FanDuel Lineup Play and Strategy for Friday, December 20th

On December 21, 2024By Littum

We have a Friday roster that is much closer to what is normally on a Thursday with only three matchups and a condensed player pool that will not be significantly affected by injuries.

Slate overview

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Spreads/totals listed are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, 12/20 @11:00am EST:

Charlotte Hornets at Philadelphia 76ers (-11) (O/U: 215.5)

Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9) (O/U: 220.5)

Oklahoma City Thunder (-1) at Miami Heat (O/U: 217.0)

We have two big favorites on the night that essentially turn our attention as DFS players to the Thunder-Heat matchup that could certainly live up to expectations. The Bucks-Cavaliers line is heavily impacted by Damian Lillard’s confirmed absence, as is the lower projected total for that game.

Injury situations that must be monitored

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Damian LillardMIL (calf): OUT

In Lillard’s absence, Giannis Antetokounmpo should see a bump in his already massive usage rate and enjoy more ball-handling options, while AJ Green will likely start at point guard.

Joel EmbiidPHI (face): Doubtful

If Embiid sits out again, Andre Drummond will likely draw another start at center, while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George would see even more use than usual.

Other notable injuries:

Brandon MillerCHA (Ankle): Doubtful

Max StrusCLE (Ankle): Doubtful

Chris MiddletonMIL (disease): LIKELY

Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL (kneeling): PROBABLY

Elite players

We have four players with five-figure salaries on Friday’s board – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,100), Joel Embiid ($10,400) and LaMelo Ball ($10,200).

Antetokounmpo is already very appealing even for his salary because of his cap, but he’ll be in even better position Friday because Lillard is out, a scenario in which the big man boasts a 36.2 percent usage rate.

SGA, like the rest of his teammates, had an unachievable game in the NBA Cup Finals, but he bounced back with 62.8 FD points against the Magic on Thursday, his third straight game above 60.

Embiid is likely on the wrong side of questionable to play Friday, but if he suits up, he has a ceiling north of 50 FD points every time he’s on the floor for a normal number of minutes.

Ball will be in even better position than usual if Brandon Miller records a second straight absence, with the former posting 69.3 FD points without his backcourt mate Thursday on the strength of a 34-point, 13-assist double- double.

Expected Chalk

Other likely chalk games include:

Tyrese MaxeyPHI ($9,100)

Maxey put up 61.5 FD points against the same Hornets on Monday without Embiid, and the same circumstances could apply again on Friday.

Paul GeorgePHI ($8,800)

George also benefited from Embiid’s absence on Monday with a season-best 33 points and 56 FD points, which should help keep him very popular for his salary.

Jimmy ButlerMIA ($8,200)

Butler posted 87.8 FD points over 44 minutes against the Pistons in Monday’s OT win with a 35-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, and that alone should make him extremely popular on such a small slate.

Key values

Kelly OubrePHI vs. CHA ($6,300)

Although Maxey and George would emerge as the biggest beneficiaries in the event of another Embiid absence as outlined earlier, Oubre is also a candidate to exceed his salary and could do so regardless of the big man’s availability. The veteran wing has scored in double figures in every contest in his current 10-game start, averaging 13.3 points (on 52.0 percent shooting), 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals over 34 ,4 minutes per match. These figures have led to an average of 31.1 FD points per games during that span in which Oubre exceeded 31 FD points on seven occasions combined in the sample. He just topped out with 40.8 FD points against the Hornets in Monday’s game, and he could certainly be capable of a successful extra Friday.

Brook LopezMIL at CLE ($5,300)

Lopez should see a bump in opportunities with Lillard out on Friday, as the big man tends to get more involved offensively when a key first-unit colleague is out. Lopez bounced back with 26.1 FD points against the Hawks on Saturday after a series of mediocre offensive performances, and he is averaging 40.8 FD points per game. 36 minutes with Lillard off the floor this season. The Cavs present a tough matchup on paper for centers, but Lopez notably posted 37.2 FD points over 36 minutes in a Nov. 4 meeting with Cleveland with Antetokounmpo out.

Cody MartinCHA at PHI ($5,100)

Martin may be without Brandon Miller for a second straight game Friday, and the former is already averaging 30.8 FD points per game. 36 minutes when not sharing the floor with his teammate this season. Martin’s current sports career highs in points (8.7), rebounds (4.7) and made threes (1.2) while increasing his overall shooting to 44.5 percent after averaging just 38 .2 percent from the field in the previous two seasons. He’s shown some nice value for his salary this season, scoring 24.7 FD points or more on 12 occasions already, and if he enjoys an expanded role on Friday, he could certainly deliver a strong return on investment.

ALSO CONSIDER: Nick RichardsCHA at PHI ($5,600)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests, including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games with their personal accounts, it is possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have given above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.