PF: Anthony Davis, New Orleans
Opponent: at Boston
Price: $10,800
Davis' opponent will be playing for the second consecutive night, and Boston had to expend more energy than many anticipated in holding off Philadelphia Friday night. And Davis was productive in the first meeting between the teams, accounting for 25 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and two steals (and seven turnovers) in the Pelicans' one-point victory. It should be noted that neither Al Horford nor Jae Crowder played in that game, and both will be on the court Saturday night. But when you're averaging nearly 52 FanDuel points per game as Davis is, the opportunities to score won't be lacking. (Getty)
PG: Elfrid Payton, Orlando
Opponent: vs. Toronto
Price: $5,700
Consistency has been an issue for Payton this season, as in one moment he'll show why he was a lottery pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and in the next he'll make fans wonder if he'll ever become the point guard the Magic franchise looks to lead it into the future. But recently he's made strides as a distributor, dishing out five assists or more in six of his last seven games. In total Payton has 52 assists and 15 turnovers over the last seven games, which works out to an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.47. With Payton scoring in double figures just four times during this current stretch, keeping the turnover count down is of even greater importance. (Getty)
PG: Sergio Rodriguez, Philadelphia
Opponent: vs. Brooklyn
Price: $4,800
For the price tag Boston's Marcus Smart ($5,000) is another player to consider here, but with Isaiah Thomas returning to the lineup Smart's move back into a reserve role diminishes his fantasy value greatly. So the pick here is Rodriguez, who remains the starter in Philadelphia as they wait for Jerryd Bayless to get back to full strength. Averaging 22 FanDuel points per game on the season, Rodriguez has tallied 23.7 points or more in three of the last five games he's played. (Getty)
SG: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto
Opponent: at Orlando
Price: $8,600
DeRozan's scored 30 points or more in three consecutive games for the Raptors, and for as good as he was last season he's been even better in 2016-17. DeRozan's averaging 28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, all increases on his numbers from a season ago. In Toronto's loss to Atlanta Friday night DeRozan accounted for 49 FanDuel points, finishing with a stat line of 34 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot. (Getty)
SG: Avery Bradley, Boston
Opponent: at Miami
Price: $7,000
After tallying 49 FanDuel points in Boston's loss to the Spurs Wednesday night, Bradley's number dropped to 23.4 points in Friday's win over Charlotte. The reason for that was the return of Isaiah Thomas, who missed the prior four games with a strained groin. With Thomas back in the fold Bradley's scoring numbers will decrease some, but given his value as a defender and in other statistical categories (rebounds, assists, steals) he's still worthy of consideration for FanDuel rosters. (Getty)
SF: Gordon Hayward, Utah
Opponent: at Memphis
Price: $7,200
Given how good the Grizzlies are defensively, this won't be an easy matchup for Hayward by any stretch of the imagination. What does help him is the fact that starting point guard George Hill is back in the lineup, thus lessening the load some for Hayward when it comes to creating scoring opportunities. Look for Hayward to get back to his usual self, which includes consistent trips to the foul line, Sunday night. Also note that he accounted for 47.4 FanDuel points in the last meeting between the two teams on December 18. (Getty)
SF: Jae Crowder, Boston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,500
Crowder's produced some solid numbers from a FanDuel standpoint of late, following up a 32.7-point night against Washington with 27.8 points against the Hawks Friday night. The Celtics are likely to be down a starter with Avery Bradley still working his way back into the lineup, and Crowder has the ability to impact games defensively as well as hit open shots when they become available. Crowder's scored 18 points or more in three of his last six outings. (Getty)
PF: Serge Ibaka, Orlando
Opponent: vs. Toronto
Price: $6,400
Outside of a quiet eight-point, eight-rebound effort against the Clippers on Wednesday, Ibaka's managed to produce consistently of late for the Magic. In Orlando's win over Brooklyn Friday night, Ibaka finished with 18 points, ten rebounds and five blocked shots. Shooting 8-for-13 from the floor, Ibaka attempted just two three-pointers on the night. While Ibaka has shown the ability to hit those shots, shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc this season, there are times when he falls in love with the shot. When he's looking to score both inside and out, Ibaka's that much more effective. (Getty)
PF: Terrence Jones, New Orleans
Opponent: at Cleveland
Price: $4,200
Jones has been a solid supplementary piece for the Pelicans in the front court this season, averaging 10.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He hasn't been as productive of late, as he missed one game due to illness and that set him back a bit, but Jones' remains capable of being productive when star power forward Anthony Davis needs a break (or when they're on the court together). (Getty)
C: Hassan Whiteside, Miami
Opponent: vs. Boston
Price: $8,900
Whiteside has posted a double-double in each of his last three games, a run that includes a 26-point, 22-rebound effort in a win over Indiana Wednesday night. He's emerged as one of the top centers in the NBA, and is a focal point in Miami's system on both ends of the floor as they adjust to life without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It would help Whiteside, and Miami as a whole, if some of the guys around him could stay healthy, and with the likes of Justise Winslow and James Johnson returning to the floor Miami should be able to turn things around. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 18