NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, December 25

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, December 25

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

MIL at NYK: Bucks have won seven straight; Knicks are 7-4 at home

GSW at DEN: Warriors on five-game win streak; Nuggets on four-game win streak and are 11-2 at home

BOS at LAL: Celtics are 8-2 in last 10 games; Lakers are 10-3 at home

PHI at MIA: 76ers 8-2 in last 10 games; Heat 8-6 at home; Both sides have won two in row

DAL at PHX: Mavs are 9-6 on road; Suns are on two-game slide

For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

Injuries to Monitor  

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report       

MIL - Giannis Antetokounmpo (foot): Probable

NYK - Jericho Sims (ankle), Mitchell Robinson (ankle): OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein is up for a major role. 

GSW - Andrew Wiggins (illness): Questionable; Draymond Green (suspension): OUT
Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga must step up.

DEN - Aaron Gordon (heel), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (back): Probable

BOS - Kristaps Porzingis (ankle): Questionable 
Al Horford could be in line for more action. 

LAL - Rui Hachimura (wrist), Jarred Vanderbilt (heel): Probable; Anthony Davis (ankle), LeBron James (ankle), Cam Reddish (groin): Questionable 
Austin Reaves could have a greater role on offense. Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood would have to step up in the frontcourt. 

PHI - Joel Embiid (ankle), Nicolas Batum (hamstring): OUT
Paul Reed, Marcus Morris and Kelly Oubre have to step up. 

MIA - Josh Richardson (back): Probable; Jimmy Butler (calf), Haywood Highsmith (illness): Questionable 
Jaime Jaquez, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love are in line for more opportunity. 

DAL - Dereck Lively (ankle): Questionable; Josh Green (elbow), Kyrie Irving (heel), Maxi Kleber (toe): OUT
Derrick Jones, Dante Exum and Dwight Powell must to step up. 

PHX - Eric Gordon (hip), Josh Okogie (hip), Yuta Watanabe (finger): Probable; Bradley Beal (ankle), Jusuf Nurkic (personal): OUT
Drew Eubanks is up for the start in place of Nurkic. Eric Gordon remains in line for a bigger role without Beal. 

Elite Players

Guards

Jalen Brunson, Knicks ($8,400) vs. Bucks 

Brunson faces his second consecutive meeting with the Bucks after he amassed 52.3 DK points on 36 points, three rebounds, seven assists and a block in their last meeting on Saturday. He is likely to shine again, as the Bucks have struggled to contain opposing point guards this season, giving up the league's fourth-most points per game to the position. 

Devin Booker, Suns ($9,700) vs. Mavericks 

Booker is averaging 26.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists over his last 10 outings, including a high of 61 DK points on two occasions. He faces a favorable matchup against the Mavs' shorthanded backcourt, and he must shine at home to help carry his own squad's shorthanded backcourt.  

Forwards/Centers

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($9,900) at Lakers 

Tatum is averaging 24.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists over his last 10 appearances, including two games with more than 50 DK points. He should find room to thrive from long range against the Lakers, who give up the league's sixth-most three-pointers per game. 

Kevin Durant, Suns ($9,600) vs. Mavericks 

Durant is averaging 30.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over his last 10 outings, including a high of 61 DK points. He is likely to impose himself offensively against the Mavs, who give up the league's ninth-most points and ninth-highest shooting percentage to opponents this season.

Bam Adebayo, Heat ($8,800) vs. 76ers

Adebayo is averaging 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals over three games since returning from a two-week absence. He also faces a favorable matchup against the 76ers in the absence of Joel Embiid

Expected Chalk 

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ($10,900) vs. Warriors 

Jokic continues to dominate the stat sheet, averaging 21.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks across the last 10 games. He came up with 67.3 DK points in his previous encounter with the Warriors, on November 8. The former MVP has a good opportunity to excel once again, as the Warriors remain shorthanded in the frontcourt and give up the league's third-most free throws per game to opposing centers. 

Mid-Range Money 

Dante Exum, Mavericks ($5,800) at Suns

Exum delivered 36.3 DK points in the last game, and he is averaging 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 0.9 steals over his last 10 appearances. He surpassed 30 DK points four times over that span, including a high of 42.5. Exum will continue to see an expanded role, while the Mavs deal with injuries in the backcourt. 

RJ Barrett, Knicks ($5,700) vs. Bucks 

Barrett has a good chance to prosper against the Bucks, who give up the league's fourth-most points per game to opposing shooting guards. Barrett has surpassed 25 DK points in nine of the last 10 games. 

Value Picks

Reggie Jackson, Nuggets ($4,700) vs. Warriors 

Jackson is averaging 11.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists over the last 10 games and has a good shot to stand out against the Warriors, as they give up the league's seventh-highest field-goal percentage to opposing point guards. 

Jaden Hardy, Mavericks ($4,800) at Suns 

Hardy is averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals over the last four games and should continue to see added playing time for the Mavs' shorthanded backcourt. 

Drew Eubanks, Suns ($4,800) vs. Mavericks 

Eubanks is up for the start in place of Jusuf Nurkic. Eubanks is averaging 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks when he's played more than 15 minutes (18 games). 

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 using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
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