NBA Sunday is a DFS fun day. Extend the weekend one more day with Fantasy Basketball action at DraftKings. Get the screens out. Build your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups early. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS research, make some fantasy basketball picks, and close out the week on the couch enjoying the five-game main slate that starts at 6 p.m. ET.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
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Guard
Stud
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies ($11,000) — The Grizzlies are the second-fastest team in the history of the NBA — giddy up. IF OKC wants to keep pace, then SGA will need to score. That’s not a problem. Gilgeous-Alexander can score and the Thunder are a top-10 team in pace. The interesting angle is that the Thunder have the best defense in basketball and Memphis ranks fourth. Defense beats offense, right? A good defense beats most offenses on average. This isn’t on average. Memphis has a unique offense. This is the game of the night and SGA likes to put on a show.
Other Options — Trae Young ($9,900)
Value
Scotty Pippen Jr., Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,300) — Since when do two of the best defenses matchup in an NBA game with one of the highest totals of the evening (230.5). This game is a gem. Forget about Christmas Day and the made-for-tv, brand-name player games. Those games are cope. Desperate pleas for eyeballs and relevance. Memphis vs. OKC isn’t cope — it’s hope. The future is now. Unfortunately, hope will have to wait. Ja Morant and Santi Aldama are out. Memphis may struggle to win, but their entire team can produce in their revolutionary offensive system.
Other Options — Payton Pritchard ($5,600)
Forward
Stud
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers ($10,300) — The Celtics blew out the Pacers in Indiana. That’s a concern. It would be a bigger fear on a larger slate. Tatum scored 52.75 DK FPTS in 32 minutes. The Celtics won by nearly 40 and Tatum didn’t touch the floor in the fourth quarter. If the Pacers can keep the blowout to a respectable 20 points, then Tatum can easily score 10 more fantasy points.
Other Options — Jalen Johnson ($9,300), Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,800)
Value
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,300) — The Grizzlies’ attack is diverse. Everyone is active and on the attack. The fantasy points get spread out. Their players have a lower ceiling but a higher and safer floor. The cheaper options are better suited for DFS NBA lineups. In addition to the names mentioned above, Marcus Smart is out and Brandon Clarke ($3,600) is questionable. The Grizzlies’ 2024 second-round pick averages 24.5 minutes per game and 19.6 DK FPTS. He’s surpassed 23 DK FPTS in three of the last five. He could hit 30 on Sunday if he gets 30 minutes as projected.
Other Options — Keldon Johnson ($3,700)
Center
Stud
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves ($11,400) — Minnesota’s defense isn’t as dominant as last season but it’s still strong. It should be avoided. This is different. Wemby is hot and the slate is small. His numbers dropped by half on night two in New York. He delivered the presents on Christmas Day (83 DK FPTS). The follow-up game on Dec. 27 was against one of the slowest teams in the NBA (45.75). Split the difference. In the three games before coming down the chimney, Wemby scored 70, 66.25. and 59.75 DK FPTS.
Other Options — Alperen Sengun ($8,800), Isaiah Hartenstein ($7,700)
Value
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,400) — Where are the haters? The legacy media and YouTube influencers united in their derision of Edey. Some are still pumping out “worst draft class” ever bait. Edey’s feet were too slow, they said. He couldn’t replicate his NCAA style in an NBA half-court setting. Is there such a thing as an NBA half-court setting? If there is, the Grizzlies don’t know it. The Grizzlies’ innovative Euro offense plays the full court. It’s chaos. The players sprint on every possession. They crash the boards on offense. Each player rotates in relation to other rotating players to constantly open up space. Edey with space is easy buckets and boards.
Other Options — Kelly Olynyk ($5,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) 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.
