The first Saturday of November has a nice five-game slate that tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Knicks visit the Cavs in the NBA TV matchup of the night. That is actually the second game of NBA TV’s doubleheader, which begins with the Nuggets taking on the Pacers in Mexico City on Saturday afternoon. Of the 10 teams on the main slate, the Hawks, Cavs, Thunder, and Wizards are each finishing a back-to-back after playing an NBA Cup game on Friday. Be sure to keep a close eye on injury updates as the day goes on, since even though it’s early in the season, injuries will definitely impact the playing time and projections for Saturday’s slate.
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
Jalen Brunson ($8,200)
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projections of all point guards on Saturday’s slate in the marquee matchup with the Cavs. He also has the third-highest Plus/Minus projection of all point guards since he brings elite upside with a little bit of a salary break.
Brunson and the Knicks catch the Cavs on the second night of their back-to-back after the Cavs got a big win over the Sixers on Friday. In his eight games this season, Brunson has averaged 39.3 DraftKings points per game on 25.6 points and 5.1 assists per contest. He has over 42 DraftKings points in three of his last four games, with a pair of big games against the Bulls. This will be his first matchup this season with the Cavs, but the game has the second-highest point total on the slate and should be a solid source of fantasy production. Brunson remains the focus of the Knicks’ offense and offers a high ceiling even though his salary is lower than that of some of the other point guards available.
Value
Mikel Brown Jr. ($4,700)
Mikel Brown has the highest Plus/Minus projection of all point guards and all shooting guards on Saturday’s slate, followed closely by his teammate Nolan Traore. Brown and the Nets are visiting the Hawks in the game with the highest point total on the board this Saturday, and the pair of young guards should continue to get extra work with Egor Demin (leg) missing a fifth straight game.
Brown poured in 18 points off the bench on Wednesday in a win over Charlotte and has averaged 24.1 DraftKings points in 23.5 minutes over his last five games. He has flashed nice scoring upside and chips in solid assist numbers as well, producing 12.0 points and 4.0 assists per game this season with a 30.11% usage rate and 0.98 DraftKings points per minute.
Fast Break
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,400) – The Thunder superstar point guard has the highest salary and the highest ceiling projection of all players on the slate. He has a 33.9% usage rate this season while carrying the load for OKC amid multiple injuries. He had 28 points on Friday in the Thunder’s NBA Cup win in Memphis, and is averaging 29.9 points and 46.4 DraftKings points per game. If you can make his salary work under your salary cap, it’s hard to argue with his pure upside.
Anthony Black ($6,400) – Black is a strong mid-range target with over 35 DraftKings points in three of his five games. He hit for 44 and 40 DraftKings points before resting on Monday on the second night of a back-to-back, but he is not on the injury report for Saturday. He’ll probably continue to get more work with Jalen Suggs (knee) out, and he’s in a favorable matchup against the Warriors on Saturday night in San Francisco.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Desmond Bane ($7,200)
Without Suggs and Paolo Banchero (ankle), Bane has had to help carry the offense in the early part of the season for the Magic. He has been very steady with 30+ DraftKings points in six of his eight games, even though he has only gone off for over 40 DraftKings points once.
Bane is very familiar with the Warriors from his time in Memphis and has faced them 18 times in the regular season. He had 20+ points against them both times he faced them last season, and he will likely get enough usage to offer multi-category upside Saturday. Bane has the third-highest ceiling projection of all shooting guards, but his Plus/Minus projection is much better than that of Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell, who are the only two shooting guards with higher ceiling projections.
Value
Nolan Traore ($4,800)
Of all the guards on the slate, Nolan Traore has the second-highest Plus/Minus projections at both point guard and shooting guard, behind only his teammate Brown (discussed above). Traore has scored at least 15 points in five of his last six games, with over 30 DraftKings points in three straight.
His usage has been a little lower than Brown’s, but his production has been very solid, especially since he moved into the starting lineup five games ago. Over those five games, Traore has averaged 27.4 DraftKings points in 26.2 minutes per game. If he gets another start, he’ll be a solid value guard even though he’s in a tough matchup against the Hawks.
Fast Break
Kyshawn George ($5,900) – George has been on a heater, posting 40, 40, and 57.5 DraftKings points in his last three games. He had 33 points, seven assists, and four rebounds on Friday in Atlanta, stepping into more work with Anthony Davis (ankle) sitting out his first game of the season. If Davis is unable to return on Saturday, George will bring good upside against the Thunder in Oklahoma City. He has a top-five Plus/Minus projection of Monday’s shooting guards.
Meleek Thomas ($4,200) – Thomas has the fourth-highest Plus/Minus projection of the shooting guards on Monday’s slate with salaries under $5,000. He had been getting extra work with Jaylon Tyson (ankle) out and Peyton Watson ($5,700) missing time as well. Even though Watson returned on Friday night, Sam Merrill (elbow) left with an injury, so there should still be playing time for Thomas on the second night of the back-to-back. Thomas has scored at least nine points in every game he has played this season, with over 20 DraftKings points in three of his last four.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Franz Wagner ($8,700)
At small forward, Wagner has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections this Saturday, and he also has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position. He has three double-doubles in his last four games, with at least 40 DraftKings points in each of those double-doubles. He had 15 points and a season-high 15 assists on Thursday against the Suns on his way to 54 DraftKings points.
