Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Nov. 21

FantasyPros walks through the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

November 21, 2022 4:05 PM

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton currently leads the NBA in assists with 10.5 assists per game.

The weekend was wild. It felt like injuries dismantled every team, and it will cause chaos in DFS in the coming weeks. Numerous big-name players went down throughout the week, and COVID protocols are playing a huge factor as well. That led to some low-scoring slates over the weekend. But the tide should turn with people getting used to these new-look rotations. There’s a ton to discuss with this Monday slate, so let’s start by looking at the schedule and odds.

Injury Report

Damian Lillard (calf) OUT
Paul George (knee) Questionable
Jimmy Butler (knee) OUT
Zion Williamson (foot) Questionable
Paolo Banchero (ankle) OUT
Tyler Herro (ankle) Questionable
Wendell Carter Jr.(foot) Questionable
Khris Middleton (wrist) OUT
Cole Anthony (oblique) OUT
Mike Conley (old) OUT
Aleksej Pokusevski (ankle) OUT
Kevin Love (thumb) OUT
Robert Williams (knee) OUT
Caris LeVert (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/PF – MIL): $12,400 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
We don’t have Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic on this slate, so Giannis is the best option on the board. The Greek Freak is leading all players on this slate with 57 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 41 DK points in every game this year. That’s an unmatched floor, and there’s no one on this Portland roster who can slow him down. In his last two meetings with the Trail Blazers, Giannis averaged 63 DK points per game.

Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel
Haliburton has been given the keys to the car in Indiana, and it looks like the Pacers made the right choice. This young guard has scored at least 41 DraftKings points in 14 of 15 games this season, generating a 47-point average. That makes it hard to believe that he’s still below $10K, especially against the Magic. Not only does Orlando own a 24th OPRK against opposing point guards, but Hali dropped 59.5 DK points in this matchup just a few days ago.

Al Horford (C – BOS): $5,700 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
I’ve had Big Al in here for two weeks now, and it’s hard to understand why this price still remains below $6K on both sites. That makes no sense because Horford should be a $7K player with Robert Williams out of the lineup. Al averaged nearly 40 fantasy points per game in that role last year and enters this matchup scoring 26 or more fantasy points in eight straight games. He’s also posting a 34-point average in that span, which is absurd for a sub-$6K player.

Cash Game Considerations

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG/SG – OKC): $10,000 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
It’s strange to see a Kia MVP candidate in OKC, but SGA is going nuts. The stud point guard is doing everything for the Thunder, scoring at least 53 DK points in nine of 15 games this year. That’s right on par with his season average, and it’s clear this guy will go off no matter who’s playing around him. Facing the Knicks is not concerning either, surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this year.

Myles Turner (C – IND): $7,500 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
Turner and Haliburton are running the show in Indiana, with Turner stepping into a massive role in the absence of Domantas Sabonis. That has skyrocketed his usage, shot attempts, and rebounds, averaging 40 fantasy points per game in this newfound role. He’s been even more ridiculous recently, registering a 46-point average across his last six games. One of those came against this atrocious Orlando defense, which sits 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Anfernee Simons (PG – POR): $7,400 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
Simons is going to be in everyone’s lineup, and rightfully so. The young guard is already breaking out with a 36-point average and should see a considerable boost with Damian Lillard out for the next week. That means Simons will play 35-40 minutes, take 20 shots and post a 30% usage rate. This guy is averaging over 40 DK points per game without Dame since the start of last year, and we expect that to be his floor in this monster role.

GPP Targets

Jusuf Nurkic (C – POR): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
Simons is the obvious choice when talking about a Dame fill-in, but Nurkic is the one who sees the biggest usage bump. The big man has a 34% usage rate with Lillard off the floor since the start of last year, averaging 1.4 DK points per minute. We love that since he’s averaging 32 DK points per game in fewer than 28 minutes a night this year. If he sustains that rate with the expected boost in usage, Nurkic should never be below $7K on either site.

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Using Poole in back-to-backs is always an intelligent decision. This is the prime opportunity for a Golden State starter to rest, and Poole has been a different player in the starting lineup. In fact, JP has made three starts this season, with all of them being the back end of a B2B. His production is pristine, too, scoring at least 37 fantasy points in all three en route to a 44-point average. If you hear that Curry or Thompson are out, get Poole into your lineup.

Haywood Highsmith (SF/PF – MIA): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
This Miami roster has been mauled by injuries over recent weeks. They’ve been playing without Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, and Bam Adebayo, forcing Highsmith into the starting lineup. They can’t take this versatile big man off the floor, playing 71 minutes over the last two games. He also had 38 DraftKings points in one of those, and duplicating that gem would make him the best value of the day here. Minnesota is a magical matchup, too, ranked fourth in pace and 23rd in points allowed.

Value Plays

Max Strus (SG/SF – MIA): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
We just discussed how Miami is missing four of its best players, making Mad Max the focal point of their offense. The sharpshooter took 24 shots across 45 minutes in that role over the weekend and is one of the safest bets for 15-20 shots and 35-40 minutes. It’s impossible to find a $6K player in that sort of role, and it looks even better since he’s flirting with a 30-point average across his last 13 games.

Jalen Williams (SG/SF – OKC): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
This OKC team is full of talented youngsters, and Williams looks like one of the best playmakers of the bunch. The 21-year-old guard has scored at least 23 DraftKings points in five of his last six games, averaging 30 fantasy points per game in those five outings. That’s a fantastic total from such an affordable player, and his role should rise with Pokusevski expected to miss this game as well.

Nikola Jovic (PF – MIA): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
Let’s cap off our Miami stack with mini Jovic. Most people talk about this guy because of how close his name is to the two-time MVP, but Jovic is no joke. This talented rookie is averaging 23 DK points per game across 29 minutes a night over the last three games. That’s no surprise since so many players are missing, and he should continue to play 30-plus minutes as long as this roster remains so shorthanded. Good luck finding that from another $4K player.

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