Sunday brings a solid six-game set beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. The player pool is packed full of exciting options, making this the ideal slate to spotlight the top NBA DFS building blocks and today’s must-have NBA DFS picks. Let’s dive into the day’s core plays, including discount dandies like Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Dejounte Murray, plus plenty of pending news that is likely to upset the DFS apple cart.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Sunday, Dec. 8
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Anthony Davis: Lakers vs. Trail Blazers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 61.46 | FanDuel: 61.93
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 62.5% | FanDuel: 78.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $10,600 | FanDuel: $10,900
The Lakers are back home, having played six of their last seven games on the road. Victories in Utah and San Antonio were the only happy moments, and the team has dropped seven of the last nine tilts. Friday was particularly painful as Los Angeles lost in overtime to Atlanta 134-132, despite LeBron James posting a magnificent 39-10-11 triple-double.
We saw last night that anything can happen in the NBA, with the Washington Wizards picking up their third win of the season and ending a 16-game skid against the Denver Nuggets. It was particularly notable since Nikola Jokic had a career-high 56 points. Detroit beat the Knicks 120-11 in New York, and even a banged-up Memphis team secured a dub in Boston, 127-121.
This is a long way of saying that James appears to be legitimately questionable with a foot issue, and resting the soon-to-be 40-year-old is in play against Portland. The Trail Blazers are not tanking; they are just not that good, and the team has suffered a myriad of injuries. Robert Williams III and rookie Donovan Clingan are out, Toumani Camara and Duop Reath are doubtful, and Scoot Henderson is questionable. That leaves the enigmatic Deandre Ayton and overmatched Jerami Grant to deal with Anthony Davis.
Even if LeBron is a go, Davis is a strong option. Plus, with this being the last game on the docket and going against Sunday Night Football, the projected popularity for Davis could subside somewhat the longer the status of James is unknown. The Brow is averaging a personal-best 27.4 points per game while also corralling 11.2 caroms and handing out 3.6 helpers. The defensive stats are what puts him over the top, and with his 3.1 combined blocks and steals as a baseline, Davis is a terrific foundational building block.
Austin Reaves (pelvis) is doubtful, and there is no reason to rush him back. That gives Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell a boost in minutes and opportunities. Vincent drew the spot start on Friday, but the team has not indicated if that is the go-forward move or a one-time thing while Reaves is out. Dalton Knecht is best left for the late slate, with the rookie being very scoring dependent for his fantasy production.
If James is good to go, then he is a fun tournament option, though it would increase the chance of in-game rest if the Lakers take care of business early. Rui Hachimura is a steady option if James is in and a targeted play if the venerable veteran gets a night off. Last but not least, the Lakers do not play again until Friday the 13th in Minnesota, and the team has just five games between now and Christmas.
Dejounte Murray: Pelicans at Spurs
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 43.84 | FanDuel: 42.53
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 19.7% | FanDuel: 26.8%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,900 | FanDuel: $7,800
This is a back-to-back for the Pelicans, who dropped a tough one last night in New Orleans 119-109 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After winning the first two games of the year, the Pellies have dropped 19 of the last 22 games in what has devolved into a lost season. Zion Williamson is out through the holidays, while Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins have each missed significant time. Brandon Ingram tweaked his ankle and is doubtful to play tonight as well.
That means Dejounte Murray is in a great spot against the team that drafted him, with C.J. McCollum and Trey Murphy III earning consideration as well. Murray was hurt on Opening Night, which cost him the next 17 games. His minutes ramped up in the six since his return, and he had 38.1, 34.6 and 33.5 in the last three. McCollum missed 13 games himself, but he too is a minutes warrior when healthy and has played 37-plus in the last two games. Murphy has had a few different injuries and played in just 11 games this season, but he has seen 33-plus minutes of run in six of his last seven appearances.
This trio should do the heavy lifting on offense, and while the Spurs are 5.5-point home favorites, if Victor Wembanyama (back) misses another game, this is a winnable matchup for a hard-luck squad. If Wemby is a go, there is nobody on the Pelicans equipped to deal with him and he becomes a fun tournament option. San Antonio is not going to rush him back early, but on the flipside, the coaching staff is also not going to run him into the ground. He should have fresh legs and can put up a fantasy-worthy score in 28 to 30 minutes of action with his proclivity for blocks and steals.
Herb Jones is a potential discount dandy for the Pelicans, and San Antonio is in flux if Wembanyama is out. Zach Collins was tossed on Friday with two technical fouls, then he flipped off the referee when heading to the locker room. There is no word on a potential suspension, and this is a bit different than Anthony Edwards using the gesture to a fan and Russell Westbrook to the opposing team’s bench; both events occurred in the last fortnight.
Memphis is on a back-to-back, as is Washington, so we need to see who is available in that game. Andrew Wiggins is questionable for Golden State, while Fred VanVleet and James Harden are each questionable as the Rockets take on the Clippers in Los Angeles. Lauri Markkanen is also questionable, which could open things up again for Walker Kessler and John Collins in a fun matchup against the Kings in Sacramento. Once again, Sunday shenanigans will be in play, so do not lose track of injury reports while enjoying the NFL games.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Michael Porter Jr. got the night off Saturday, but he is expected to suit up tonight in Atlanta. Currently the under on his 7.5 rebounds prop is looking like an appealing target.
Portfolio EV shows this wager is likely to come to fruition 58% of the time, and even with the -125 odds, this works out to a festive 4.1% expected ROI when factoring in the -140 “True Odds.”
DraftKings is offering the -125 line, which far exceeds the True Odds of -140 and the -150 or worse of most other books.
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Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Porter projected for 34.7 minutes and 6.51 rebounds. In a fun quirk, Porter had exactly seven rebounds in four of his last five games. That indicates this wager is likely to come down to the wire, but he is going to have to battle his own teammate in Jokic, who is leading the league in rebounding. And over the last 10 games, Atlanta is the fourth-best rebounding team, with the likes of Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu all above average when cleaning the glass.
