Fantasy Basketball Christmas Day Slate Analysis
Christmas Day offers an NBA feast, featuring five marquee matchups with playoff implications, star power and plenty of fantasy basketball intrigue. From a violent Eastern Conference showdown at Madison Square Garden to a heavyweight showdown between San Antonio and Oklahoma City, this list has no shortage of storylines.
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Injuries loom large in many games, creating potential swings in value and unexpected rotation changes. Superstars like Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell headline the action, while emerging contributors could change the outcome. Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of what to watch as the NBA takes center stage this Christmas.
Cleveland Cavaliers (17-14) at New York Knicks (20-9)
New York leads this season series 1-0. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are 14-2 at home. Cleveland is 5-5 in their last 10 and is 6-6 on the road.
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Like many of the games scheduled for Christmas Day, there is a notable injury report. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are both questionable, while Evan Mobley remains sidelined. The potential absences of Brunson and Anunoby could lead to more minutes for Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson, as well as Mitchell Robinson and wing players like Ariel Hukporti.
For the Cavs, Dean Wade is starting in place of Evan Mobley, and Sam Merrill is coming off a great performance and will help with the team’s offensive punch. Jaylon Tyson and Jarrett Allen should also continue to see expanded roles. Donovan Mitchell has been Cleveland’s best player, averaging 31.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals this month.
Brunson has been New York’s best player, but know for sure that Karl-Anthony Towns will be available. In December he produced 23.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals.
San Antonio Spurs (22-7) at Oklahoma City Thunder (26-4)
The Spurs lead this season series 2-0. They are 9-1 in their last 10, winning seven straight and are 10-5 on the road. OKC is 7-3 in their last 10 games and is undefeated at home.
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This game has a much cleaner injury report than Cavs/Knicks, although Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell are particularly questionable. Their potential absences could create more opportunities for Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and others. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to produce at an MVP level, averaging 32.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in December.
For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for five consecutive games and produced 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks in 20.6 minutes. It’s unclear whether he will rejoin the starting five and see an increase in minutes for Christmas Day.
Dallas Mavericks (12-19) at Golden State Warriors (15-15)
This is the first time these teams will face each other this season. The Mavericks are 3-9 on the road but 6-4 overall in their last 10 games. Golden State is 9-4 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games.
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Dallas has a handful of questionable role players for this game and a starter in PJ Washington. Cooper Flagg is coming off an excellent performance, with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against the Nuggets. Anthony Davis has also returned to form, averaging 26.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks over his last six games.
For the Warriors, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler continue to be the team’s offensive options. Curry has averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals over his last five. During the same span, Butler is averaging 21.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals.
Houston Rockets (17-10) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (19-9)
This is the first meeting of the season for these teams. Houston is 9-8 on the road and 4-6 in their last 10. The Lakers are 7-4 at home and 5-5 in their last 10.
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Luka Dončić and Rui Hachimura are questionable for this, as is Jaxson Hayes. This means we could see expanded roles from Austin Reaves and LeBron James as the Lakers’ primary creators, while Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart could see extra running. Reaves played 22 minutes Tuesday after returning from a calf strain, but is expected to be at full strength for Christmas. In his previous 10 games he averaged 27.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
In LeBron’s last six games, he has put up 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.0 steals. The Rockets are led by Alperen Şengün, who is having a career year with 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Minnesota Timberwolves (20-10) at Denver Nuggets (21-8)
Denver leads this season series 2-0. He is 9-5 at home and 7-3 in the team’s last 10 games. Minnesota is 8-5 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 with three straight wins.
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For Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels is questionable. His potential absence could lead to more minutes for Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon. Anthony Edwards continues to lead the way averaging 28.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals.
Denver may be even more shorthanded than usual as Cam Johnson suffered a sprained knee on Tuesday against the Mavericks. Assuming he’s sidelined, more minutes should be in store for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Jones. Nikola Jokić is putting up MVP numbers with 28.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.4 steals in December.