Getty Were hoping LeBron James plays Santa Clause for our NBA DFS lineups.
Christmas is a time to spend with loved ones, while also staring at your phone for updates on your NBA DFS score. The holiday has become a big deal for NBA fans with so many prime matchups, and this year is no different. What better way to celebrate the holiday than by filling out a winning FanDuel lineup.
As you start to build your Christmas lineup, you are likely going to want to include one of the four superstar options: LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden or Kevin Durant. In my lineup, I went with James for a couple reasons. James has little competition on his own team for offensive buckets, and also fills up the stat sheet in other categories. No player has more experience playing on the holiday than James. While I love Westbrook and Harden, there are a couple lower priced point guards who I expect to perform well. Durant is a solid option, but has plenty of competition on his own team for baskets giving James has a higher ceiling.
My lineup features a few sleeper options headlined by Warriors rookie big man Jordan Bell, who is priced at $4,900. Bell has been getting increased opportunities with Zaza Pachulia sidelined with an injury. Michael Beasley has had a few breakout games as of late, and I like taking a flyer on him with his $4,500 price tag. Andre Iguodala should get increased looks with Steph Curry missing the game, and has great value at $4,500.
At point guard, we are bypassing the most expensive options to pick two great options in the next tier. At under $9,000, Kyrie Irving is a steal who gives you almost as much upside as some of the more expensive options. Given how Lonzo Ball has tended to perform in big games, Ball is a great option, and has put up more than 35 FanDuel points in six straight games. You will want to keep an eye on the injury report for Ball, as he is battling a slight shoulder injury.
Unless you are going with James Harden at shooting guard, you are better off looking for a bargain than grabbing one of the mid-tier players. My combo of Andrew Wiggins and Dwyane Wade has plenty of upside without breaking the bank. Both players have the potential to go off on Christmas Day, especially Wade who has experience playing in these contests. Eric Gordon is another player I like at shooting guard if you prefer him over Wiggins or Wade.
Here are a few good forward options that just missed my lineup: Robert Covington ($6,600), Jayson Tatum ($5,700), Jaylen Brown ($5,800) and Otto Porter ($6,300). While it didn’t work out with my current roster construction, a Sixers stack including Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons is not a bad option as well.
Here’s a look at my Christmas FanDuel lineup picks with a bonus starting five lineup, in case you are playing in a tournament featuring just five players.
Best NBA FanDuel Lineup Christmas 2017
| POS. | PLAYER | PRICE |
| PG | Lonzo Ball, Lakers | $7,500 |
| PG | Kyrie Irving, Celtics | $8,900 |
| SG | Andrew Wiggins, T-Wolves | $5,800 |
| SG | Dwyane Wade, Cavs | $5,300 |
| SF | LeBron James, Cavs | $12,000 |
| SF | Andre Iguodala, Warriors | $4,500 |
| PF | Jordan Bell, Warriors | $4,900 |
| PF | Michael Beasley, Knicks | $4,500 |
| C | Steven Adams, Thunder | $6,600 |
NBA Christmas Day Starting 5
| POS. | PLAYER | PRICE |
| G | James Harden, Rockets | $15,500 |
| G | Ben Simmons, Sixers | $14,000 |
| F | Robert Covington, Sixers | $10,500 |
| F | Paul George, Thunder | $11,500 |
| C | Jordan Bell, Warriors | $8,000 |