Following a rare day off across the Association, we’re back on Thursday, December 19 with a jam-packed 13-game slate. One of the most intriguing matchups of the lot will see the Golden State Warriors visit Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
But, there are also some other quality teams in action, including the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets, among others.
Below, we'll dive into our best NBA picks for DraftKings’ Pick6.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 Picks for today
The first three picks are our favorite plays for a 3-player lineup. If you want to play a 6-player lineup, use all six stat projections below.
🔼🔽 Trae Young More Than 21.5 Points
🔼🔽 Nikola Jokic Less Than 28.5 Points
🔼🔽 LaMelo Ball More Than 7.5 Assists
🔼🔽 Gradey Dick More Than 2.5 Threes
🔼🔽 Jayson Tatum Less Than 27.5 Points
🔼🔽 Anthony Davis Less Than 12.5 Rebounds
Click on each pick to read full analysis.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 fantasy basketball lineup for December 19
Trae Young 21.5 Points: MORE
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young isn’t scoring at the same rate as in past seasons, averaging just 21.5 points. But, he’s dishing out a mind-boggling 12.1 assists per game and has been thriving of late when it comes to putting the rock in the basket.
Young has registered more than 21.5 points in three of his last four appearances, dropping 35 in the NBA Cup semifinals last Saturday in a loss to the Bucks.
The San Antonio Spurs allow over 23 PPG to point guards. Also, Ice Trae averaged 40.5 points per night in two appearances against San Antonio in 2023-24.
Nikola Jokic 28.5 Points: LESS
Nikola Jokic notching less than 30 points? Yes, really. The Denver Nuggets big man is still putting up crazy numbers and looks well on his way to winning another MVP. But, from a scoring standpoint, he’s been quiet lately. While The Joker affected Monday’s game in many other ways, he scored just 20 points.
Three days before that, Jokic had just 16 points against the Clippers. The Portland Trail Blazers are a relatively tough matchup for centers, allowing just over 20 PPG. Of course, Jokic isn’t any normal big, but he averaged 28.3 against the Blazers in ‘23-24. This one could be close, but I like the idea of the Serb compiling less than 28.5 here.
LaMelo Ball 7.5 Assists: MORE
LaMelo Ball is not only one of the best playmakers in the league, he’s also crafty with it. The Charlotte Hornets PG has missed some time through injury but he’s still having a career year. While his 30.2 PPG is massive, we’ll focus on the assists tonight.
Ball has dished out more than 7.5 dimes in two of his last four. He finished with seven assists in the two where he missed — very close to the total here. The Washington Wizards are horrible defensively and allow the sixth-most assists per game.
Gradey Dick 2.5 Threes: MORE
The rebuilding Toronto Raptors have several intriguing pieces to build around for years to come. One of them is Gradey Dick, who's thriving in a much bigger role this season. Known as a solid shooter at the college level, Dick is draining 34.1% of his triples in ‘24-25.
The reason I like this entry is because it offers immense value. He’s converted more than 2.5 threes in five of the last six games. Dick takes 7.5 triples per night and is averaging 2.5 makes. This is a no-brainer as the Brooklyn Nets are allowing opponents to shoot nearly 38% from deep.
Jayson Tatum 27.5 Points: LESS
Jayson Tatum has had some big games lately, but, tonight’s total is a little steep for me. The Boston Celtics star has collected less than 27.5 points in two of the last four games and his scoring output is lower at home, averaging 25.8 PPG as opposed to 30.6 on the road.
Although Tatum scored 35 against the Chicago Bulls at the end of November, he averaged just 24 PPG in three appearances last season. I have no doubt he’ll make an impact, but Tatum won't reach 28 points.
Anthony Davis 12.5 Rebounds: LESS
Anthony Davis is a beast on the boards and has averaged 11.4 rebounds this season. He pulled down 16 in a win over the Grizzlies on December 15, but he was held to less than 12.5 in seven straight outings before that.
Even though the Sacramento Kings struggle at times at containing the glass, AD only had nine rebounds against them in October.
Jon Metler's DraftKings NBA Pick6 lineup for today
I don’t love fading my guy, Jalen Suggs, in the @Pick6 lineup, but that total is just too high against the Thunder.
— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) December 19, 2024
⬆️ Domantas Sabonis
⬆️ Bradley Beal
⬆️ Jamal Murray
⬆️ Cade Cunningham
⬇️ RJ Barrett
⬇️ Jalen Suggs https://t.co/d3ySy5E2Gt pic.twitter.com/MYzdms6wEC
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