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Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Christmas

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By @RoKnowsDFS

Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Christmas

lebron james cleveland cavaliers sf small forward
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Merry Christmas to all of my fellow NBA FanDuel players and I hope that you all have been enjoying your holiday season so far. If it hasn't been enjoyable so far, then there's the chance to fix that by constructing the perfect Christmas lineup from tonight's five-game slate and giving yourself a nice, profitable gift. Therefore, as my present to all of you, here is how you put together the perfect roster for Dec. 25.

(PG) Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder - $11,300

russell westbrook oklahoma city thunder pg point guard
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

(PG) Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder - $11,300

russell westbrook oklahoma city thunder pg point guard
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As of right now, Kevin Durant is listed as out for the Oklahoma City Thunder's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. This means that Russell Westbrook is a near must-start even at his gaudy price. He has averaged 52.7 fantasy points over his last seven games and he should be good for at least 50 with Tony Parker guarding him. As a matter of fact, due to the size mismatch, don't be surprised if Westbrook scores 60-plus again.

(PG) Mario Chalmers - Miami Heat - $5600

mario chalmers miami heat pg point guard
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

(PG) Mario Chalmers - Miami Heat - $5600

mario chalmers miami heat pg point guard
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Over his last five games, Mario Chalmers has averaged 23.4 fantasy points while currently needing 28 to justify his price. He will be facing the Cleveland Cavaliers and their 19th rank defense against PGs, which has actually been performing worse lately. Kyrie Irving is not a defensive force at all and Chalmers should be able to make value. However, this game has all the makings of a 30-plus performance for him.

(SG) Brad Beal - Washington Wizards - $6500

brad beal washington wizards sg shooting guard
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

(SG) Brad Beal - Washington Wizards - $6500

brad beal washington wizards sg shooting guard
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

I feel that many DFS players will focus on John Wall if they decide to have exposure to the New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards game. However, it's a Wizard with the most favorable matchup. The Knicks are the worst team in the league at guarding SGs and Beal has averaged 31 fantasy points over his last six games. He needs to score 32.5 to justify his price and, barring injury, there should be no reason for him not to exceed that.

(SG) Jamal Crawford - Los Angeles Clippers - $5000

jamal crawford los angeles clippers sg shooting guard
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(SG) Jamal Crawford - Los Angeles Clippers - $5000

jamal crawford los angeles clippers sg shooting guard
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

J-Crossover was struggling for a little bit, but he seems to have regained his stride lately. Over his past three games, he has averaged 28.5 fantasy points and this is a favorable trend, especially for his current price. He will need to score 25 to make value against the Golden State Warriors and their average defense against SGs. Crawford has 30-fantasy point upside in this game, but an output between 25 and 28 is a more realistic expectation.

(SF) LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers - $10,500

lebron james cleveland cavaliers sf small forward
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

(SF) LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers - $10,500

lebron james cleveland cavaliers sf small forward
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

This will be The King's first game against his former team, the Miami Heat, ever since he decided to take his talents back to Cleveland. This will be the LeBron Show from opening tip to the final buzzer and I fully expect him to overachieve on the 43.6 fantasy points that he's averaged over his last six games. He needs to score 52.5 to justify his hefty price and don't be surprised at all if he gets a triple-double and over 55 fantasy points.

(SF) Harrison Barnes - Golden State Warriors - $5300

harrison barnes golden state warriors sf small forward
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

(SF) Harrison Barnes - Golden State Warriors - $5300

harrison barnes golden state warriors sf small forward
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For as good as the Los Angeles Clippers are, they're definitely not good at defending the SF position as they're currently ranked 29th in that regard. This bodes well for Harrison Barnes to start playing better since he hasn't justified his price over his last five games. In a contest that Las Vegas has listed with an over/under of 216.5, it's hard to imagine Barnes not being able to score the 26.5 points he needs to finally justify his price.

(PF) Amar'e Stoudemire - New York Knicks - $6400

amar'e stoudemire new york knicks pf power forward
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

(PF) Amar'e Stoudemire - New York Knicks - $6400

amar'e stoudemire new york knicks pf power forward
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, this doesn't seem like a good matchup for Stoudemire since the Washington Wizards are ranked second in defending PFs throughout the season. However, sometimes season-long statistics can be misleading since they don't always reflect the current trend. The Wizards, over their last five games, have been ranked 15th against PFs and this bodes well for STAT as he is a superior talent over any Wizards PF. He should score at least 32.

(PF) Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers - $4800

tristan thompson cleveland cavaliers pf power forward
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

(PF) Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers - $4800

tristan thompson cleveland cavaliers pf power forward
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Due to the unfortunate Achilles tear suffered by Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson will take over as the starting center for the Cleveland Cavaliers moving forward. It's not the best matchup in the world for Thompson since the Miami Heat are a top-10 defense against opposing centers. However, Thompson only needs 24 fantasy points to justify his price and he should be able to achieve that now with a significant spike in his minutes.

(C) Steven Adams - Oklahoma City Thunder - $4500

steven adams oklahoma city thunder c center
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

(C) Steven Adams - Oklahoma City Thunder - $4500

steven adams oklahoma city thunder c center
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Over his last seven games, Steven Adams has averaged 22.5 fantasy points and that is exactly how much he needs to justify his current price. He gets to face a San Antonio Spurs team that is currently ranked 23rd against opposing centers and they haven't been trending in the right direction over their last five games in that regard. Adams should be good for at least 24 fantasy points and if he scores over 30, then that'll be a true Christmas gift.

Rojé Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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