Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Lineups For December 25th

Merry Christmas to all of you loyal readers! Let’s try and make it a little more merry with some cash from FanDuel!

More from FanDuel

The NBA doesn’t take Christmas Day off, so we here at Fantasy CPR won’t either! This is the unofficial beginning of the NBA season, so welcome aboard!

There are only five games on Christmas Day, but the NBA tailored it so all of their stars are on display. Westbrook, Durant, Bosh, Curry, Paul, Wall, Melo. The list goes on. We all know that we can’t even get half of them on our team, so which ones are worth spending a little more cash on? Let’s take a look!

Here are my FanDuel lineups for December 25th:

Dec 23, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) and Wizards center Kevin Seraphin (13) look on in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Bulls won 99-91. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Point Guards:

Bargains:

Ronnie Price, Lakers ($4,100): Price is still starting for the Lakers, and is turning into a decent option. He has averaged 25 fantasy points per game over the last three games. It is a small sample size, but it is much better than he did in his first couple of starts. And hey, if you want to afford more than one stud, you have to go cheap somewhere.

Derrick Rose, Bulls ($7,100): Rose has scored 66.3 fantasy points in his two games back, and gets the Lakers. Yes, Merry Christmas to you, Derrick.

Worth The Cost:

Russell Westbrook, Thunder ($11,300):Westbrook continues to make his case as the best PG in the NBA. He lit up Portland for a whopping 65 fantasy points on Tuesday. It also marked his 11th consecutive game of more than 40 fantasy points. No one else is as consistently great as Westbrook has been lately.

Chris Paul, Clippers ($10,400): Paul has put together a nice streak of his own with five straight 40 fantasy point games. If you can swing both of them in your lineup without being too weak elsewhere, it could pay off big time.

Risky Play:

John Wall, Wizards ($9,800): Wall has three straight games of under 40 fantasy points, but he does get the Knicks today. He could put up better numbers than Paul, but there is a bit of risk involved.

My Lineups:

A: Westbrook and Paul ($21,700)

B: Westbrook and Price ($15,400)

Next: Which Sharpshooter Has The Better Matchup?

Dec 10, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (5) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Guards:

Bargains:

Tim Hardaway Jr., Knicks ($5,500): Hardaway has seven straight games of 20 or more fantasy points. That is great production with little risk from his price range.

Jamal Crawford, Clippers ($5,000): Crawford has averaged 26 fantasy points over his last four games, and has also seen an increase in minutes. It is worth riding this hot streak while it lasts.

Worth The Cost:

Jimmy Butler, Bulls ($9,300): He frustrated many daily leaguers, myself included, with his down night on Tuesday. Call me optimistic, but I think he bounces back in a big way against the worst defense in the NBA in the Lakers.

Dwyane Wade, Heat ($8,800): Wade racked up 35 fantasy points in his return to the lineup on Tuesday. He seems safe to use going forward.

Risky Play:

Nick Young, Lakers ($5,400): Young is a streaky player with a mean streak. You just never know when he is going to go cold from the field, or get tossed from the game. That always carries some inherent risk. That said, he has put up 63 fantasy points over the last two games.

My Lineups:

A: Butler and Hardaway ($14,800)

B: Crawford and Hardaway ($10,500)

Next: Who Is The Best For A Thin Night At SF

Dec 10, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat forward Shawne Williams (43) during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Small Forwards:

Bargains:

Shawne Williams, Heat ($4,100): Williams has put up 51 fantasy points in the last two games. The Heat seem to play better with Williams in the starting lineup, so it looks like this might stick for a little while. If it does, Williams is a good low dollar option. At any rate, he should see increased playing time for the rest of the year with Josh McRoberts done for the season.

Paul Pierce, Wizards ($5,400): Pierce is not the elite fantasy option that he once was, but he can still put up decent numbers for your team. He has averaged 22.4 fantasy points over the last nine games. He is a consistent, solid option.

Worth The Cost:

LeBron James, Cavaliers ($10,500): James has not had more than 40 fantasy points since December 15th. That said, he usually shines on Christmas Day. He averages 28 points, eight assists, and six rebounds on Christmas. That would net you 47.2 fantasy points for an average day.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks ($9,500): Melo has averaged 44 fantasy points per game over the last five games he has played. In case you are wondering, that is better than LeBron over that span.

Risky Play:

Draymond Green, Warriors ($7,700): Green had a rough day on Tuesday. He only had 7.6 fantasy points in 23 minutes. The thing that is concerning to me is the minutes. David Lee played 21 minutes on Tuesday. As a result, both Green and Harrison Barnes relinquished some of their playing time.

My Lineups:

A; Williams and Pierce ($9,500)

B: James and Anthony ($20,000)

Next: There Are Good Cheap Options At PF

Dec 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Ed Davis (21) dunks the ball in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) and forward Nick Collison (4) at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Power Forwards:

Bargains:

Ed Davis, Lakers ($4,600): Davis has hit double digit points in his last three games. He is making the most of his starting role after a rocky start. He has averaged 27 fantasy points per game over those three games, which makes him a really good option right now.

Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers ($4,800): Thompson should have a much larger role in the Cavaliers’ offense with Anderson Varejao out for the season. He put up a string of nice games earlier in the month with extended minutes, so I am buying in on this, at least for now.

Worth The Cost:

Blake Griffin, Clippers ($10,200): There are not a lot of great options at PF tonight, so Griffin remains the best of the pack. Griffin has been over 40 fantasy points in five of his last seven games.

Tim Duncan, Spurs ($9,300): Duncan has averaged 48 fantasy points over each of his last six games. Duncan is a superb and consistent option when he plays. And you can bet that he will play on Christmas. The NBA would shut the team down if they dared hold out Timmy D on their biggest stage.

Risky Play:

Pau Gasol, Bulls ($8,700): Gasol has been under 40 fantasy points in five of his last seven games, which makes him a risk. That said, he is playing the Lakers, and not only are they his former team, but they are the Lakers. You know, the team that allows the most points in the NBA.

My Lineups:

A and B: Thompson and Davis ($9,400)

Next: Go Cheap Or Pay For DeAndre Jordan?

Dec 16, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Miami Heat forward Chris Andersen (11) on the court during a stoppage in play caused by a leak in the roof during the first quarter of play against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Center:

Bargain:

Chris Andersen, Heat ($3,700): Anderson is likely to get another start with Chris Bosh out. In his last five games, he has averaged 18.5 fantasy points per game. He is not an elite option by any means, but he is a solid low-end option.

Steven Adams, Thunder ($4,500): Adams has been over 20 fantasy points in four of the last six games, and even went over 30 in two of those games. He is becoming a very good fantasy option, especially for the price.

Worth The Cost:

DeAndre Jordan, Clippers ($8,000): Jordan has put up a few really good games here and there, but is consistently in the 30’s if nothing else. On a light day at center, he is the best “sure thing” available.

Risky Play:

Festus Ezeli, Warriors ($3,600): Ezeli is still the starter while Andrew Bogut is hurt, but on any given night Marreese Speights or David Lee could put up the bigger numbers That is a risk you take if decide to go with Ezeli.

My Lineups:

A and B: Adams

More from FanSided