Wagner has reached 50 DraftKings points or more in three of his last six games and is carrying plenty of the offensive workload with Banchero and Suggs absent. As the focal point of the offense, he brings a very high ceiling to his matchup against the Warriors on Saturday.
Value
Kenrich Williams ($4,200)
While Ajay Mitchell carried the offense with 35 points in 30 minutes on Friday, Williams has brought elite value since stepping into a more involved role. He has the highest Plus/Minus projection at small forward on the slate and could get even more work depending on the Thunder’s injury report.
After scoring double-digit points in three straight games, Williams only had four points on Friday, but he still reached 16.5 DraftKings points by adding six rebounds and three assists. He has had over 15 DraftKings in each of his last four games, with a season-high 24.75 DraftKings a week ago against the Rockets. As a bargain play, he has a high ceiling.
Fast Break
Michael Porter Jr. ($7,300) – Porter has the third-highest projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards on the slate and the second-highest ceiling projection. Porter had over 40 DraftKings points in three of his last five games and hit for 52 DraftKings points against the Celtics last Tuesday. At just over $7,000, he brings a very high ceiling in Atlanta if the Nets can take advantage of the Hawks, who could be without Jalen Johnson (ankle) for a fourth straight game.
Mikal Bridges ($4,800) – Bridges has the second-highest Plus/Minus projections of all small forwards on the slate and should continue to get more work with Josh Hart (ankle) ruled out. Bridges had modest production so far this season, with 19 DraftKings points or more in three of his last five contests.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,500)
Towns has the highest median projection at power forward this Saturday, and he has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at the position as well. KAT has eight double-doubles in eight games and is averaging 19.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 44.2 DraftKings points.
He has produced a solid 1.41 DraftKings points per minute in his eight games. He had 45 DraftKings points in four straight games before a couple of quieter games this week, which helps his salary be lower and should keep his ownership under control.
Value
OG Anunoby ($6,300)
The projections like the Knicks in a lot of spots, and if you’re going with a Knicks stack, Anunoby is another option that makes sense. He has the highest Plus/Minus projection of all power forwards on the slate.
At only $6,300, he brings a lot of value potential, with at least 32 DraftKings points in four of his last five. He had 18 points in two wins earlier this week against the Nets and the Bulls. He hit key three-pointers to contribute to the team’s comeback win on Monday and continues to provide excellent defensive numbers along with three-point contributions that give him both a high floor and a high ceiling.
Fast Break
Julius Randle ($7,500) – Randle has 20+ points in three straight games and posted back-to-back games with 39.2 DraftKings points against the Pacers and Knicks on the road. He had 22 points but only had three boards in Wednesday’s win over Charlotte, but he has typically been more productive on the glass, which gives him a higher ceiling. If Johnson remains out, Randle has a better matchup.
Landry Shamet ($4,200) – Shamet has 13+ points and 20+ DraftKings points in three of his last five games and is likely to start again in place of Hart. He is a streaky shooter but has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection of power forwards under $6,000
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Alperen Sengun ($8,900)
Sengun has the second-highest ceiling projection of all players on the slate, behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He returned from an injury last Saturday, and he had a 41.8 DraftKings points in a win over the Thunder. He was even better with 59.2 DraftKings points on Monday and 55 DraftKings points on Wednesday.
Against the Timberwolves on Thursday, Sengun posted his first triple-double of the season on Wednesday with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and three blocks in the team’s 10-point loss. Sengun has produced the second-highest DraftKings points per minute on the slate, posting 1.46 per minute. He has the third-highest salary, but he is a very solid option to build around with power forward and center eligibility.
Value
Alex Sarr ($4,800)
Sarr has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at center and has at least 25 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. He’s been limited by knee soreness but played 30 minutes on Friday with Anthony Davis sidelined. He produced 35 DraftKings points.
If he’s good to go on the second night of the back-to-back and Davis stays out, he’ll be a great value with a high ceiling against the banged-up Thunder. He’s only eligible at center, but you can slide Sengun to power forward to go with a double-big lineup.
Fast Break
Onyeka Okongwu ($6,800) – Okongwu has posted 46 and 47 DraftKings points in his last two games against the Wizards while Jalen Johnson has been out. He has the fourth-highest ceiling projection of all centers and has a big upside if Johnson remains out against the Nets.
Aday Mara ($4,800) – Mara has been one of the few bright spots for the Thunder this season, producing over 19 DraftKings points in four straight games. The rookie has scored at least nine points in three straight games and had good defensive production in the game before that with 29.8 DraftKings points last Saturday against the Rockets. He brings good value upside, especially if any other Thunder players sit the second night of the back-to-back.
