This holiday season, the greatest gift for hoops fans is a twelve-game slate of NBA action. Among Saturday’s highlights, a duel between James Harden’s Clippers and Kyrie Irving’s Mavericks could shake things up in the Western Conference. With so many big names taking the floor, narrowing down a select group to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is a difficult task. Here are the three guards at the top of tonight’s board:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st]
1. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons at PHX ($10,200)
The Pistons have had some tough losses recently, including Thursday’s 126-119 defeat to the Jazz. Still, the superb play of Cade Cunningham has given Detroit fans reason for hope. The former number one overall pick is averaging career-best marks of 23.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 9.6 assists through 24 games this season.
Despite Detroit’s recent struggles, Cade has produced a double-double in nine of his last 12 appearances. The Suns have struggled recently on defense, allowing 117.7 points over their last three games, fifth-most in the NBA. To make matters worse for Phoenix, the team has given up the 12th-most DK fantasy points to opposing guards this season. The Pistons might not have the greatest supporting cast, but their young superstar is showing no signs of slowing down.
2. James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers at DAL ($9,500)
Without Kawhi Leonard, James Harden has been forced to carry the Clippers. So far, so good, as Los Angeles has jumped out to a surprising 16-12 record. The former MVP has been a one-man show on offense, putting up 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists. Even with poor efficiency (39.4 FG%), the guard is averaging an impressive 46.9 DK fantasy points per game.
The Mavericks have played stingy defense lately, giving up just 98.7 points over their last three games. Still, it’s difficult to fade the Beard when his volume is so high; the former MVP has the NBA’s 12th-highest usage rating (30.5%). Look for Harden to take control of L.A.’s offense in a matchup that will demand another terrific all-around performance.
3. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks vs. LAC ($8,200)
We’ll stay in Dallas, focusing on the other end of the court with Kyrie Irving. Luka Doncic has already been ruled out of Saturday’s contest, which will push most of the offensive burden onto his All-Star teammate. Luckily, the future Hall of Famer is up for the challenge. This season, Irving has produced 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists over 24 games.
This wouldn’t be the first time Irving has stepped up for the Mavs. In his last ten appearances without Doncic, the ten-time All-Star has put up 29.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists. Los Angeles’ defense is tough to score on, but Kyrie’s fantasy floor is sky-high as Dallas’ clear-cut top option. As just the 11th-most expensive guard on Saturday’s slate, this is one of the season’s best value plays.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
