NBA Fantasy: Top DFS lineup picks & expert advice for Dec. 5

Welcome to the Thursday NBA DFS slate. As the season progresses, pricing is becoming more challenging and the competition is becoming tougher. I hope you've been having a successful season so far. If you're planning to play NBA DFS tonight, be sure to stay updated on lineup announcements and be prepared for late swapping. This strategy can give you an advantage over your competition and increase your chances of cashing in on the games.

We have an eight or seven-game slate tonight depending on the site you use, so you will have to get creative with your GPP lineups. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.

NBA DFS Core Plays

Luka Dončić (PG – DAL)

DraftKings: $11,100FanDuel: $11,700

I was a bit hesitant to trust Luka Dončić coming back from injury but he quickly put those concerns to bed posting two 70+ fantasy point efforts impressively at Portland and against Memphis. Now, he gets a delectable matchup facing the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards have allowed the most fantasy points to opponents across the board and the most fantasy points to point guards as well at 57 a game. Considering that’s the average production, I expect Dončić to have a floor of around 60 points. I’m not going to say he will cover 70 again but it’s well within reason. If he does, you want him in your lineup.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC)

DraftKings: $10,100FanDuel: $10,800

I hate to double-up on point guards but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an equally capable star who still feels due to explode in a game. He also offers quite the pricing discount if you need to save some salary and pivot off Dončić. I imagine those two will be slotted into most of my lineups tonight.

Gilgeous-Alexander has a floor of 50 fantasy points, which he’s eclipsed in seven of his last eight games. He faces Toronto tonight. The Raptors have a defense that ranks in the bottom 10 of the league with a pace of play similar to the Thunder, so possession opportunities will be at a similar level for Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. Considering he’s scored 25+ points on the court in 11 straight games, I’m confident in his return on investment in DFS tonight.

Brandon Miller (SG, SF – CHA)

DraftKings: $8,500FanDuel: $8,300

Since

LaMelo Ball

has been out for Charlotte,

Brandon Miller

has stepped up with two straight 30+ point scoring efforts. His usage rate has averaged 28% this season. In his last three games, however, that number has jumped to 36%.

Miller’s price has jumped, too, but still not enough to be scared of rostering him given how involved he is in the offense. The Knicks are slow, which isn’t fun, but they allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards on DraftKings and FanDuel. Miller should be able to slice and dice and is one of my main plays on tonight’s slate.

NBA DFS Cash Game Targets

Evan Mobley (PF, C – CLE)

DraftKings: $7,800FanDuel: $8,000

For a center option that won’t break the bank but still offers a high ceiling and sustainable floor of around 40 fantasy points, we have

Evan Mobley

. The Cleveland big man has averaged 44 fantasy points across the last five games, seeing a minutes and usage boost over the time frame.

Denver has been friendly to opposing frontcourt pieces, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. Mobley is a great option for allowing you to build out a high-floor lineup without having to go stars and scrubs, making him a great cash option.

Devin Booker (PG, SG – PHO)

DraftKings: $8,500FanDuel: $9,100

He may be a bit higher priced for classic cash game utilization but with no

Kevin Durant

, I imagine Devin Booker’s usage will rise. In the last week alone he’s seen more minutes, more scoring and a 32% usage rate.

Going up against a lesser but still banged-up Pelicans team is ideal as they allow the seventh-most points to opposing shooting guards. If this game ends up being a nail-biter, Booker will be the one to get the ball. He is pricy but one of the easiest players to trust to return 40+ fantasy points, which he’s done in five straight games.

Malik Monk (PG, SG – SAC)

DraftKings: $6,700FanDuel: $7,500

With the way Sacramento plays their starters, you can mix and match some Kings players into your cash lineups despite the solid defense they face in Memphis. For DraftKings, it’s

Malik Monk

. For FanDuel, I’d go with

De’Aaron Fox ($8,900)

as Monk sees an $800 price jump there.

