NBA

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Friday 12/20/19

With 10 games to choose from on tonight's NBA slate, let's take a look at how to utilize the DFS possibilities. Here are some of the top plays and sleepers on DraftKings. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Kyle Lowry ($8,500) -- The Raptors, one of the NBA's best home teams (11-3), host the Wizards, and Pascal Siakam will be out due to a groin injury he suffered on Wednesday. Lowry will be asked to carry the load and should be assigned the duty of guarding Bradley Beal ($9,100). The Raptors are ranked seventh in points allowed per game average (105.2), and without Siakam they'll have to find a way slow down the third-highest scoring offense (117.7). The Wizards allow the most points per game (121.8). In short, this should be a high-scoring affair, and Lowry offers a nice floor/ceiling combination.

Ja Morant ($7,800) -- The Grizzlies play at the fourth-fastest pace (106.0) and are sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (18.6) with Morant running point. Morant is a leading Rookie of the Year candidate and is coming off back-to-back 20-point games with a double-double versus the Heat in which he notched 20 points and 10 assists. The Grizzlies' offense averages 110.6 points per game, but they're not an efficient group (24th in offensive efficiency). That's not as big of a concern tonight as they face a Cavaliers team that's 29th in defensive efficiency.

Shooting Guard

C.J. McCollum ($6,800) -- McCollum has two straight 30-point games, and the Blazers are back at home to host the Magic. McCollum's numbers are worse at home than on the road. He's averaging 19.3 points at home, compared to 24.1 on the road, and 32.9 fantasy points at home, compared to 39.3 away from home. But this is potentially the most even game for the Blazers in a four-game homestand that is against teams that are all under .500. The Blazers are 11th in offensive rating (109.7), and the Magic are 12th in defensive rating (106.9). The separating factor in this game is if Damian Lillard ($8,800) and McCollum can control the pace and score in transition as the Blazers are 11th in pace (104.5) and the Magic are tied for 28th (99.9).

Jrue Holiday ($8,600) -- The Pelicans are looking for their second winning streak of the season as they go on the road versus the Warriors. Holiday has scored 18 or more points in eight of his last 10 games and 20 or more in six. New Orleans is 10th in points per game (112.2) and allows the second-most points per game (118.9), while the Warriors are 26th in average points (104.6) and 21st in points allowed per game (114.0). This is a good game to target tonight. Holiday has recorded 37 or more fantasy points in five of his last six games, and he had 22 points and 9 assists in the 108-100 win versus the Dubs on November 17. He didn't play the other time these two met up.

Small Forward

Tobias Harris ($7,100) -- Harris has been playing his best ball of the season as he's scored 20 or more points in eight of his last 10 games. The 76ers are 18th in points per game at home (110.7), a number they've reached in three of their last five at the Wells Fargo Center. Harris is averaging 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 47.6-percent from the field at home this season.

Marcus Morris ($6,300) -- Morris recorded his second straight 22-point game for the Knicks and is averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game. One of the Knicks many power forwards, he and Julius Randle ($7,100) have been the leading scorers in five of the last six games and 22 of 28 games on the season. The Knicks are in Miami to face the Heat. It's a difficult matchup, but Morris can impact this game from beyond the arc as he's made three or more triples in three of his last four games and is hitting 44.6 percent from three on the road.

Power Forward

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,500) -- The Unicorn posted his fourth straight 20-point game and third straight double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to the Celtics last time out. Porzingis has posted three straight games of 50-plus fantasy points, and the Mavericks are in Philadelphia to face one of the league's best home teams. The Mavs remain without Luka Doncic tonight. Dallas has remained competitive sans Luka because of Porzingis' stellar play, and as long as Doncic is out, KP is a must-play because of his nightly double-double opportunity. The Mavericks are fourth in points per game (117.6) and scored at least 118 in two of the three games without Doncic.

Brandon Ingram ($8,700) -- Ingram has led the Pelicans in scoring in four of the last six games, and he missed the last game versus the Warriors due to a sore right knee. In the first game versus Golden State, he scored a team-high 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. Ingram recorded 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the Pelicans' recent win over the Timberwolves, marking his third 30-point game in six outings. Ingram has posted at least 16 shot attempts in eight of his last 10 games.

Center

Kevin Love (7,200) -- Love recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists last outing versus the Hornets. The Cavaliers are back at home, hosting the Grizzlies in their first meeting of the year. Cleveland is 25th in pace (100.7) and four of the past five home games have been decided by single digits, meaning the Cavs are playing their style at home and somewhat controlling the pace and their deficit. The Grizzlies are first in points in the paint (53.9) and 16th in rebounding (45.1), meaning Love will be involved often and should earn his fifth double-double in the past six games.

Serge Ibaka ($7,400) -- Ibaka posted a season-high 25 points against the Pistons and grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench for the Raptors. Toronto will be without Siakam, Marc Gasol, and Norman Powell tonight in addition to Fred VanVleet ($7,700) being labeled as a game-time decision. Ibaka and Lowry will be the go to players tonight for Toronto as Ibaka should slide into the starting lineup. Ibaka has double-doubled in two of his past three games and attempted a season-high 18 shot attempts against the Pistons. Expect Ibaka and Lowry to surpass 35 combined shot attempts as they go for their third straight home win.


Vaughn Dalzell is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Vaughn also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username vdalzell. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.