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

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center on December 13, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

NBA DFS Forwards:

Part of me also wonders if the Lakers are going to hold back on the minutes of their stars since they only got about 75 days off. That makes me apprehensive about using Anthony Davis even in a plus matchup. I would much rather use Kevin Durant in his return to the court. The Nets may limit him as well, but he should be fresh and ready to go if you have money to burn up front.

The dropoff is fairly steep at forward unless you’re going to use Kawhi or PG. I do have my eye on Kelly Oubre. He may have a spot in the starting lineup with Klay out. If he does, he’s an interesting play. Part of me wants to see how he fits in with this team first. Another part of me wants to go for it. They need to replace the scoring of Klay from somewhere.

If we go just by how Jarrett Allen played in the bubble without DeAndre Jordan around stealing minutes, he’s an easy play for the price. However, having Jordan around again worries me. What if Jordan fits in better with Kyrie and KD? Allen wont leave the bench much. I don’t really want to mess with this situation either.

I could see Kyle Kuzma being a force off the Lakers bench in the opener, especially if they take it easy with the starters. This is risky though since we never really know how important this game is to the Lakers. We know what it means to the Clippers. For the Lakers it’s nothing more than a fly that keeps buzzing around.

James Wiseman is an interesting play, but we likely wont know how long he’s going to play until after the game. The Warriors aren’t going to tell us. I’m pretty sure that Wiseman wont start, but if he does, he is at significantly less risk.

Montrezl Harrell against the Clippers is interesting just for the revenge factor. I will likely roll him out there once just I case he’s really pissed off, but his bubble performance, or lack thereof, has me worried. I would rather use Serge Ibaka, the guy the Clippers signed to replace Montrezl, and hope for the best.

Call me crazy, but I really think Marc Gasol is a good fit with the Lakers. He wont have much of a scoring role unless he plays a lot with the second unit, but the price is low enough to throw a GPP dart here.