Monk has been playing a lot more minutes recently, averaging 33 a night with 21 points and nearly eight assists. He is averaging 43 DraftKings points a night in his last five games. Even bringing that number down to 40 makes him a great value on DraftKings. He is taking on some ownership but nothing crazy. Considering his minutes and potential ceiling north of 50, I see him as a fine cash or GPP play.

NBA DFS GPP Targets

Kyrie Irving (PG – DAL)

DraftKings: $8,600FanDuel: $8,400

With all the love going to Doncic, a clear low-rostered pivot is

Kyrie Irving

. I’ve already mentioned the prime matchup against a Washington team allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards. There’s a chance Dallas goes up by 20 early and Doncic doesn’t see the floor as much, slotting Irving in for higher minutes and higher usage.

There’s also the chance Dallas gets up by 30 and they both sit. If that happens, I can see both guards getting there. Either way, it doesn’t seem like Irving is getting to 10% rostership on DraftKings, maybe it’s a bit more on FanDuel, but he still slots as a solid GPP play with such a high total and tons of points to go around.

Jakob Poeltl (C – TOR)

DraftKings: $7,400FanDuel: $7,700

There are a lot of better spots than Toronto tonight, which is why they make such great GPP options, especially with no

Chet Holmgren

in the lineup to skew numbers in their favor compared to where the Thunder’s defense is at right now.

There are a lot of centers on the slate, so Jakob Poeltl only projects around 5% ownership on both sites, but he has shown a ceiling north of 60 points and has consistently shown 40+ in three straight games. He’s currently battling an illness and is listed as questionable for tonight, so monitor that. Otherwise, he is a solid leverage play on the slate.

Julian Champagnie (SG, SG – SAS)

DraftKings: $5,000FanDuel: $5,400

The Spurs will be quite highly rostered tonight against Chicago but Julian Champagnie seems to be falling through the cracks with sub-10% ownership projected across both sites. I’m surprised by that as he has started every game this year and is only starting to play more, averaging four additional minutes a night over his last six games compared to seasonal averages with a bump in scoring and usage as well.

Champagnie is still looking to clear that 40-point fantasy outing but he’s come close many times. Tonight might be the night he does it with a total of around 236 and playing at home.

NBA DFS Value Plays

Devin Vassell (SG – SAS)

DraftKings: $5,000FanDuel: $6,000

The Spurs will garner a ton of ownership considering they are facing the fastest-paced team in the league with the 26th-ranked defense, so don’t think you’re seeing what others aren’t in rostering San Antonio players tonight.

Devin Vassell should see the floor for around 30 minutes and is coming off a solid 34 DraftKings point performance. Of course, he offers better value on DraftKings, so if you’re looking for a better FanDuel value option, go with

Stephon Castle ($5,300)

, who projects just shy of 30 points in this stellar matchup.

Ryan Dunn (PF – PHO)

DraftKings: $3,400FanDuel: $3,800

While Ryan Dunn is dealing with some ankle soreness he should be good to go and is expected to slot into the starting lineup with

Kevin Durant

out. Expecting Dunn to start makes him a clear value option. Of course, he is not the highest usage guy but he should see the floor for 22-23 minutes and has put up double-digit scoring efforts in previous starts.

Dunn’s usage rate is 16% when he’s on the court, which is reasonable enough for a punt play expected to start. Your other clear option is

Oso Ighodaro ($4,400 on DraftKings and FanDuel)

, who should see the floor for around 30 minutes with a boosted role.

KJ Simpson (PG – CHA)

DraftKings: $3,700FanDuel: $4,400

I’m in between

KJ Simpson

and

Vasilije Micić

here for the

LaMelo

Ball

fill-in. With Micić’s salary rising and Simpson healthy again, there is a clear option.

In his last game, we saw Simpson play 28 minutes and score 30 fantasy points. That would be great for tonight but even 20 points across either site can be expected for the Charlotte guard.