NBA DFS Show DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Preview November 2
Published: Nov 02, 2023
NBA DFS Strategy & DraftKings Top Picks 11/2
We have a four-game NBA DFS slate on Thursday, November 2nd, on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are a bunch of teams on back-to-backs and a ton of injury news we're dealing with. The most notable injuries we're dealing with are Devin Booker, Jalen Duren, and Brandon Ingram are all listed as questionable. There is a ton of star power despite those guys potentially not playing as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kevin Durant, and Victor Wembanyama are all taking the floor. Only two of the four games have game totals above 220 and they're Utah and Orlando sitting at 221.5 and San Antonio and Phoenix at 225.5.
Jon Impemba and James Grande break down the main slate by going position-by-position and bringing an example lineup into the fold at the end. Be sure to check out our NBA DFS projections, powered by FanJections, NBA DFS Lineup Generator, and all of the rest of our NBA DFS content and tools.
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Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Daniel Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension worth nearly $60 million with the Mavericks.
Gafford has been a key player for the Mavericks since joining the team via a trade with the Wizards prior to the 2024 trade deadline. The 26-year-old center averaged 12.3 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game this past year. Gafford saw an increase in production in an 11-game stretch where the team was without Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks continue to value size as they keep Gafford to go along with Lively II, Anthony Davis and presumed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in the frontcourt.
The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported the Rockets are likely to decline Fred VanVleet’s team option and discuss a long-term extension in the coming days.
The Rockets have until Sunday to make a decision on VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option. NBA Insider Marc Stein also reported there’s a “strong expectation” that the Rockets agree to a long-term deal with VanVleet before free agency officially opens up on June 30. VanVleet could be looking at a three-year offer, though it would be for less money annually than his team option. The Rockets will be looking to stay under the first apron of the salary cap this year, but VanVleet is certainly a player they want to keep in the wake of the Kevin Durant trade.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Khris Middleton has picked up his $33.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
No surprises here, as Middleton will get fully compensated for the final year of the three-year, $93 million deal he signed with Milwaukee in 2023. Given his recent injury history and declining play, Middleton’s next contract will surely be far less than what he makes this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
As feared, Haliburton’s injury is severe, and it will likely cost him all of next season. It’s a brutal development for the emerging superstar, especially after the magical playoff run he led. In Hali’s absence, T.J. McConnell could see a big uptick in playing time and usage, while Ben Sheppard could see more time off the bench, and Andrew Nembhard could take on more responsibility as a facilitator.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander provided 29 points and 12 assists in Sunday’s series-clinching 103-91 Game 7 victory over the Pacers, leading the Thunder to their first NBA title.
It wasn’t always pretty, but SGA — who was named NBA Finals MVP afterwards — got the job done on Sunday night as the Thunder pulled away from Indiana in the second half to secure the franchise’s first title since moving to Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander shot a putrid 8-of-27 from the field and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc, but he got to the line 12 times and sank 11 free throws to buoy his scoring numbers. The 12 assists tie his season-high in that category, and his all-around contributions were spectacular, despite the inefficient shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024-25 season will go down as one of the best individual seasons for a guard in NBA history, as he won the scoring title, regular season MVP and Finals MVP. The Thunder are early favorites to win the 2025-26 title, and Gilgeous-Alexander has the second-shortest odds to win a second straight MVP, behind only Nikola Jokic.
Bennedict Mathurin finished Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Thunder with 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two triples across 33 minutes.
Mathurin led Indiana in scoring and led all players in rebounds, though his minus-14 in the box score represented the lowest plus-minus of the game. Mathurin’s playoff run was a rollercoaster of ups and downs in minutes and scoring. His highs were high, and his lows were low, and Mathurin scored at least 20 points in four of the final 10 games of the postseason. The third-year man out of Arizona averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (5.3), field goal percentage (45.8) and free throw percentage (83.1) in 2024-25, and he’ll look to improve on those numbers in his fourth season.