Sunday brings a solid six-game featured slate, tipping off at 6 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 Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Davis, along with others on this six-game slate.
After finalizing your NBA DFS picks, elevate your betting strategy with Tails by OddsShopper. Get access to expert picks from top professionals, providing you with the sharp edge to outsmart the competition.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Sunday, Dec. 15
One of our users just turned $4 into $1,000 with Stokastic’s tools!
Ready to use the same data and insights to take your game to the next level? Sign up for a Stokastic+ NBA package today! Plus, check out the Stokastic Hall of Fame Avatar Program to find out how you can earn a free Stokastic+ subscription!
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jonathan Kuminga: Warriors vs. Mavericks
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 32.27 | FanDuel: 32.06
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 52.7% | FanDuel: 51.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,700 | FanDuel: $6,000
Golden State has traded for Dennis Schroder, sending De’Anthony Melton (out for the season with an ACL injury), G-League guard Reece Beekman and a token trio of second-round picks, with one coming back from Brooklyn.
It has been a month since Melton last played, but Moses Moody is out for a few more days with a sore knee and Andrew Wiggins has missed the last two games with an ankle injury while being designated as questionable for tonight’s matchup.
Stephen Curry is also questionable with a sore neck/upper spine issue, and it is unlikely Schroder will suit up tonight. That has Jonathan Kuminga popping in models across the DFS world. It is likely his popularity will somewhat subside to the 20% range if Wiggins plays. If Wiggins is out, which is what Stokastic is currently projecting, then Kuminga is likely to be on around 45% of all lineups, even with NBA Sunday shenanigans creating additional value plays.
Kuminga has started six of the last seven games, and when he has been with the first five during this stretch, he has averaged 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.2 combined blocks and steals in just shy of 32 minutes for a tick over 34 fantasy points. Over the last 10 games, Dallas has been in the middle of the pack with a 111.4 defensive efficiency rating, though the Mavericks are playing at the sixth-fastest pace in the league during this stretch, with 102.8 possessions per 48 minutes.
Buddy Hield is also popular, though if Wiggins is in, Hield is expendable. Hield saw spot starts in the last two games without Wiggins, with 34.8 minutes and 15 field goal attempts on a 53.3% conversion rate. Even better, from long range he has splashed 45.5% of his 22 triples in this pair of performances. That has worked out to 21 points, four rebounds, one assist and an absurd four stocks per game. Enjoy the heater, though it will not last long.
Luka Doncic is basically tied with Anthony Davis for the best median fantasy point projection tonight, with Doncic having a slight edge on DraftKings given the double-double and triple-double bonuses and Davis holding serve on FanDuel, where blocks and steals are worth 3 fantasy points each. While Doncic has seen his stats drop across the board, he still has been a fringe MVP candidate, though it does not look like he is going to defend the scoring title, sliding from 33.9 to 28.1 this year.
Kyrie Irving has a similar fantasy point-per-dollar ratio to Doncic, which is no surprise as this duo does most of the heavy lifting for the team. PJ Washington has stepped up, but Klay Thompson has not, though perhaps he is fired up to face his former team tonight. Thompson has topped 30 fantasy points only three times this season, with his best game coming in the opener against San Antonio, when he made his only foray to the 40-fantasy point plateau.
Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford are options for some in-game synergy for featured-slate lineups opting to include a couple players from each side of this matchup. Otherwise they are best left for the late-evening sub-slate.
Want our DFS Sims for FREE? Here’s your chance to unlock premium DFS tools at no cost — simply join one of our trusted partners! Follow these easy steps to claim your FREE month of Core DFS:
- Choose an exclusive offer from one of our sponsors and sign up using the link provided.
- Make a deposit, place your first bet, or submit a pick’em entry.
- Take screenshots of your welcome email and your first settled play.
- Email the screenshots to [email protected], along with the DFS Sims sport you’d like access to.
That’s it! Enjoy a free month of Core DFS and the top-tier tools you need to dominate your contests. Don’t wait — get started today!
Anthony Davis: Lakers vs. Grizzlies
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 55.07 | FanDuel: 56.04
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 26.3% | FanDuel: 34.6%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $10,700 | FanDuel: $11,200
LeBron James missed the last game with a sore foot, and he is two weeks shy of his 40th birthday. Los Angeles is a 4.5-point home dog, so it would not be a surprise if James is out again. It is unlikely that Los Angeles would be favored even if he were completely healthy, such is the state of affairs in La La land.
Anthony Davis continues chugging along in his 13th season, with his 27.3 points per game his highest mark since joining the Lakers. He also continues to be solid with 11.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 combined blocks and steals per game. The rebounds and assists are also above his career averages, which is impressive for the 31-year-old. Even with Zach Edey (ankle) likely to return after a 12-game absence, the Grizzlies are simply not equipped to deal with Davis. The Brow is averaging mid-50 fantasy points in his last 13 matchups against former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., so this is still a great matchup.
Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Jackson are all tournament targets, with none of this trio expected to break through the 20% popularity threshold. Los Angeles is dreadful on defense, and this could be a spirited game. If James remains out, then Rui Hachimura can be used in tournaments, though the backcourt could be a little crowded with Austin Reaves back in the starting lineup on Friday after missing five games with a pelvis injury.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Myles Turner looks like someone to target for the under on his 7.5 rebounds prop this afternoon.
Looking at the screenshot of Portfolio EV, we can see this wager is likely to come to fruition 51% of the time, and with the +112 odds, this works out to a terrific 7.3% expected ROI when factoring in the -103 “True Odds.”
BetRivers, SugarHouse and Unibet are offering +112, which far exceed the True Odds of -103 and the +100 or worse of most other books.
Let Portfolio EV do the heavy lifting and eliminate the guesswork when it comes to finding +EV bets. This powerful tool quickly identifies inefficient odds, making it simple to spot profitable opportunities.
Odds change rapidly, so to stay ahead, you need accounts with multiple sportsbooks to seize the best lines as soon as they appear. That’s where Portfolio EV excels — it continuously scans for the top odds, ensuring you’re always first to capitalize on every golden opportunity.
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Turner projected for 29.8 minutes and 7.08 rebounds, which is just under the 7.5 rebound line, and since there are no fractional statistics in the NBA, this is solidly below the eight needed for the under to fail. The Pacers are 7.0-point home favorites tonight against the depleted New Orleans Pelicans.
The hope is that Turner will not reach 30 minutes and new acquisition Thomas Bryant will get some run tonight in front of the Indiana faithful. This is Bryant’s eighth NBA season, and this will be his sixth different franchise. He played two season for the Indiana Hoosiers before heading to the NBA Draft, including some memorable March Madness games. Yes, this is a semi-manufactured narrative, but would it be a surprise if the Pacers elected to give him some run on a random Sunday game that they should easily win?
