DFS NBA Full Court Press: FanDuel & DraftKings Main Slate - Dec. 26th, 2022

Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 12/26:

Welcome to another year of the DFS Army NBA Full Court Press! Members had a ton of success using the Full Court Press along with various articles and tools that DFS Army provides last season, so we are glad to be back with another year of the all-inclusive article. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Mike aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!

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Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Vegas Total: 221.5

Vegas Spread: Cle -2.0

We’ll kick off this slate with the Nets, Kevin Durant has been fine as of late but not so much when you compare it to his price tag… and now he gets a tough matchup against a good Cavs defense. Kyrie Irving has been in great form as well with at least 44 DraftKings points in four of his last five and gets a revenge game here! I like going back to Kyrie in this spot as a secondary option at the very least. Ben Simmons and Nicolas Claxton are very similar to me both in price and production, I don’t mind getting to either of them in a nice matchup… they should see plenty of minutes as their size will be needed against a big Cleveland team. Royce O’Neale is never a guy I prioritize, but he’s going to play big minutes and is a fine price tag if you happen to land on him. Then Seth Curry and TJ Warren are dart throws but could see a boost with Joe Harris out for this one. From the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell hasn’t been a guy I’ve played a whole lot of this season, he’s produced fine but it just feels like he’s priced right where he should be. Darius Garland is in the same boat, he’s been a bit more volatile as of late, but the price tag feels fair, and would be someone I like here in a good matchup. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will be guys I like going to in this spot, opposing big men have dominated this Nets frontcourt all season long and hopefully that doesn’t stop here. They both have nice price tags as well… oh, and Jarrett Allen revenge spot. Then guys like Kevin Love and Caris LeVert are more tournament darts than anything due to the volatility they both bring to the table.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Nicolas Claxton, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland

Deeper Value: TJ Warren, Seth Curry

GPP Sleeper: Royce O’Neale, TJ Warren, Seth Curry, Kevin Love, Caris LeVert

Quick shoutout to VIP member “Cenzamatic” on a massive $20k win last season! Sometimes paying up for double studs works, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant brought it home for him with the help of some Stanley Johnson and Pistons value. Good work and congrats man!

Los Angeles Clippers @ Detroit Pistons

Vegas Total: 224.0

Vegas Spread: Lac -5.5

Starting with the Clippers, they’ll be without Kawhi Leonard here which will open up some usage and opportunity within this offense. I would expect to see someone like Nicolas Batum slide into the starting lineup in his place, below is how this team has operated with him off of the court this season:

• Paul George – 33.1% usage rate; 1.27 fpm
• Reggie Jackson – 22.5% usage rate; 0.81 fpm
• Marcus Morris – 20.4% usage rate; 0.84 fpm
• John Wall – 29.0% usage rate; 1.18 fpm
• Ivica Zubac – 15.1% usage rate; 1.00 fpm
• Nicolas Batum – 11.5% usage rate; 0.78 fpm

These would be my favorite options from the Clippers with the main pieces being George, Jackson, and probably Wall. Reggie Jackson gets a revenge game against his old squad but has been incredibly inconsistent this season. Paul George has been in much better form as of late and should be able to do whatever he wants in this one, I like going right back to him at a nice price tag. I don’t love the price tag on John Wall, however, the minutes will be volatile and I think we can find a better option in that price range. Then guys like Marcus Morris, Norman Powell, and Nicolas Batum are all fine filler pieces, but not guys I’m forcing in by any means. From the Pistons, Bojan Bogdanovic is the highest price guy on both DraftKings and FanDuel and makes sense as a secondary guy due to his ability to get hot from behind the three-point line. I think Killian Hayes is interesting here, he had a nice bounce-back game last time out and his price tag has come down slightly… he’s looked good with Cade out. Jalen Duren is a guy I do like quite a bit, the minutes have been trending in the right direction and he’s performed the best of their frontcourt options. He has a 13.0% usage rate and 1.01 fantasy points per minute over the last two weeks. Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley are fine tournament options in the frontcourt too, but definitely not guys I’m looking to force in. Then Jaden Ivey will look like a solid option as well, he’s looked better as of late and the price tag is fair… I would prefer him over the likes of Saddiq Bey and Alec Burks to round out this team.

