We have a six-game main slate for NBA DFS on this fine Saturday. Superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are on the second night of a back-to-back after both of them smashed with 30+-point triple-doubles last night.  Throw in the two Lakers superstars, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, plus Victor Wembanyama expecting to make his return after a three-game absence, and we are certainly not lacking for star power on this slate. 

Value may be a bit tougher to come by at first glance, but we'll see what the news cycle provides for us as we approach roster lock. Cade Cunningham is the most notable name that has been ruled out thus far. 

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Saturday, November 23rd.

 

 

NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, November 23rd

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Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. 

If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

  • News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
  • Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
  • Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
  • NBA DFS Projections
  • Lineup Generator
  • NBA Ownership

 

 


Pre-Lock Update

This section will be used for anything that changes from the morning until right up to roster lock. Injury updates, players we’re higher on than we were in the morning and so much more.

Cade Cunningham will miss tonight's game after leaving last night's game late in the fourth quarter. Some other noteworthy tags are below.

UPDATED - 6:56 PM ET

  • Deandre Ayton - O
  • Jerami Grant - A

UPDATED - 6:44 PM ET

  • Ja Morant - O
  • Marcus Smart - O 
    • Luke Kennard is now a nice source of value. Scotty Pippen Jr. has a safer floor as well. 

UPDATED - 5:39 PM ET

  • Wendell Carter Jr. - O
    • Goga Bitadze will start and he becomes a solid value on both sites. 
  • Ausar Thompson is available to play. 
    • I would expect very limited minutes for Thompson in his season debut. His availability doesn't change anything on the Pistons for me. 

UPDATED - 4:00 PM ET

  • Cade Cunningham - O
  • Ausar Thompson - A
  • Paolo Banchero - O
  • Wendell Carter Jr. - O
  • DeAndre Ayton - O
  • Jerami Grant - A
  • Scoot Henderson - O
  • Robert Williams III - O
  • Miles Bridges - O
  • Tre Mann - O
  • Ja Morant - O
  • Marcus Smart - O
  • Zach Edey - O
  • Patrick Williams - O
  • Devin Vassell - O
  • Keldon Johnson - Q
  • Aaron Gordon - O
 

 

Key NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 11/23

  • Cade Cunningham - O
  • Ausar Thompson - Q
  • Paolo Banchero - O
  • Wendell Carter Jr. - Q
  • DeAndre Ayton - D
  • Jerami Grant - Q
  • Scoot Henderson - Q
  • Robert Williams III - O
  • Miles Bridges - O
  • Tre Mann - O
  • Ja Morant - D
  • Marcus Smart - Q
  • Zach Edey - O
  • Patrick Williams - O
  • Devin Vassell - O
  • Keldon Johnson - Q
  • Aaron Gordon - O

NBA DFS Slate & Game Overviews

With the NBA season just kicking off we don't have data yet for teams regarding pace of play and defensive matchups. In the section below, I’m listing the most notable things we need to look at in Las Vegas, including notable O/U and spreads.

Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons

  • Spread: Magic -9.5
  • Total: 206

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets

  • Spread: Bucks -7.5
  • Total: 225

Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies

  • Spread: Grizzlies -5.5
  • Total: 241

Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

  • Spread: Rockets -12.5
  • Total: 228.5

San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors

  • Spread: Warriors -2.5
  • Total: 228

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

  • Spread: Lakers -4.5
  • Total: 235
 

 

NBA DFS Core Player Pool & Lineup Picks

Here are the core players I’m looking at for my NBA DFS picks tonight. You can see the full analysis of tonight’s NBA DFS projections and player pool below or skip ahead to building the best lineups possible by locking these into the aforementioned lineup generator now.  

High

Mid

  • Zach LaVine, Jaren Jackson Jr., Fred VanVleet, Brandon Miller, Desmond Bane, 

Value

  • Stephon Castle, Grant Williams, Moussa Diabate (if starting), Jake LaRavia, Dillon Brooks 

 

 

 

Stacks

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