Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: November 10

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

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

November 10, 2022 6:36 PM

Joel Embiid looks to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a win against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

This scheduling is bizarre this week. We had almost every team playing on Monday and Wednesday, but no games on Tuesday. That’s leaving us with another short slate here, with only four teams in action. We also have half of those playing the second half of a back-to-back set, which could cause some extra chaos. Those teams include Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Portland. If you hear word that any of the studs are out for those teams, don’t forget about their backups stepping into much more prominent roles!

Injury Report

Christian Wood (knee) Questionable
Tim Hardaway Jr.(hip) Questionable
Bradley Beal (protocols) Questionable
James Harden (foot) OUT
Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) OUT
Trae Young (shin) Questionable
LaMelo Ball (ankle) Questionable
Gordon Hayward (shoulder) Questionable
Tyler Herro (ankle) Questionable
Larry Nance Jr.(knee) Questionable
Jusuf Nurkic (adductor) Questionable
Jerami Grant (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $10,900 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
With James Harden out for the next month, this is Embiid’s show. Dating back to last season, Embiid is just shy of a 40 percent usage rate when Harden is out, averaging over 1.4 DK points per minute. That’s one of the best rates in the NBA, equating to 50 fantasy points if he plays 30-35 minutes. That was on full display when he dropped 56 DraftKings points in his return to action on Monday. Atlanta is far from scary, too, with Embiid averaging 25.5 points, 11 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in their last two meetings.

Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $9,100 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
Miami had a devastating defeat on Monday, but it was no fault of Butler. He was actually taking over the offense in the absence of Tyler Herro, totaling at least 43 DK points for the fourth time in his last six games. He’s also got a 48-point average across his last four outings, and it’s clear he’s comfortable doing more with Herro on the sidelines. Charlotte is a sensational matchup, too, ranked 26th in total defense last year. Not to mention, Jimmy scored at least 42 DK points in all four of their meetings last season.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,500 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
Doncic is the safest play on every slate. This dude has scored at least 56 DraftKings points in every game, en route to a 66-point average. There’s not another player on this slate who can match that floor, and it’s no surprise since Luka leads the NBA with a 38% usage rate. As long as he’s got a usage like that, Luka needs to be a cash game option on every slate. We also don’t mind that he’s got a 63-point average in his last three meetings with the Wiz.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,700 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
This Portland team is beat up right now, playing without Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant. That means this usage hound will be asked to do even more, and Lillard should never be below $10K in this sort of role. He’s got a 36% usage rate with those two off the floor since the start of last year, averaging 1.5 DK points per minute in those circumstances. We love that expanded role against the Pelicans, with Dame averaging 64 DK points per game in his last four matchups with this lackluster defense.

GPP Targets

Jonas Valanciunas (C – NOP): $7,000 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
This is risky with JV’s volatility, but they’ll need big minutes out of him here. He’s been ceding minutes to Larry Nance Jr. but it looks like Nance will be sidelined here. That means JV should return to his usual 30-minute role, with Valanciunas averaging 20.8 points and 14.3 rebounds when he plays at least 25 minutes this year. Portland’s defense has been good this season, but JV could feast with Nurk and Grant both out in their frontcourt. In addition, there’s a chance Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson are rested in this second half of a back-to-back set, making JV even more enticing.

Dennis Smith Jr.(PG/SG – CHA): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Injuries have obliterated this Hornets backcourt, but DSJ has been a mainstay. If you take out the game where he got injured in the first quarter, Smith is averaging 32 DK points per game across 31 minutes a night. That’s all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and that role should continue as long as Ball remains out. Miami is not as scary of a matchup as it sounds, with the Heat ranked 18th in defensive efficiency ratings.

Value Plays

Josh Hart (SF – POR): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Hart has hovered around $6K on both sites all year, and it’s hard to understand why. He’s scored at least 21 DraftKings points in every game, falling just shy of a 30-point average. He’s done that in a much smaller role, and it’s clear his stat-stuffing has led to this fantastic floor. We expect it to be higher here because Hart will be asked to do more in the absence of Grant and Nurkic. This guy is already leading the team in rebounds, and he’ll surely grab double-digits here with those two big men out of the lineup.

Gabe Vincent (PG – MIA): $4,400 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
With Herro nicked up, Vincent has taken on a much bigger role. Over his last four games, Gabe is generating a 25-point average across 30 minutes a night. Those are incredible numbers from such a cheap player, and he should keep it going against this shorthanded Charlotte backcourt. If you want to squeeze in studs like Dame and Doncic, Vincent is the best pairing with those guys to save some salary.