NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Sunday Playbook
Happy December! DraftKings and FanDuel have two very different offerings for their main slates today. DraftKings has a five-game main slate beginning at 7:00 PM ET, while FanDuel is including the 6:00 PM ET games for an eight-game offering.
Who will be the difference makers for tonight's slate? Let’s start getting into what we’re going to be looking at on DraftKings and FanDuel for Sunday, December 1st.
NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, November 30th
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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.
So far we have the Celtics with four impact players listed questionable, and their availability will have a huge impact on the FanDuel slate. Luka Doncic is listed doubtful and expected to miss a sixth-consecutive game. Jerami Grant, Norman Powell and Austin Reaves are a few of the names listed questionable from the later games that will have a bigger impact on the DraftKings slate.
Key NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 11/30
- Jrue Holiday - Q
- Al Horford - Q
- Kristaps Porzingis - Q
- Derrick White - Q
- Immanuel Quickley - OUT
- Brandon Ingram - OUT
- Zion Williamson - OUT
- Jose Alvarado - OUT
- Jordan Hawkins - OUT
- Herbert Jones - OUT
- Chet Holmgren - OUT
- Austin Reaves - Q
- D'Angelo Russell - D
- Jordan Clarkson - D
- Kyle Filipowski - D
- Kevin Huerter - D
- Luka Doncic - D
- Klay Thompson - D
- Naji Marshall - Q
- Jerami Grant - Q
- Scoot Henderson - Q
- Robert Williams - OUT
- Dononvan Clingan - OUT
- Aaron Gordon - D
- Norman Powell - Q
- Kevin Porter - OUT
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.
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Spread: Celtics -1
- Game Total: 232.5
New Orleans Pelicans vs New York Knicks
- Spread: Knicks -12
- Game Total: 224.5
- Spread: Heat -4.5
- Game Total: 221.5
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
- Spread: Thunder -1.5
- Game Total: 220.5
Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz
- Spread: Lakers -7
- Game Total: 228.5
Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Spread: Mavericks -7
- Game Total: 227.5
San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings
- Spread: Kings -6.5
- Game Total: 226.5
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers
- Spread: Nuggets -3
- Game Total: 222.5
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
- Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum (FD only), James Harden, Nikola Jokic, Kyrie Irving, Karl-Anthony Towns (FD only)
Mid
- Deandre Ayton, P.J. Washington, Ivica Zubac, Bam Adebayo (FD only), Tyler Herro (FD only), Isaiah Hartenstein
Value
- Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Terance Mann, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall (if active), Ja'Kobe Walter (FD only),
Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.