Just four NBA games on the board on DraftKings on this fine Thursday. There’s still no shortage of injury news, however. Joel Embiid and LeBron James are both carrying questionable tags into the day, while Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel remain sidelined. We’ll see whether Scottie Barnes suits up in the second half of the back-to-back for the Raptors, as well.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Cade Cunningham ($9,600)
One of the aforementioned stars on tonight’s slate is Cade Cunningham, who looks a little cheaper than we’re used to at $9,600. He’s gotten off to a bit of a slow start, at least relative to expectations. After averaging a robust 1.51 fantasy points-per-minute a season ago with Jalen Duren off the floor, Cunningham is producing at just a 1.33 FP/minute clip in such minutes early this term. Cade posted a usage rate north of 33% and an assist rate of over 44% last year with Duren on the bench. This year, those rates are down to 31% and 38%, respectively.
Detroit’s matchup tonight against Washington is solid. While the Wizards have slowed to just 20th in pace this season along with an improved defensive rating, the Pistons will have the distinct rest advantage. Cade and the Pistons haven’t played since Monday, when they beat this same Wizards team by 11 points. This is Washington’s third game in four nights and the second half of a back-to-back after last night’s 13-point loss to Indiana.
Value
Daniss Jenkins ($5,000)
After beginning the season as Cunningham’s primary backup, Daniss Jenkins has recently been thrust back into a starting role. Jenkins started the last game for the Pistons as they continue to juggle the rotation with Duren and Isaiah Joe sidelined by injuries. Jenkins is averaging a career-high 26 minutes per game this season, rising to an average of 34 minutes per game in his last two.
Jenkins has responded rather well to the promotion. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. His usage rate is sitting around 20% for the season, and it’s up to nearly 26% as a starter. Jenkins is still underpriced for the starting role at $5,000, and he checks in with the highest projected Plus/Minus of any PG or SG-eligible player on the slate by a sizable margin. This will be difficult chalk to fade.
Fast Break
LaMelo Ball ($8,200) – It’s taken LaMelo Ball some time to acclimate to his new surroundings, but he continues to produce at a high level, especially with Anthony Edwards sidelined for the T-Wolves. Ball’s usage is up by 1.4% in the minutes he’s played without Ant this season, while he’s averaging a solid 1.26 FP/minute. Ball has topped 40 fantasy points just once in his last four games, but he should see a full allotment of minutes here in a game with a manageable 5.5-point spread.
Devin Booker ($8,200) – Ceiling performances over the past couple of seasons have been few and far between for Booker, but he continues to pace the Suns in usage (29.8%). This is a potential slugfest between a couple of teams ranked near the bottom of the league in pace, but Booker is also expected to fly under the radar at a deep point guard/shooting guard position, as he’s projected for modest 11% ownership.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Jaylen Brown ($8,100)
Jaylen Brown’s first shot at revenge against the Celtics the other night didn’t go particularly well. Not only did the Sixers get blown out on the home floor, but Brown was a non-factor, mustering just 13 points on nine attempts from the field in 26 quiet minutes of action. Despite playing in the Sixers’ crowded offense, however, Brown is still averaging north of 21 points per game on efficient 47.6% shooting from the field and 38% accuracy from three-point range.
Philly will host a Toronto team on the second half of a back-to-back tonight, and the Raptors will be shorthanded on the wing as they continue to play without Kawhi Leonard. Brown also stands to benefit from the potential absence of Joel Embiid and/or LeBron James in this one. Brown’s usage rate is up by 5.3% on the season with Embiid off the floor, and it’s up by 3.5% with James on the bench. With both out of the mix, Brown leads all Sixers with a 32.5% usage rate this season.
Value
Kevin Huerter ($3,900)
Much like Jenkins, Kevin Huerter has played an elevated role over the last couple of games for the Pistons. The well-traveled vet is averaging around 23 minutes per game off of the bench for Detroit on the season. Over the last two games, however, Red Velvet is averaging 34 minutes. That includes one of the best games of his career on Sunday when he went off for 24 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five blocks (!?) in a loss to the Lakers.
Huerter isn’t the most exciting per-minute producer (0.85 FP/minute), but he’s also just $3,900 on a small slate with limited cheap value options. There is opportunity here with Isaiah Joe out of the lineup, and Huerter’s SG/SF eligibility makes it easier to jam him into lineups. He has the highest projected Plus/Minus of any shooting guard or small forward on tonight’s slate.
Fast Break
Kyshawn George ($6,600) – The Wizards have a couple of former All-Stars and the No. 1 overall pick in the most recent draft, yet you can easily argue that Kyshawn George has been the team’s most consistent player this season. George is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game on efficient shooting while also contributing nearly five rebounds and assists per game. This is a difficult matchup, but George is also projected for just 15% ownership.
Jalen Green ($5,700) – The Suns have been a mess early in the season, and Green’s offensive role looks diminished now that Miles Bridges is in the fold. As we’ve seen over the years, though, Green is capable of putting together some scorching-hot offensive stretches, and it’s likely just a matter of time until he breaks loose and puts up a score you have to have to win a GPP. He averaged 1.14 FP/minute a season ago.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Cooper Flagg ($10,100)
It’s still early in the season, but Cooper Flagg is putting together a strong case for Most Improved Player this season on the heels of his Rookie of the Year triumph last year. Despite not turning 20 years old for another month, Flagg is posting monster averages of 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on blazing 50% shooting from the field. Just for fun, Flagg is also fourth in the league in steals, averaging 2.2 per game.
If anything, the presence of Kyrie Irving has only helped to open things up offensively for Flagg this season. His 1.55 fantasy point-per-minute average is among the best in the league, and he’s topped 50 fantasy points in each of his last three games, including a 73-DK-point outing the other night against Indiana.
