It has been a long year and I could not be happier or more honored to think you took the time out of your Christmas morning to read something by yours truly. So from myself and my family we wish you and yours the very best today and may this article help you recover some of the money you have lost due to this holiday.
By the time this article is live I will have already watched four little girls rip through presents with a resolve one could only hope they will adapt to school at some point in their oncoming lives. I will bear witness as they jump up and down with excitement when they realize they actually got pretty much what they asked “Santa” for. I mean let’s face it, we do not buy these gifts to enjoy watching our wallets empty and credit card bills rise. We do it for the kids. All of it, the tree, the stockings, hot cocoa on Christmas Eve, the yearly ornament, the whole deal. It is all for them. And to be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing. Merry Christmas!
So here is where Santa brings us a gift. I mean you have seen him on ESPN lately right? Begging for someone to let him play in the upcoming NBA slate. Did you think these games were chosen by mistake? I mean we have Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jimmy Butler, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin, and Kobe Bryant all playing today. This is because the NBA owns Christmas. This is the day Santa wants to show the world he is the best of the best. A guy learns a lot over a 1,000 years. This is the one day that anyone who watches sports in any capacity will be watching. So the way I see it, if Santa wants to play…then they should let him. Who knows, news could always break.
A quick strategy session about today’s five-game slate: We have very little in the way of value today that you do not completely fade. For instance right away you can forget about Alonzo Gee, Omer Asik, Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, Timofey Mozgov, Brandon Rush, Danny Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, Larry Nance, and Roy Hibbert. Every player I just named has zero upside, low ceilings, and I would do anything I could to ensure they do not make my lineup. This is going to be a close grind to cash with all this star power and limited selection.
With all this said today’s position coach will focus on the two top guys to pay up for and the best cheap option at each position. It is slim for value so be weary.
Let’s get some holiday cash!
Point Guard
The point guard position today provides the greatest selection of value to mix with a superstar if you so choose.
As far as I am concerned for the price and matchup the best option at the position today is Chris Paul. In the last five games Paul has four double-doubles and scored a whopping 32 points versus Oklahoma City on Monday night. He also has scored over 40 fantasy points in five of the last six games, just missing in the sixth. The Lakers are allowing 23.2 ppg and the most fantasy ppg in the NBA to point guards and on Christmas Day they like to show off. Plus, it’s the battle of Los Angeles.
So the big question is Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook? My model has them so close they could be related. But, truth be told Westbrook scored one point higher. Although Curry is a monster the deciding factor for me is the overall defensive capability of the opposing team. The lines are similar and the matchups as far as fantasy ppg allowed is similar. The way I see it is, I would rather deal with the Bulls than the Cavaliers.
Westbrook lit it up on Wednesday night nearly posting a triple-double in 30 minutes while scoring over 45 fantasy points. Although I love Curry as well, Westbrook just gets my call. You understand trying to tell you who is better between these guys is nearly impossible and I surely will use them both in some fashion.
Goran Dragic is a GTD as he is still dealing with swelling in his hand. Last reports are we will just have to wait and see. The Pelicans are allowing the most ppg at 24.8 and the second most fantasy ppg to point guards on the season. Dragic does have a limited ceiling but in the right matchup he can score 35 fantasy points. If he suits up, he is almost a must play.
If Dragic does not play, and I never wish bad fortune on any athlete, it is a huge bonus for us if Beno Udrih does play. His price is the near minimum across the industry and in his last start for Dragic he scored 14 points, six assists, and over 25 fantasy points in 34 minutes. Beno! Beno!
Tony Parker is another great place to look for value on the slate. He is one of those players I will use rarely but on occasion in the right matchup I will throw him in. Like this one. The Rockets allow a ton of fantasy points to everybody. They really do. Tony Parker's mother could probably dunk on them. Houston allows the 23rd most fantasy ppg to point guards and you can usually count on Parker to score over 20 fantasy points which is something he has done now in six straight games.
Shooting Guard
We have little here for selections but Santa made sure to provide us with one cheap play in a great matchup that I am almost certain will be 100 percent owned today.
J.J. Redick has been an absolute bonus for the low price of $4,600 on FanDuel. Redick has scored more than 20 fantasy ppg in six of the last eight games hitting the 30 mark twice versus Milwaukee and Detroit. Today he faces the Lakers who allowing 23.4 ppg and the third most fantasy ppg to shooting guards. Like I said, he should be 100 percent owned.
If you want to spend up, which most of you will due to lack of selections, then the guy to do it with is Dwyane Wade. Wade is facing the Pelicans who are allowing the 21.2 ppg and the 24th most fantasy ppg to shooting guards. Great stars in great matchups do great things usually. For the price he has the 40 fantasy point upside at the 30 fantasy point price.
