This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
The NBA has five games on tap for Christmas Day, featuring a primetime game every three hours or so starting at noon EST. The selection is relatively sparse, which means there will be a lot of player overlap, so you will need to hit on a low-priced value pick or two to set your team apart.
GUARD
Lou Williams, LAL vs. LAC ($13) - Williams is coming off a complete clunker Wednesday night (0-for-6 FG, 8.2 fantasy points), but before that he had been a metronome all month. He had scored 26.0 to 36.9 fantasy points in seven consecutive games, excellent and consistent production for a $13 player. Look for him to bounce back Friday.
Klay Thompson, GS vs. MIL ($23) - Thompson scored 20 points Wednesday against the Jazz, and it was his worst healthy game since November. He has been hot this month, with eight straight (healthy) games of at least 20 points, resulting in 41.6 FPts, 54.6 FPts and 59.4 FPts in his last three prior to Wednesday.
Guards to Avoid:
Kyrie Irving, CLE at GS ($25) - Irving is still working himself into game shape with only two games on his resume since returning from a knee injury and is still operating on limited minutes. His $25 price is for an impact starter, which he hasn't yet shown himself to be physically capable of.
James Harden, HOU vs. SA ($51) - This pick requires explanation. Harden is fully expected to play very well Friday, as he does every game, and indeed could lead the day's shooting guards in fantasy points. However, his $51 price is dramatically more expensive than the other three impact shooting guards on schedule (Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Klay Thompson average $27.33 each), and he faces a Spurs defense that is second in the NBA at limiting production to shooting guards. Harden would have to explode for one of his 50-plus fantasy point bombs to be worth his price. And even if he does, considering you can likely get 40 fantasy points from one of the other three shooting guards at a bit more than half the price, your money could be better spent than splurging on Harden.
FORWARD
Kobe Bryant, LAL vs. LAC ($24) - Kobe is playing his last Christmas game, on his home court, and he undoubtedly will want to go out with a bang. He scored 25.7 FPts on Wednesday in a blowout loss to the Thunder, and prior to that game he had averaged 41.9 FPts/G in his previous four outings.
Taj Gibson, CHI at OKC ($10) - Gibson has played more recently as he moved into the starting lineup, scoring 27.8 FPts and 30.4 FPts in two of his last three outings (sandwiched around an 11.4 FPts clunker). However, with Joakim Noah out the next few weeks with a shoulder injury, Gibson has the potential to stabilize his production. He is the most defensive-minded of the bigs the Bulls have left, which should allow him to get enough playing time to produce.
Forwards to Avoid:
Harrison Barnes, GS vs. CLE ($20) - There are rumors that Barnes, who has sat out the last 12 games with a high ankle sprain, might return Friday against the Cavaliers. Even if he does play, this wouldn't be the highest probability game to roster him. He likely will be rusty, he may be on a minutes restriction as the Warriors work him back in and he faces LeBron James and a Cavaliers defense that is tough on opposing small forwards.
Chris Bosh, MIA vs. NO ($31) - Bosh isn't a bad option Friday, he is just not as good as the other available frontline power forwards. He has scored fewer than 27 FPts in three of his last four games, with a low of 17.4 FPts, which is just not enough for his $31 price.
CENTER
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs. NO ($28) - Whiteside has been a bit inconsistent this season, but when he is on he is one of the highest upside centers in the game. Over the last stretch he seems to have found his health and his game, as he has seven consecutive games with double-digit boards and has shot 65 percent from the field over his last four. He has also averaged 39.8 FPts in that span, scoring 45.0 FPts per game in his last two.
Center to Avoid:
Tim Duncan, SA at Hou ($17) - Duncan's price has plummeted this month, as his production has gone south. At $17 he's no longer terrible value, but he's the worst of the healthy non-minimum priced centers going on Christmas. He has not scored more than 26 fantasy points in a game since Dec. 3 and has four games scoring in the teens of fantasy points in that stretch.
Snellings is a two-time winner of the Fantasy Basketball Writer of the Year award from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.
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