Minnesota Timberwolves get a bump, but none see quite the lift that Karl-Anthony Towns does. He presents a team-best uptick in usage rate (7.3 percentage points) and FDP per 36 minutes (5.5) with Ant off the floor. While Kyle Anderson ($4,900) likely starts in his place, Towns becomes a crucial stud in the fold.

Jarrett Allen ($7,300) -- It is no coincidence that Jarrett Allen has eclipsed 40 FanDuel points in two of the Cavs' three games without Mobley. He's dominated that situation historically, and 2023-24 has been no different at 35.5 FDP per 36 minutes. Houston is a middle-of-the-road matchup for centers, but as long as Allen keeps flirting with that 40-FDP mark against teams as difficult as the Boston Celtics, I'll keep rostering him at a sub-$8,000 salary.

Nick Richards ($5,700) -- The Charlotte Hornets found a new rock bottom when losing by 53 points on Saturday, but I'd still presume Nick Richards holds down a full-time spot at center in a more normal affair tonight facing the Toronto Raptors. He only played 19 minutes in the rout. Mark Williams (back) is still expected out for Charlotte, but Richards becomes a bit dicier if PJ Washington (shoulder) is active after an upgrade to questionable. While preferring Okongwu, Big Nick is in the mix at the pivot.

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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.