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December 25, 2024, 9:20 am
Injury Report
San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
DraftKings Lines
SAS +9 (+310) , NYK -9 (-395)
Game Total 223.5Key Storylines
Here Comes Wemby: Victor Wembanyama is making a strong push for the number one overall spot in rankings after a rather slow start to his season. Over the last month, Wemby is ranked first in per-game value in 9-cat formats by a decent margin. Over this stretch, Wembanyama is averaging a ridiculous 4.4 blocks per game and 3.7 triples, while shooting 89% from the charity stripe on 5.5 attempts per contest. Wemby is starting to live up to expectations, and his struggles early in the season might possibly have been the only “buy-low” opportunity fantasy managers will have throughout his career to acquire him at a cheaper price. Congratulations to those who were able to capitalize on that.
Deuce: Miles McBride is struggling as of late, and is starting to see his minutes and usage dwindle. The Knicks have been more open to playing Precious Achiuwa alongside Karl Anthony-Towns in two big-man lineups, and this has hurt McBride. McBride is a great option to stash in case a perimeter player gets hurt on the Knicks, but his production has just not been good enough as of late to hold at all costs in standard formats moving forward.
Stream of the Game
Julian Champagnie can be considered as an option for fantasy managers looking for a boost in points and 3-pointers.
Alternatives: Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle Miles McBride, Precious Achiuwa (deeper formats).
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks
Game Time: 2:30 pm ET
DraftKings Lines
MIN +5 (+164), DAL -5 (-198)
Game Total 221Key Storylines
Donte: It has been a discouraging season for Donte DiVincenzo so far. DiVincenzo has just not been able to latch onto his production level from last season in New York, despite getting the opportunities. Prior to Monday’s game vs. the Hawks, DiVincenzo was coming off strong consecutive games shooting wise, but could not capitalize and keep the momentum going, missing plenty of open looks from beyond the arc. Donte is fine to roster in standard formats for his ability to generate triples and steals, but expectations need to be adjusted and kept in check until we see him shoot the ball at a higher level for an extended period of time.
Luka Magic: I previously mentioned how Victor Wembanyama has been dominating the fantasy landscape over the last month. Well, the second ranked player over this timeframe has been Luka Doncic, who similarly to Wemby, struggled a bit out of the gates but has really started to get going as of late. The Mavs look like a legit title contender and the pieces around Doncic are a great fit for his game. The only “deficiency” in Luka’s fantasy game continues to be his free-throw shooting: During this stretch, Doncic is shooting 73% on 7.6 attempts per game.
Stream of the Game
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