5-star play: Paul George

4-star play: Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Bojan Bogdanovic, Killian Hayes, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey

Deeper Value: Alec Burks, Saddiq Bey

GPP Sleeper: Reggie Jackson, John Wall, Ivica Zubac, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley, Saddiq Bey, Alec Burks

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Minnesota Timberwolves @ Miami Heat

Vegas Total: 222.0

Vegas Spread: Mia -3.0

Starting with the Timberwolves, they’ll continue to be without Karl-Anthony Towns while Kyle Anderson comes in as questionable. Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels would see a nice boost in minutes if Anderson is forced to miss. Anthony Edwards has been great as of late and has a 29.9% usage rate and 1.28 fantasy points per minute over the last two weeks, but I hate the matchup with Miami which makes him more of a secondary option. D’Angelo Russell bounced back in a big way last time out and will look like a solid option yet again here. Rudy Gobert struggled in this matchup earlier this season but I do like the price tag on him, so I would have no issue going right back to the well with him. Then Jaylen Nowell is a fine option as well, but the price tag has caught up to him. From the Heat, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo come in as questionable, so we’ll need to keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates as we get closer to lock. For the sake of this article, I’m going to operate under the assumption that they’re both full go’s. They’ll both look like fine options at elevated price tags in a good matchup. The price tag on Tyler Herro is extremely hard to stomach and probably isn’t a guy I get to unless Butler is out… even then, it’s up there. I wouldn’t have an issue with Kyle Lowry here, he’s been solid as of late and will play all the minutes he can handle. The minutes have been there for Victor Oladipo and would benefit from Butler being out, but he hasn’t exactly produced all that great. Then guys like Caleb Martin and Max Strus are fine lineup fillers if you land on them to round out your team.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, D’Angelo Russell, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jaylen Nowell, Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Max Strus

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Houston Rockets @ Chicago Bulls

Vegas Total: 230.0

Vegas Spread: Chi -7.5

Starting with the Rockets, Kevin Porter Jr. came crashing down to Earth after a good game against the Mavericks last time out. He’s probably more of a GPP option but I do like the price tag in a great matchup with the Bulls. Alperen Sengun has at least 35 DraftKings points in three straight and would be a guy I like going right back to in this one. Jabari Smith Jr. had a nice bounce-back game last time out and has a nice price tag as well, he’s a solid GPP option at the very least in a nice matchup. Jalen Green has played all the minutes he can handle as of late and is in a similar boat as Porter Jr. Then Eric Gordon comes in as questionable, if he’s forced to miss we should see more minutes from KJ Martin who would look like a solid option in the mid-range. We do need to take about Tari Eason, he keeps popping in the Domination Station due to his price tag over the last week or so, but that tag is now up and he’s not going to play more than 20-25 minutes, so I’m off of him here. From the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan has looked great as of late with at least 44.7 FanDuel points in three of his last five games, he’s going to be a great option again in this one. Then I love the price tag on Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine as well, the Rockets don’t play any sort of defense, so they’re firmly in play in all formats. Outside of these main three guys, it’s tough for me to prioritize a whole lot here, guys like Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmo, and Coby White are fine options, but I would hope we get better value open up on this slate.

5-star play: DeMar DeRozan

4-star play: Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jabari Smith Jr., Eric Gordon, KJ Martin, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White

Indiana Pacers @ New Orleans Pelicans

Vegas Total: 236.5

Vegas Spread: Nop -6.5

Starting with the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton has at least 45 FanDuel points in four of his last five and just destroyed a tough Miami defense last time out. I love the total in this game and I think the Pacers hang around, Haliburton looks like a great spend-up option. Myles Turner has seen his production come down a decent amount as of late, but so has his price tag, he’d be more of a GPP option, but we know the ceiling is there. Buddy Hield has been much better as of late and looks like a nice option in this price range as well. Bennedict Mathurin started last game and looked pretty terrible… he’s strictly a GPP option even if he continues to start here, he’s just been very volatile this season. Then the trio of Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, or Jalen Smith are all fine filler pieces in GPPs if you happened to land on them, but they’re certainly not guys I’ll be prioritizing. From the Pelicans, Zion Williamson should return here after missing about a week, but they’ll still be without Brandon Ingram while Larry Nance Jr, comes in as questionable. I don’t anticipate Zion is limited and should continue to play all the minutes he can handle in an elite matchup. CJ McCollum has been awesome as of late but with Zion back in there I don’t think I can pay this price tag even in a great matchup against this Indy defense. Jonas Valanciunas has been trending in the wrong direction since his massive game against the Bucks and his price tag has continued to climb, he’s another guy I’ll be off of with Zion back. Trey Murphy and Herb Jones will continue to look like fine mid-range guys, the minutes will be there, but not guys we need to force in tonight. Really, outside of Zion, there isn’t a ton I love from this team until the prices come back down to where they should be.

