NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 12/20/17 – Value Plays

*Mike Barner*

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 12/20/17 – Value Plays

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Wednesday’s slate in the NBA is loaded with 12 games, giving you plenty of options for your DFS entry. We took a look at some of the overall excellent plays in Wednesday’s article on Sports Illustrated, but let’s now dive deeper into only the cheaper value plays that can help make you a winner.

POINT GUARDS

George Hill, SAC at BKN
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $4,800

Hill did not play Tuesday due to an illness but is expected to return for Wednesday’s game against the Nets. Fellow guard De’Aaron Fox (quad) entered Tuesday’s game with an injury and tried to play, but had to leave the game early. Considering Fox missed Sunday’s game with the same injury, it would be surprising if he plays Wednesday. That would leave Hill in line for increased minutes, giving him a boost in value. He scored 16 points to go along with five assists and one steal in 33 minutes with Fox out Sunday, making him someone to consider again for this game.

Dejounte Murray, SA at POR
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,100

The Spurs have ruled out starting point guard Tony Parker (rest) on Wednesday, which should open up more playing time for Murray. Murray started the last three games that Parker missed, averaging 19.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. While it might be hard to replicate those numbers Wednesday, he won’t need to in order to still have excellent value at this price.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Justin Holiday, CHI vs. ORL
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $5,200

Holiday has seen significant playing time of late, logging at least 38 minutes in three of his last six games. The Bulls finally have some depth with Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, and David Nwaba all healthy, which is making it harder for defenses to key in on Holiday. He’s not just an offensive threat either as he is averaging career-highs in both rebounds (4.5) and steals (1.3) per game. The Magic play at the seventh-fastest pace (102.2) in the league, so look for Holiday to have a chance to make a big impact in this game.

Josh Hart, LAL at HOU
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $3,000

Hart is likely to receive another start Wednesday as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be unable to play as he can’t leave the state of California due to a legal issue. Hart started on the road Thursday against the Cavaliers, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 33 minutes. Both the Lakers and Rockets are in the top-eight in the league in pace of play, so this could be a high-scoring affair. Hart is someone to consider based on his dirt cheap price on both sites.

SMALL FORWARDS

Josh Richardson, MIA at BOS
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $5,900

The Heat are running out of healthy players. Hassan Whiteside (knee) and James Johnson (ankle) have already been ruled out Wednesday, Justise Winslow (knee) is doubtful and Goran Dragic (elbow) is going to try and play after missing Monday’s game. With so few options left, Richardson has been forced to log at least 36 minutes in three of his last four games. He has shown great upside in his last two games, averaging 27.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 2.5 blocks and 4.0 three-pointers per contest. With plenty of minutes likely available Wednesday, consider Richardson for your entry.

Mario Hezonja, ORL at CHI
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,700

Injuries continue to pile up around the league as the Magic will be without Aaron Gordon (calf) on Wednesday. Hezonja has played at least 31 minutes in three of the last four games due to Gordon’s absence, averaging 17.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.7 three-pointers per contest. The Bulls have allowed at least 100 points in five of their last six games, so this could be another high-scoring contest based on the Magic’s pace of play. He is only shooting guard eligible on DraftKings, but should still provide value on both sites regardless of his position.

POWER FORWARDS

Kyle Kuzma, LAL at HOU
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $5,800

The Lakers frontcourt is going to be a little thin going forward as Brook Lopez (ankle) has been ruled out for three weeks. While he wasn’t playing particularly well, Lopez was still averaging 22 minutes per game. Kuzma should be one of the players who benefits from Lopez’s absence, which he showed by playing 40 minutes in Monday’s overtime loss to the Warriors. The Rockets like to use a lot of small lineups, which fits well with Kuzma’s skillset. The price is right to get him in your lineup for this game.

Trey Lyles, DEN vs. MIN
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,800

Lyles did not play much earlier this year, logging at least 20 minutes in only one of the first 19 games. An injury to Nikola Jokic opened up some playing time for Lyles, and it doesn’t look like he’s planning on going back to a limited role anytime soon. He’s developed a consistent role over his last 10 games, averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 three-pointers per contest. He’s passed Kenneth Faried on the depth chart as Faried hasn’t even played in two of the last four games. At this price, it might be worth taking a chance that Lyles keeps things rolling Wednesday.

CENTERS

Alex Len, PHO at LAC
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $5,600

The Suns center position is extremely frustrating. They have been rotating DNP’s between Len, Tyson Chandler, and Greg Monroe, making it difficult to choose who to us in DFS any given night. One sliver of hope is that Len has played the last three games in a row, averaging 11.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. He seems to be the more talented player between the three, it’s just a matter of getting consistent minutes. Keep an eye on his status throughout the day as he has value at this price if he takes the floor.

Bam Adebayo, MIA at BOS
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $4,600

With all the Heat’s problems with injuries already detailed, Adebayo is one of the players who has been counted on for extra minutes. His offensive upside isn’t great, but Adebayo has averaged 11.0 points and 6.2 rebounds over his last five games. This isn’t an ideal matchup against a tough Celtics defense, but there aren’t great cheap options at center Wednesday. If you want to take a chance on someone who won’t cost much, Adebayo could provide value.