NBA DFS picks December 22: Will LeBron and the Lakers show up?

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on in a game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on February 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

NBA DFS Guards:

LeBron was openly defiant about the season starting early and suggested that he wouldn’t be at full speed until he was damn well ready. Besides, he didn’t play well against the Clippers last year anyway. He’s a full fade for me. I’m not saying the price is ridiculous, but I think the Lakers are going to be a little sluggish as a whole after playing into October.

We don’t really know what to expect from the Nets, but we do know that they didn’t fare well against point guards last year. This is the time to play Stephen Curry. He’s well rested and ready to go after missing the bubble invite with his peers. Curry seems to be the safest guard to pay up for.

Speaking of well rested, Kyrie falls into that category as well. If you want to run two stud points, you might be in the minority on this slate. I think a lot are going to chase Kawhi or PG13 and what they did to the Lakers last year. Both Curry and Kyrie are regarded as health risks, but this is the first game. They are two of the best rested players on the entire slate.

Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard carry SG eligibility on DraftKings. Kawhi showed up against the Lakers every time last year. I have no issues paying for him here. Some reports say PG13 is more healthy than he has been in two years. Still, I view him as a secondary option to Kawhi.

It should be Andrew Wiggins still filling in for Klay, and I’m excited to see what he can do with this team mostly at full strength. That doesn’t mean I’m going to play him. That guy has burned me more than those bottle rocket wars we used to have as kids.

Caris LeVert seems cheap. We didn’t get much of a baseline since Kyrie only played two games last year. KD is going to take away a lot of production as well, but this feels like a solid matchup.

How are the Lakers going to use Dennis Schroder? For this price, I’m tempted to find out. At any rate, Schroder will either be an elite bench scorer or send LeBron back to SF. Either way there’s some good potential here.

I don’t know about you, but I really missed the Reggie Jackson–Patrick Beverley conundrum that was a constant last year. Part of me says to just avoid this. Another part of me knows that guessing correctly is going to be the path to having a chance at a takedown. Good luck!