You’ll want to cherish the basketball that’s being played this evening, because you won’t be getting any more till noon ET on Christmas Day. Volume won’t be an issue, as there’s 11 games in tonight’s massive slate.
Let’s comb through some rosters and see if we can’t find some value for your lineups on DraftKings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
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PG/SG Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics, $4,700
There’s so many ways to attack this Magic roster, as there’s so many bodies currently missing from action. Franz Wagner (oblique) and Paolo Banchero (oblique) are both still nursing long-term injuries, while Jalen Suggs ($7,600; ankle) is questionable after missing the team’s last contest against the Heat. However, while Suggs’ availability is important, I feel like Anthony is viable regardless of his teammate’s status. Anthony was unstoppable in Saturday’s victory against Miami, registering 35 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and 62.5 FPTS in just 28.1 minutes off the bench. The most eye-popping stat? That would be Anthony’s 46.0% usage rate. Again, the presence of Suggs would obviously cut into that role, yet we are talking about a team that had to give Cory Joseph ($3,200) 23.7 minutes two weeks from the year 2025. There’s opportunity to be had. Also keep an eye on Anthony Black ($4,800) and Wendell Carter Jr. ($4,800), both are decent value options with lower ceilings than Anthony, provided neither gets ejected tonight.
SG/SF Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls, $4,100
Let’s first tackle what we know about the Bucks’ rotation on Monday. After not playing the second leg of a back-to-back set on Saturday, Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300; back) is listed as questionable for this evening’s tilt with the Bulls. It also appears that Damian Lillard ($9,000; calf) will miss his third consecutive contest, as he’s been ruled doubtful. Don’t forget about Khris Middleton ($6,000), either. The former All-Star is probable to suit up tonight, yet he’s still clearly on some sort of minutes restriction. All this to say: Even if Antetokounmpo returns, there will be additional minutes up for grabs for some of the Bucks tertiary scoring options. I’ve got my eye on Trent. Following a cold start to the season, Trent’s been at his best in December, averaging 11.0 points per game with a .599 true shooting percentage. In Milwaukee’s win over the lowly Wizards, only Middleton and Bobby Portis ($6,300) had a higher usage than Trent’s 23.2% rate. He finished with 15 points and 33.75 FPTS in 31.0 minutes of action.
PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards at Oklahoma City Thunder, $5,000
Brogdon had a terrible performance in Washington’s loss to the Bucks on Saturday, yet this seems like an opportunity to buy low on the veteran guard — especially with Bilal Coulibaly ($6,200; groin) popping up on the team’s injury report as questionable. It doesn’t appear that Brogdon’s ever going to play more than 24-28 minutes in a contest, as the Wizards attempt to keep him healthy to trade him at the deadline, but the 32-year-old has already proven he can be productive in that limited role. To wit, Brogdon’s exceeded 25.0 FPTS in seven of his last nine games, including a massive 51.25 FPTS showing in late November. Specific to Monday, Brogdon’s $5,000 price tag is the lowest it’s been all season and, if Coulibaly sits, I have little doubt the former second-round pick will be able to bring back at least 5x value.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
