NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Saturday Playbook

It's Saturday, December 20th, and we have a six-game NBA DFS main slate on DraftKings and nine games over on FanDuel.

We have two very different slates, as the FD slate has three games with totals above 230 points that DK does not. Memphis is going to be featured heavily on both sites, with an elite matchup against Washington and Ja Morant out again. Orlando-Utah (with Franz Wagner out and Jalen Suggs and Lauri Markkanen doubtful), as well as the presence of Luka Doncic, will play a role in decision-making over on FD. 

Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

• News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
• Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
• Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
• NBA DFS Projections
• Lineup Generator
• NBA Ownership

NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, December 20th

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Pre/Post-Lock Update Section

This section will be used for anything that changes from the morning until right up to roster lock. 

Injury updates, players we’re higher on than we were in the morning and so much more.

All status updates after contest roster lock will be made in the Fantasy Alarm Discord: https://discord.gg/2yATJxXe8G

4:00 PM ET UPDATE

• Rui Hachimura - OUT
• Grayson Allen - OUT

2:00 PM ET UPDATE

• Jonathan Kuminga - Questionable (downgrade)
• Caris LeVert - Probable (upgrade) 
• Jakob Poeltl - Doubtful (downgrade) 
• Jaylen Brown - Doubtful 
• Lauri Markkanen - OUT
• Collin Sexton - OUT
• Tre Mann - Available
• Pat Connaughton - Available 
• Joel Embiid - Doubtful 
• Paul George - OUT
• Khris Middleton - Available 
• Bilal Coulibaly - OUT
• Jamir Watkins - Questionable (downgrade) 
• Cam Whitmore - Questionable (downgrade) 

NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 12/20

• BOS:
  Yet to submit
• TOR:
  Jakob Poeltl - Questionable
  RJ Barrett - Out
• DAL:
  Anthony Davis - Probable
  Klay Thompson - Questionable
  Dereck Lively - Out
  Kyrie Irving - Out
  Dante Exum - Out
• PHI:
  Yet to submit
• IND:
  Tony Bradley - Questionable
  Ben Sheppard - Out
  Aaron Nesmith - Out
  Obi Toppin - Out
  Tyrese Haliburton - Out
• NOP:
  Dejounte Murray - Out
• CHA:
  Tre Mann - Probable
  Collin Sexton - Doubtful
  Pat Connaughton - Questionable
  Grant Williams - Out
• DET:
  Duncan Robinson - Probable
  Caris LeVert - Questionable
• WAS:
  Malaki Branham - Questionable
  Khris Middleton - Questionable
  Corey Kispert - Out
• MEM:
  Ja Morant - Out
  Vince Williams - Out
  Zach Edey - Out
  John Konchar - Out
  Javon Small - Out
  Ty Jerome - Out
  Scotty Pippen Jr. - Out
• PHX:
  Grayson Allen - Questionable
  Isaiah Livers - Questionable
  Jalen Green - Out
• GSW:
  Al Horford - Out
  Seth Curry - Out
• ORL:
  Tristan da Silva - Questionable
  Jonathan Isaac - Questionable
  Jalen Suggs - Doubtful
  Franz Wagner - Out
  Moe Wagner - Out
• UTA:
  Lauri Markkanen - Doubtful
  Georges Niang - Out
  Walker Kessler - Out
• POR:
  Jerami Grant - Questionable
  Scoot Henderson - Out
  Matisse Thybulle - Out
  Blake Wesley - Out
  Jrue Holiday - Out
  Damian Lillard - Out
• SAC:
  Zach LaVine - Out
  Domantas Sabonis - Out
  Drew Eubanks - Out
• LAL:
  Rui Hachimura - Questionable
  Deandre Ayton - Out
  Austin Reaves - Out
  Gabe Vincent - Out
• LAC:
  Derrick Jones - Out
  Bradley Beal - Out

h/t @UnderdogNBA 

NBA DFS Slate & Game Overviews

In the section below, I’m listing the most notable things we need to look at in Las Vegas, including notable O/U and spreads. Not every game is listed, but every game listed has the pace and defensive numbers listed.

NBA DFS Core Player Pool & Lineup Picks

Here are the core players I’m looking at for my NBA DFS picks tonight. You can see the full analysis of tonight’s NBA DFS projections and player pool below or skip ahead to building the best lineups possible by locking these into the aforementioned lineup generator now.

High

• Luka Doncic (FD), Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Anthony Davis

Mid

• Paolo Banchero (FD), Keyonte George (FD), Desmond Bane (FD), Jaren Jackson, Derrick White, Cooper Flagg, Santi Aldama, Payton Pritchard, VJ Edgecombe, Collin Gillespie, Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, Jock Landale, Jaylen Wells 

Value

• Tobias Harris, Jordan Walsh, Herbert Jones, Brandon Williams, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Isaiah Collier (FD), Anfernee Simons, Isaiah Jackson 

Stacks

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