Fantasy Basketball Value Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Bargain Plays for December 30

This is my last article of 2022. My New Year’s resolution for 2023 is to start coming up with better intros for these things, but that’s next week’s problem.

We’ve got a nine-game featured slate on Friday. Let’s find some values.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]

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PF Admiral Schofield, Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards, $3,000

Allow me to catch up anyone who has missed out on the last 36 hours of news surrounding the Magic. A team that was already without Jalen Suggs (ankle), Jonathan Issac (knee) and Chuma Okeke (knee), Orlando will now only have eight players dress on Friday thanks to suspensions handed down by the NBA for an altercation Wednesday against the Pistons. Heck, so many players were suspended by the league, the Magic have to split the infractions across two separate games. Here are the players joining Suggs on the sideline this evening: Moe Wagner, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Wendell Carter Jr. and R.J. Hampton. Technically, there’s only one starter in that group, yet it obviously leaves Orlando with little depth for a matchup with Washington. Even if Schofield doesn’t start in place of Wagner, he’s going to play a ton of minutes. So will fellow Magic assets at the minimum Caleb Houstan ($3,000) and Kevon Harris ($3,000). Schofield is averaging 0.74 DKFP per minute so far in 2022-23.

SF Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls, $4,300

Speaking of Wednesday’s incident between the Magic and the Pistons, Detroit will be missing a few bodies of its own on Friday, as Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo have both been suspended. That leaves an already thin Pistons roster very vulnerable on the wing, which is where Bey’s presence comes into play. After starting all 82 games in his sophomore campaign, Bey’s actually having a somewhat underwhelming season in 2022-23. His points per game are down (14.0). His minutes per game are down (28.4). His three-point shooting percentage is down (32.4%). However, with both Hayes and Diallo exiting early against Orlando, Bey took advantage of his larger role, setting a new season-high with six threes and tying another season-high with 28 points. He’d finish the convincing victory with a nice, round 50.0 DKFP. I’m hesitant to predict a repeat performance, but Bey should be worth his modest price tag if he logs anywhere close to 35.2 minutes in Chicago.

PG/SG Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors vs. Phoenix Suns, $3,800

There’s several different directions you could go with this contest, as the Suns visit Toronto with many notable absences in their own backcourt. However, if Fred VanVleet ($7,600; back) is once again sidelined due to his lingering ailment, Flynn seems to be the best option. The former first-round pick didn’t start Thursday’s loss to the Grizzlies, yet Nick Nurse appeared to show his hand for Friday’s contest by having Flynn start the second-half of the 119-106 defeat. By the end of the night, Flynn was one of five Raptors players to log at least 30.0 minutes of action. Despite his shot not falling — Flynn was 2-for-12 from the field and 1-for-7 from three-point range — the 24-year-old finished with eight rebounds, five assists and 24.0 DKFP. Even prior to VanVleet’s injury, the arrow had been pointing up on Flynn, as the guard has now registered at least 22.0 minutes in six of Toronto’s past seven contests. It’s truly the most cemented Flynn’s been in the team’s rotation since the days in Tampa Bay.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) 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.