Friday brings an elite eight-game docket, with the action tipping off at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. This slate is loaded with decision points, making it the perfect opportunity to highlight the top NBA DFS building blocks and best picks of the day. Let’s break down Friday’s core plays, featuring discounted Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey from the Grizzlies, along with Dennis Schroder and James Harden squaring off in Los Angeles.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Friday, Dec. 27
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Grizzlies at Pelicans
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 38.11 | FanDuel: 39.55
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 21.4% | FanDuel: 19.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,100 | FanDuel: $7,900
Last night the Grizzlies crushed the Toronto Raptors 155-126 in Memphis. Tonight they are on the road in New Orleans against a short-handed Pelicans squad.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (32) and Zach Edey (27) led the team in minutes, so there do not appear to be any rest candidates, but, of course, this is the NBA we are talking about.
Jackson continues to be a strong foundational play on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Though the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is not crushing the blocks like he did in that season (5.0 per 100 possessions), his steals rate is at an all-time high and he is averaging a very respectable 4.1 “stocks” per game. He should have no issues with Yves Missi or Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the paint, which will help his pedestrian rebounding numbers.
Edey did not disappoint as yesterday’s cover photo with a career-high 16 rebounds, and his 21 points were the second most the rookie has scored in his 19 games. He managed all of this in 27.3 minutes, which was his second-most on-court action of the year. Santi Aldama is doubtful after injuring his ankle last night, while Marcus Smart (finger) is likely to miss his third game and Jay Huff (ankle) his fourth.
Trey Murphy III is in play on FanDuel ($6,800), but the rest of the Pelicans are neutral options. Ja Morant is a strong tournament target on the blue site, though he is a tertiary play at best on DraftKings.
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Dennis Schroder: Warriors at Clippers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 32.17 | FanDuel: 31.1
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 45.9% | FanDuel: 39.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,300 | FanDuel: $5,700
Stephen Curry is out, which dramatically reshapes the Golden State backcourt. Gary Payton II is sidelined as well, though his minutes are easier to replace with the many wings in the crowded rotation.
The Warriors play again tomorrow, so that plus some knee soreness has this as a rest day for the soon-to-be 37-year-old shooting maestro.
It will be interesting to see Dennis Schroder being more ball dominant and looking for his own offense, which is a more typical role for the NBA nomad. In his 23 games with Brooklyn, the 31-year-old German was averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. The former is his highest mark since the 2019-20 season with Oklahoma City, and the latter is a personal best. The Stokastic projections have Schroder with a median projection of 32.7 minutes, 16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 combined blocks and steals. In six of his games with the Nets, Schroder popped off for 40-plus fantasy points, so there is at least evidence of some ceiling potential. Otherwise it is the high floor that makes Schroder a strong foundational play.
Jonathan Kuminga is a tremendous option on FanDuel ($5,600), where he projects to be almost as popular as his teammate. Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins are the next most popular Dubs on DraftKings, though they are projected to have half the representation in tournaments as Schroder. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandon Podziemski are differentiation plays on DraftKings, but they move into more prominent secondary selections for the three-game nightcap.
James Harden is a strong consideration for FanDuel ($8,400) featured-slate action, though he all but disappears on DraftKings ($9,400). Harden is scoring 22.0 points per game, which is his best since 2021-22, when he was last an All-Star. He is getting by on volume at this point, but it still counts and there is nobody to take it away from him, at least until Kawhi Leonard returns.
Norman Powell is in the mix on the late slate, as the 31-year-old is leading the team with a career-high 24.1 points per game. Kris Dunn is a DraftKings ($3,800) discount dandy, and Ivica Zubac is one of many solid center options tonight.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Luka Doncic is out, but there is still value in the under 38.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA) prop for Kyrie Irving.
Looking at the screenshot of Portfolio EV, we can see this wager is likely to come to fruition 55% of the time and with the -108 odds, this works out to a stellar 6.4% expected ROI when factoring in the -124 “True Odds.”
BetRivers, Unibet and SugarHouse are offering -108, which well exceeds the True Odds of -124 and the -120 odds posted on most other books.
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Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Mathurin projected for 36.8 minutes, 27.29 points, 4.86 rebounds and 5.86 assists for 38.01 PRA. That is below the 40 needed for this under to fail, and for those wondering, Irving is averaging 37.7 minutes, 24.14 points, 5.00 rebounds and 6.42 assists for 35.57 PRA in seven game this season without Doncic. Yes, the soon-to-be 33-year-old could always splash half a dozen 3-pointers and dish out the dimes, but Phoenix is a decent defensive squad that plays at a bottom-10 pace.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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