If you do not like Wade then I would at least get Klay Thompson in the mix. Thompson has been on fire as well scoring over 40 points once and 50 fantasy points twice in the last five games he has played. As far as defensive matchups go for the Cavaliers their weakest spot is the shooting guard position where they allow the 18th most fantasy ppg. Who better to exploit that weakness than Thompson?
Right now sitting in my cash game lineup is Eric Gordon. I have to be honest, I would rather not use him but for $5,000 on FanDuel paired with J.J. Redick that savings is allowing me to get the other guys I like. Gordon does have a consistent ceiling averaging over 20 fantasy ppg and on this slate with Miami allowing 19.4 ppg to shooting guards he is a risk I am willing to roll with.
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard was the very first guy that jumped off the page to me when I looked over the slate and was one of the first guys I inserted in my cash game lineup. The Rockets are allowing 20.6 ppg and the 28th most fantasy ppg to small forwards on the season which is a matchup I find way too enticing to pass on. He has scored over 40 fantasy points in seven of his last nine games and even if he draws Trevor Ariza I expect he will dominate.
Santa directly called out LeBron James in an ESPN news conference. I saw it on TV. None of the small forwards on the slate that are playable have great matchups outside of Leonard so this is where star power comes in and who has more than LeBron? He is averaging over 45 fantasy ppg and in three of the last seven games he has played he put up over 55 fantasy points. He is hotter than baby alive dolls at Wal-Mart and should feast on the fine Christmas buffet the Warriors will provide.
The guy at the position I am using right now and the only one I feel safe inserting is Luol Deng and trust me when I say "safe" it is an exaggeration. He is just the safest I should say. He is playing well over 30 minutes per night and putting up over 20 fantasy ppg more nights than not. I am hoping to get about 25 out of him in this matchup versus a Pelicans team allowing the 26th most fantasy ppg overall.
Power Forward
Blake Griffin is facing the Lakers. This instantly got him into my cash game lineup. I usually hate to have more than two players on the same team in my lineup but on this slate I see no choice. The Lakers are allowing over 20 ppg and the 24th most fantasy ppg to power forwards on the season and just keep seeing Griffin driving his way inside and pile driving the Lakers defense over and over. He is averaging over 40 fantasy ppg and I say his Christmas present to me is 50.
Well it happened. The Lakers signed a one-day contract with Santa Claus. Apparently after talks that got quite heated, and this may be an understatement as it is reported an Elf on the shelf even lost his powers in the process and had to return to the North Pole, Santa will play power forward on Christmas Day for the Lakers. The front office released this statement and left it at that this, “He cannot score less than Larry Nance?”
The Clippers are allowing the ninth fewest fantasy ppg to power forwards and Santa’s ability to Ho Ho Ho and spread cheer should open up the lane for scoring. He is averaging zero points, zero assists, and has scored zero fantasy ppg up till now but his price is low on FanDuel at $0. The reindeer are a romping, the kids are a singing, Santa Claus is coming to town. Get St. Nick or be scrooged.
The other guy if I choose not to use Santa in my cash game lineup I will use will be LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge is averaging over 15 points, eight rebounds, and nearly 30 fantasy ppg. He is facing a Houston team allowing the most points to power forwards in the NBA at 24.1 ppg and the most fantasy ppg as well.
I am not chasing value at the power forward position because I simply see none I am willing to use. The cheapest I would go is Serge Ibaka although I will not be.
Center
I am going to make this simple on this Christmas Day. You log onto the site you are playing on and either insert Hassan Whiteside or DeAndre Jordan. They both score the same in my model and both have incredible matchups. Whiteside gets the Pelicans who are allowing 21.1 ppg and the second most fantasy ppg to centers while Jordan faces the Lakers who allowing 22.3 ppg (most in NBA) and the third most fantasy ppg. They have similar salaries and both are dependable. I currently am using Whiteside as I already have three Clippers in my lineup but I can tell you now that if I move off another Clipper, Jordan is going in.
The guy at center you can use today is my man I roll out whenever I find him a good fit. The Chicago Bulls are allowing 20.6 ppg and the 24th most fantasy ppg to centers on the season opening the door for Enes Kanter. I do not take him often but when I do he pays. The last two times I have played Kanter he scored 39.8 and 31.2 fantasy points. Just a heads up, this was twice in the last three. With Steven Adams scoring less than Santa will today Kanter is one of the guys they lean on when the stars come off the floor.
Do not forget to get into the Christmas League. I will posting the link at 11 am EST on various FantasyAlarm NBA pages. Good luck, the top three get a free FantasyAlarm T-shirt. FREE.
Merry Christmas again!