5-star play: Tyrese Haliburton, Zion Williamson

4-star play: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Jalen Smith, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones

Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs

Vegas Total: 235.5

Vegas Spread: Uta -4.5

Starting with the Jazz, they’ll continue to be without Kelly Olynyk in this one meaning we should see a starting frontcourt of Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler yet again. Kessler would be my preferred option of those two due to the volatility Vanderbilt has shown as of late and Kessler is playing great minutes as of late. We kind of know the story on Lauri Markkanen by now, his price tag is annoying, but he still has a ceiling that we can’t ignore… that said, he’s not a guy I can prioritize when he’ll need 43 DraftKings points to just get to 5x his price tag on DraftKings. I do like going right back to Jordan Clarkson however, I love targeting guards against the Spurs and this spot won’t be any different, he has at least 37 DraftKings points in three of his last five games. Then guys like Malik Beasley and Mike Conley are both fine secondary options to round out this team… I would need the price tag on Collin Sexton to come down a bit more before I get back to him. From the Spurs, Keldon Johnson returned last time out to play 31 minutes and will be a guy I have no issue going right back to here at a nice price tag. Devin Vassell has been the most consistent option on the Spurs all season long and will be a guy I don’t mind here as well. I don’t love the price tag on Tre Jones, but he’s still a fine option if you want to get there. The minutes have not been there for Jakob Poeltl since he returned from injury, I don’t see a way we can get to him here. I do like going back to Jeremy Sochan however, he’s had at least 25 DraftKings points in three straight games and has looked awesome to round out this team.

5-star play: Jordan Clarkson

4-star play: Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Malik Beasley, Mike Conley, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Tre Jones

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jarred Vanderbilt, Tre Jones, Jakob Poeltl

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Charlotte Hornets @ Portland Trail Blazers

Vegas Total: 237.5

Vegas Spread: Por -5.5

We’ll round this slate out starting with the Hornets, the price tag has finally got to a more reasonable level for LaMelo Ball on DraftKings, but man that FanDuel price tag is really intriguing at $8.9k. He has at least 45 FanDuel points in four straight games and is an elite option over there. Gordon Hayward has been in fine form but he’s seeing all the minutes he can handle, so I like getting some exposure to him at the F position. Kelly Oubre and Terry Rozier are both fine options with Ball and Hayward back, but I would have a slight lean toward Rozier if I had to choose between them. Then guys like Mason Plumlee and PJ Washington are fine GPP options to round out the team, both guys had great outings last time out. From the Blazers, Jusuf Nurkic hasn’t seen more than 23 minutes since returning from injury, but I’m going to attribute a lot of that to the early foul trouble he was in last time out. I’m going to assume he’s not limited moving forward and should be able to do whatever he wants against this Charlotte frontcourt. Damian Lillard had a massive game last time out and I love the matchup against a terrible defense, he’s got a really nice price tag as well. Anfernee Simons is priced a bit too high for me with Dame back in the rotation, so he’ll be more of a tournament guy. Jerami Grant bounced back nicely last time out and should continue to see all the minutes he can handle in this one, he’s a solid secondary option. Then Josh Hart has at least 31 DraftKings points in three of his last four and will play good minutes as well.

5-star play: LaMelo Ball (FanDuel), Jusuf Nurkic, Damian Lillard

4-star play: LaMelo Ball (DraftKings), Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, Jerami Grant, Josh Hart

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Kelly Oubre, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee, Anfernee Simons

NBA Lock of the Day: Jusuf Nurkic (DK – $6.2k; FD – $6.8k)

I touched on Nurkic in my final game preview, but I think he looks awesome here. The minutes weren’t there for him last time out due to foul trouble against Jokic but gets an elite bounce-back spot here against a terrible Charlotte frontcourt. The Hornets are giving up the most fantasy points per game to opposing centers in the league at 61.72 DraftKings/61.07 FanDuel points per game. At this point in the day, I would think he makes my core, but check out our VIP Cheat Sheets as we get closer to lock for staff picks on Core plays, 8x locks of the day, and tiers notes as well!

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