Value
Grayson Allen ($5,900)
The Hornets are one of the most injury-plagued teams in the NBA this season. Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Dennis Schroder will remain sidelined when the team heads to Phoenix to face the Suns tonight. With those three off the floor, most of Charlotte’s usage will flow through Naz Reid, Coby White, and Grayson Allen. This will be Allen’s first trip back to the desert since the Suns shipped him to Charlotte in the Miles Bridges trade over the summer.
The Hornets need as much offense as they can get, especially with Miller out. In 34 minutes of action the other night without Miller, Allen went off for 27 points, six assists, four rebounds, and a couple of steals in a shocking blowout win over the Cavaliers. The Suns are allowing their opponents to connect on 37.6% of their three-pointers this season, the sixth-highest mark in the NBA.
Fast Break
Jaden McDaniels ($6,800) – The T-Wolves are still 8-3 despite having missed Anthony Edwards for most of the season, thanks in no small part to the contributions of Jaden McDaniels at both ends of the floor. McDaniels is averaging a career-best 17 points per game, and his usage rate is up by 1.6% with Edwards off the floor so far this season. We’re getting no discount on McDaniels at this point, but he’s a relatively safe bet to play mid-30s minutes in competitive games.
Duncan Robinson ($5,400) – Duncan Robinson has been instrumental in keeping the Pistons afloat during Jalen Duren’s injury absence. Robinson is averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game on a career-best 11.8 field-goal attempts per game, and he’s doing so with his usual elite accuracy from long distance (45.7% 3P%). He’s scored at least 22 points in three of Detroit’s four games so far in November, as well.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Naz Reid ($7,500)
The Timberwolves banished fan favorite Naz Reid to Charlotte in the offseason deal for LaMelo Ball. While the Hornets haven’t done much winning since Naz arrived – they’re just 4-7 so far – Reid is making the most of his opportunity to play a more featured role offensively. The former Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 17.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while playing more minutes per game than he ever has as a pro (29.5).
Reid has even more on his plate offensively with Miller, Knueppel, and Schroder out of the mix. He’s second among Hornets (behind Coby White) in usage (30.2%) with those three off the floor, and he just had his best game of the season in his last outing in the same role.
Value
John Collins ($5,200)
You’re probably sensing a theme tonight. The Player Models are all over the Pistons ahead of a favorable matchup against a potentially fatigued Wizards team tonight. John Collins is yet another new face in a new place, and his tenure in Detroit has been largely forgettable to this point. The Pistons’ Tobias Harris replacement is contributing around 10 points and six rebounds per game so far.
The Pistons made a lineup change in the last game and started Daniss Jenkins over Paul Reed. With Reed coming off the bench, Collins effectively moved over to center, and he responded with what was easily his best game of the season. Collins logged 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block against Washington, and it’s safe to assume Detroit will run it back with the same alignment in tonight’s rematch.
Fast Break
Morez Johnson ($3,000) – The Mavs spent a lottery pick on Michigan’s Morez Johnson, and he’s immediately slotted into a backup role in Dusty May’s rotation. While he is most often topping out just below 20 minutes per game, Johnson has been productive when out there (0.99 FP/minute). It won’t take a huge effort for the rookie to pay off a $3,000 salary.
Miles Bridges ($7,100) – Motivation shouldn’t be an issue for Miles Bridges tonight as he faces his former team for the first time in his career. The veteran has also gotten off to a solid start for his new team, averaging 15 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists through his first 10 games as a member of the Suns.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Joel Embiid ($8,300)
Joel Embiid is the only center-only eligible player on this slate priced above $6,400, and he comes into the day listed as questionable. It’s officially a “rest” designation for Embiid, but he’s also battling his way through foot issues. When active, though, he’s still logging heavy minutes. Embiid’s average of 31.8 minutes per game is almost identical to the 31.6 minutes he averaged through 38 appearances a season ago.
While he’s clearly no longer at his peak, Embiid is still a capable per-minute producer (1.18 FP/minute) when he’s out there. His 27.9% usage rate is also the second-highest on the team, trailing only Tyrese Maxey. That usage is up to nearly 31% in the minutes he’s played without LeBron this season, so Embiid figures to benefit offensively if James winds up missing this one.
Value
Rudy Gobert ($5,800)
Rudy Gobert has never been a dynamic offensive talent, but he’s found a way to contribute in other areas. The former Defensive Player of the Year is averaging just 7.8 points per game this season, his lowest since averaging only 2.3 points across 45 appearances as a rookie for the Jazz way back in 2014-15. That said, he’s still doing his thing on the glass and in the paint. The Stifle Tower ranks fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game (12.1), and the Wolves have an elite defensive rating, allowing 97 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
The Mavs have been one of the league’s worst rebounding teams over the past couple of seasons, so Gobert should feast on the boards again in this one. Dallas ranks just 24th in the league in rebound rate this year. Rudy could also see a boost in scoring output here, as the Mavs are also yielding the ninth-most paint points per game (50).
Fast Break
Jakob Poeltl ($5,500) – This is the second game in as many nights for the Raptors, so we’ll see whether Poeltl suits up. If he does, he’s underpriced for the role he’s been playing. Poeltl has topped 30 minutes in each of his last three games, and the Raptors don’t have much size behind him on the depth chart. He could be in line for a heavy workload again tonight with Embiid looming on the other side of this matchup.
Collin Murray-Boyles ($5,700) – Murray-Boyles has started each of the last four games for the Raptors, including the last three with Scottie Barnes sidelined. CMB has a reputation as a stout defender, and Toronto will likely need his on-ball defense tonight against a Philly team with arguably the league’s most talented starting lineup.
Pictured: Cade Cunningham
Photo Credit: Imagn
