9. Oklahoma City
Record: 21-13
Last week: 9th
The Thunder went 2-1 last week, with the lone defeat being a 114-80 loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis. That was a bad night for guard Russell Westbrook, who was ejected from the game in the third quarter and finished with 21 points, five rebounds, no assists and six turnovers. But for as rough as that loss was, the way in which the Thunder bounced back was just as impressive. OKC blew out the reeling Clippers Saturday night, with Enes Kanter scoring 23 points off the bench and Westbrook (17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds with just one turnover) tallying yet another triple-double. Westbrook will clearly be the focal point, but the Thunder are a more dangerous team when they get balanced scoring from the supporting cast as they did against the Clippers. (Getty)
PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Opponent: vs. Atlanta
Price: $12,500
While the opposing point guard tonight, Dennis Schröder, has played better basketball after getting off to an incredibly slow start to the season, it's difficult to see Westbrook not posting a high number here. He's accounted for 52 FanDuel points or more in 13 of his last 15 games, most recently going for 73.2 in the aforementioned win over the Suns. Not sure if he'll get into the seventies, since Atlanta is a better defensive team than Phoenix, but with the NBA schedule being what it is just take Westbrook and go from there. (Getty)
PG: Rajon Rondo, Chicago
Opponent: vs. Detroit
Price: $5,700
This choice comes with some risk, as Rondo hasn't been the most consistent point guard of late. But he's got solid numbers when it comes to rebounds and assists, averaging 6.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds to go along with 8.0 points per game. Since accounting for 37.5 FanDuel points against the Spurs, Rondo's fallen short of his season average (26.6 FanDuel ppg) in each of his last three games. But with Detroit still working Reggie Jackson into the rotation, the hope here is that Rondo can reach his average Monday night. (Getty)
SG: Zach LaVine, Minnesota
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $6,400
Outside of his poster-worthy dunk on Alex Len, LaVine's showing in the first meeting of the season between the Timberwolves and Suns was a bit underwhelming. LaVine finished with 13 points and three rebounds, with the 16.6 FanDuel points being the third-fewest he's tallied in a game this season. But since that game, LaVine has compiled at least 24.1 FanDuel points in ten of his 11 games since. Phoenix is still having some issues defensively, so expect a greater output from LaVine this time around. (Getty)
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr., Atlanta
Opponent: vs. Boston
Price: $4,500
Hardaway's produced 23 FanDuel points or more in four of the last five games, with the trade of Kyle Korver opening up more minutes (and shots) on the wings. Hardaway's scored in double figures in four of those five games, including a 29-point night against the Spurs on New Year's Day. Boston will be a challenge because of their defense, but Hardaway will have enough chances to produce a solid stat line Friday night. (Getty)
SF: Paul George, Indiana
Opponent: at Sacramento
Price: $7,500
The Pacers have played four games against Pacific Division teams this season, and in those games George has averaged 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. On Wednesday he and the Pacers visit the Kings, a team that's currently ranked 21st in points allowed per game and 24th in defensive rating. George and Kings starting small forward Rudy Gay may exchange some baskets, but in the end George's all-around game should result in a nice night by FanDuel standards on Wednesday. (Getty)
SF: Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas
Opponent: at Denver
Price: $4,000
Building a team around Westbrook means that some pennies will be pinched somewhere. Finney-Smith is averaging just 11.6 FanDuel points per game this season, but he's accounted for 21 FanDuel points or more in four of the last six games. The rookie out of Florida has started 19 of the 26 games he's played in this season, and over the last six games he's averaging 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest, scoring in double figures in four of those contests. Wouldn't be a bad idea to take a flier on Finney-Smith for tonight's action if you have to save some cap room for other spots. (Getty)
PF: Nikola Jokic, Denver
Opponent: vs. Dallas
Price: $5,900
Since returning to the lineup after missing three games due to a sprained wrist, Jokic has surpassed his FanDuel point average (25.6) in four of six games. Denver head coach Mike Malone's decision to go smaller, using Wilson Chandler as the starting power forward, has given Jokic more room to operate and thus made him more effective. Denver and Dallas last met a week ago, with Jokic (27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists) tallying 49.2 FanDuel points. (Getty)
PF: Bobby Portis, Chicago
Opponent: vs. Detroit
Price: $3,500
With Nikola Mirotić falling out of the rotation, some minutes opened up at the power forward position behind starter Taj Gibson. Over the last two games Portis has seen an increase in his minutes, playing 23 minutes in the Bulls' loss at Milwaukee and another 19 in the rematch the following night in Chicago. Portis finished the second game with ten points and eight rebounds, likely keeping him in the rotation for the time being. Portis' activity on the boards and defensively will be key, as he's unlikely to get too many chances to show off what he can do offensively. This is definitely a gamble, but given the available cap room it's one we have to take. (Getty)
C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $9,400
In the first meeting of the season between Minnesota and Phoenix, Towns finished with 22 points, ten rebounds, four assists, one steal, one blocked shot and four turnovers. That worked out to a FanDuel point total of 40.0 points, just below his season average of 40.6. Towns put forth his second-best FanDuel score of the season in Saturday's overtime loss to Houston, finishing with 62.5 points as he racked up 41 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. He may not reach those numbers tonight, but Towns has proven to be good for at least the high-30's in FanDuel points on a nightly basis. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 19