This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA has five games on Christmas, offering both a fairly limited schedule as well as a series of highlight games. While the season is a marathon in which many believe that teams sometimes coast, the games Sunday would presumably be some of the most focused efforts. There were no games Saturday, so the players should also be reasonably rested, which could be a recipe for some big numbers.
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. MIN ($12,600): Westbrook and, possibly, LeBron James are the only mega stars on the board. This means that Westbrook's expected 70 fantasy points could really separate him from the rest of who's available on a light day, potentially making his hefty price worth it. Especially in the FanDuel environment where your budget is a little larger, one could grab Westbrook and still have room to add in plenty of other talent.
Klay Thompson, GS at CLE ($6,200): Thompson is the most volatile contributor of the Warriors' Big Four, but he is also the one that can be the most explosive scorer. On Sunday, he faces a Cavaliers defense that ranks 21st in the NBA against shooting guards over the past 10 games.
Nick Young, LAL vs. LAC ($4,700): Young has settled in as one of the leading scorers on the Lakers since his return from injury, averaging 16.6 points, 2.3 boards and 1.0 steals per game over his last eight while scoring at lest 20 in three of his last four. On Sunday, he faces a Clippers defense that ranks 22nd in the NBA against shooting guards over the past 10 games.
LeBron James, CLE vs. GS ($10,100): James has, as expected, played some of the season at full blast while at other times he has looked like he is coasting. But this is the Christmas game against the Cavaliers' prime rivals for a title, a chance to make a statement. LeBron always plays on Christmas, and he should be playing at full speed with everyone watching.
Julius Randle, LAL vs. LAC ($6,200): Randle has been away from the team for the past two games for the birth of his son, but he is expected to be back Sunday. Randle was playing good ball before his break, averaging 16.3 points, 6.3 boards, 5.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in the three contests leading up to that. On Sunday, he faces a Clippers team that has struggled against power forwards since Blake Griffin went down, ranking 28th against the position over the past five games.
Jae Crowder, BOS at NY ($5,300): Prior to a clunker in his last outing, Crowder had scored between 20.5 and 31.7 fantasy points in 15 straight games, and on Sunday he faces a Knicks defense that ranks 23rd against small forwards over the last 10 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at OKC ($9,100): Towns has been a man on a mission, averaging 21.6 points, 14.3 boards, 2.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game over his past 10. His production has been strong regardless of competition, including a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double the last time he faced the most intimidating defensive frontline in the NBA in the Utah Jazz, so his matchup Sunday against even a solid Oklahoma City defensive frontline (seventh-fewest fantasy points allowed to centers per game) is not expected to slow his output.
Al Horford, BOS at NY ($7,500): Horford is on a roll, averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 boards, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game over his past five, and on Sunday he faces a Knicks defense that ranks 28th against centers over the past five games.
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. GS ($5,000): Thompson has grabbed double-digit rebounds in seven of his last 10 games, including each of his last three. His Sunday opponents, the Warriors, are 18th in the NBA in rebounds allowed, which bodes well for another strong outing from Thompson.
