Now that the presents have been opened it’s time to settle in and set your lineup for the Christmas Day slate. The NBA uses Christmas to showcase it’s marquee players and teams, so even though it’s just a five-game slate there are still 12 players that check in with a salary of over $9,000. No matter how many players you punt on, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get more than two of them in your lineup. It’s important to make sure you choose your studs wisely and find the right mixture of low-price value and rock-solid mid-tier players. There should be plenty of scoring to go around. Four of the five games are expected to score over 220 combined points, with the showdown between the Lakers and Warriors topping the slate at 234.5 points. With all this in mind, here are my recommended players to get in your Christmas lineup.
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Point Guard
Take advantage of Rajon Rondo’s low salary while you can ($4,900)
Rondo played his first game since mid-November on Friday after missing 17 games with a broken right hand. He didn’t appear to have any rust, as he notched eight points, four rebounds, and nine assists over 21 minutes of play. While that isn’t a game-winning stat line, Rondo’s all-around skill set and hustle still give him a high ceiling with triple-double potential. You should have confidence that his $4,900 salary will pay off with substantial value and allow you to pay up elsewhere.
Now that the presents have been opened it’s time to settle in and set your lineup for the Christmas Day slate. The NBA uses Christmas to showcase it’s marquee players and teams, so even though it’s just a five-game slate there are still 12 players that check in with a salary of over $9,000. No matter how many players you punt on, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get more than two of them in your lineup. It’s important to make sure you choose your studs wisely and find the right mixture of low-price value and rock-solid mid-tier players. There should be plenty of scoring to go around. Four of the five games are expected to score over 220 combined points, with the showdown between the Lakers and Warriors topping the slate at 234.5 points. With all this in mind, here are my recommended players to get in your Christmas lineup.
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Point Guard
Take advantage of Rajon Rondo’s low salary while you can ($4,900)
Rondo played his first game since mid-November on Friday after missing 17 games with a broken right hand. He didn’t appear to have any rust, as he notched eight points, four rebounds, and nine assists over 21 minutes of play. While that isn’t a game-winning stat line, Rondo’s all-around skill set and hustle still give him a high ceiling with triple-double potential. You should have confidence that his $4,900 salary will pay off with substantial value and allow you to pay up elsewhere.
Shooting Guards
Klay Thompson could be primed to go off against the Lakers ($7,400)
Thompson is a great mid-priced option on the Christmas slate. The Lakers give up more FanDuel points to shooting guards than any other team in the NBA, setting him up for a big holiday performance. He’s only put up less than 25 FanDuel points three times all season, so he has a safe floor in this high scoring matchup. He also comes with an incredibly high ceiling if he’s able to catch fire from deep as he’s been known to do.
Small Forward
Kevin Durant is worth the high price on Christmas ($10,400)
Just like Santa Claus, Durant is known to deliver on Christmas, averaging 31.1 points in his eight Christmas Day games. That’s the fifth highest average of all time and the highest of any current player. He doesn’t show any sign of slowing down this season as he has the highest usage rate (31%) on one of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams. You have to be selective with your high-priced players in this high-profile slate, and Durant is one that you need to get into your lineup.
Power Forward
Take your deep value shot on D.J. Wilson ($3,800)
Wilson is the ultimate salary saver for this slate. The second-year forward didn’t get on the court for the Bucks until December 5 but has now seen at least 23 minutes off the bench in three of Milwaukee’s last four games. Those four games coincide with the absence of Ersan Ilyasova, who is out indefinitely with a fractured nose, so his role in the rotation should be safe. The matchup with the Knicks should allow Wilson to put up a relatively strong stat line, as New York gives up the second-most FanDuel points to power forwards.
Center
Pay down at center with Al Horford ($6,700)
There are five higher priced centers in front of Horford on Christmas, as he’s another player returning from a prolonged injury and is probably cheaper than he should be. He returned Sunday after sitting out the past seven games and proceeded to put up 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Those numbers are all near his season averages, and he hit them in just 19 minutes of play. The Celtics blew out the Hornets, allowing Horford to ease his way back in without set back. He’s now primed for a full workload against the 76ers on Christmas day, where he should be well worth his $6,700 price tag.
If you start your lineup with these five players, you’ll still have an average of $6,700 to spend on your last four. Now finish filling out your lineup and make sure you get a good seat at your family gathering so you can enjoy watching it climb to the top of the standings. Merry Christmas!
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Aaron Larson is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @aalarson.
