Fantasy players have several strong options for Friday's seven-game NBA slate, including high-upside stars like Tyrese Maxey and Anthony Davis. Key matchups favor teams facing weak defenses, such as the Cavaliers against the Wizards. Value plays and injury updates also shape lineup strategies.
The NBA regular season continues with a seven-game slate on December 12, featuring an NBA TV doubleheader between the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. While FanDuel includes all contests, DraftKings omits the late Timberwolves-Warriors matchup.
Top core plays include Tyrese Maxey, priced at $10,000 on DraftKings and $10,600 on FanDuel. Maxey averages 54.1 fantasy points per game, tied with Cade Cunningham, but faces the Indiana Pacers, who rank 29th in offensive rating allowed. In his latest game, a 112-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Maxey scored 28 points, added nine assists and seven rebounds, with two blocks and two steals, shooting 5-of-8 from three. December stats show 27.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 threes, 3.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
Anthony Edwards, no, wait, Anthony Davis at $9,500 DK/$10,400 FD, benefits from a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, who allow 117.3 points per game, 49.5% field goal percentage and 38.8% from three (all 28th in the NBA). Davis recently posted 29 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals on 14-of-19 shooting in a win over Houston.
Evan Mobley ($8,700 DK/$9,000 FD) leads a recommended Cavaliers stack versus the Wizards, who concede 128.3 points per game (last in NBA), 48.8% field goals (25th) and 38.3% threes (27th). Mobley has scored 17+ points with 10 rebounds in each of his last three games, adding eight blocks and three steals. Against Washington on November 7, he recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Cash game targets feature Miles Bridges ($7,500 DK/$8,000 FD) of the Hornets against the Chicago Bulls, who allow 122.6 points (19th in defensive field goal and three-point percentages). Bridges averages 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists over his last two games, with 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks versus Chicago on November 28.
Cooper Flagg ($7,000 DK/$7,600 FD) and the Dallas Mavericks face the Nets' porous defense. Flagg shoots 53.4% from the field in December, averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block over four games.
Nic Claxton ($6,900 DK/$7,300 FD) offers mid-tier value for the Nets, averaging 9.8 rebounds and consistent scoring (12-14 points) in December, with a recent triple-double of 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against New Orleans.
For GPPs, Brandon Miller ($6,700 DK/$6,500 FD) targets the Bulls, where he once scored a season-high 27 points, five threes and three blocks. Darius Garland ($6,400 DK/$6,600 FD) exploits Washington's 30th-ranked defense against point guards, posting 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals recently.
Value options include an unnamed Wells ($4,400 DK/$5,200 FD) averaging 17.7 points on 60.7% shooting in December, Cam Spencer ($4,700 DK/$5,700 FD) with 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and three rebounds over three games, and Phillips ($3,200 DK/$3,700 FD) gaining minutes for the Bulls due to injuries to Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) and Kevin Huerter (thigh), with Dalen Terry recovering from a calf issue.