Daily Fantasy Basketball 2014: Best NBA FanDuel, DraftKings Lineup for Dec. 26
The day after a full slate of Christmas games, the NBA doesn't need 24 hours to reload more action. There are 11 games on tap, and you know what that means? There's a plethora of choices for Draft Kings and FanDuel players.
Finding the ideal lineups for the two single-day fantasy sports outfits is harder when there's a lot of teams playing. This is the task at hand for fantasy players. I'm offering up suggestions for DK and FD for Friday's slate.
Let's start with Draft Kings.
| PG | Isaiah Thomas | $5,400 |
| SG | Monta Ellis | $7,500 |
| SF | LeBron James | $11,700 |
| PF | Nerlens Noel | $5,100 |
| C | Steven Adams | $4,400 |
| G | Reggie Jackson | $5,000 |
| F | Andrew Wiggins | $5,700 |
| UTIL | Manu Ginobili | $5,000 |
And now FanDuel...
| PG | Isaiah Thomas | $5,600 |
| PG | Damian Lillard | $9,300 |
| SG | Monta Ellis | $7,800 |
| SG | Evan Fournier | $4,700 |
| SF | LeBron James | $10,400 |
| SF | K.J. McDaniels | $4,900 |
| PF | Thaddeus Young | $6,300 |
| PF | Jason Thompson | $4,300 |
| C | Jordan Hill | $5,800 |
Similarities
Isaiah Thomas, PG
After being discarded by the Sacramento Kings as a free agent this past offseason and replaced by Darren Collison, Isaiah Thomas has landed on his feet with the Phoenix Suns. He's averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.
On Friday, Thomas will head back to Sacramento for the first time since signing with the Suns.
You can bet he'll be looking to put on a strong performance. Thomas has scored at least 20 points in three of his last five games. Even once Goran Dragic returned to the lineup on Dec. 17, Thomas has still been productive.
Don't look for him to explode like perhaps Russell Westbrook will against the Charlotte Hornets, but you can't spend max money at every position.
Thomas will deliver for you for a reasonable cost.
Monta Ellis, SG
After a huge two-game stretch that saw Ellis average 31.5 points per game, the Mavericks guard has cooled off a bit. He's still trying to find his place alongside Dallas' new acquisition, Rajon Rondo.
Tas Melas of NBA TV talks about Rondo not finding his new teammate.
Ellis has scored 16.5 points per game in his last two games, but there's reason to believe Friday's game could be a breakout performance. The Los Angeles Lakers come to town, and that's normally a great sign for the opposition's offense.
Heading into the Christmas Day game, the Lakers are giving up a league-high 109.1 points per contest.
Back on Nov. 21, Ellis went for 20 points and 10 assists in a 140-106 rout. A similar stat line from Ellis wouldn't be a shock.
LeBron James, SF
You can't look for budget buys at every position. If you're going to splurge on a pick, you may as well take the best player in the world when you get a chance.
James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will stay in Florida after the Christmas clash with the Miami Heat and visit the Orlando Magic. We could validate picking James by looking back at the Cavs' previous matchup with the Magic. He had 29 points, 11 assists and four rebounds in that game.
Then again, he does that sort of thing against everybody. Truth be told, any day you can draft James and fill the rest of your squad with reasonable guys, it's a good idea.
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