This is some of the strangest scheduling I’ve ever seen. We have no games on Tuesday and just two on Thursday, while almost every team plays tonight and Wednesday. That’s frustrating from a fantasy perspective because we have way too many players to dissect. The good news is that we have plenty of options to pick from, so let’s go ahead and get into it!
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:
Schedule and Odds
- GSW at DET (GSW -5.5) O/U: 228.5
- SAS at IND (IND -7) O/U: 238
- DAL at ORL (ORL -1) O/U: 224.5
- WAS at PHI (PHI -11.5) O/U: 227
- LAL at MIA (MIA -1) O/U: 222
- MIL at BKN (MIL -5.5) O/U: 229.5
- LAC at NYK (LAC -1.5) O/U: 226
- UTA at CHI (CHI -4) O/U: 223.5
- SAC at HOU (HOU -1.5) O/U: 219
- BOS at MIN (BOS -4) O/U: 226
- ATL at OKC (ATL -3) O/U: 236.5
- NOP at DEN (DEN -6) O/U: 223.5
Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.
Injury Report
Core Plays
Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,200 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
Many people thought Embiid didn’t deserve MVP last season, but he’s trying to prove the haters wrong. The big man has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in all five games, averaging 29.4 points, 11 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. Most importantly, he’s leading the league with a 36 percent usage rate and should be utilized heavily with James Harden out of town. The matchup is the icing on the cake, with the Wizards ranked 30th in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency.
Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $10,200 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
Chef Curry is always a safe pick for DFS, but he’s feeling it right now. The sharpshooter is one of the leading scorers in the NBA, averaging 30.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. That should be easy to reach against Detroit, with the Pistons ranked 27th in defensive efficiency ratings last season.
Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI): $7,500 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
This Bulls team looks like a disaster, but it’s no fault of Vooch. The Bulls big man is amid another outstanding season, scoring at least 30 fantasy points in six of seven games. He’s also cracked 52 DK points in two of his last four outings, and one of those upside lines could be in play here. We say that because he faces Utah, who rank 26th in defensive efficiency and 25th in points allowed.
Cash Game Considerations
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,600 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
The Joker is genuinely absurd. The big man has scored at least 40 DraftKings points in all but a handful of games over the last three years, picking up two MVPs in that span. He’s also averaging over 60 DraftKings points per game in that absurd stretch, scoring 69 fantasy points in back-to-back games. We could see an even higher ceiling here because Denver is expected to be without Jamal Murray. The Pels are obviously petrified of Jokic, with the MVP averaging 27.7 points, 15 rebounds, 11.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in their three meetings last season.
Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,000 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
Doncic has carried Dallas this season, and he will be the frontrunner for MVP if he continues to play like this. The Slovenian is leading the league with 33.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game. That has him averaging nearly 70 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 72 fantasy points in three of five games this season. That’s hard even to fathom, and it’s scary since he has a 61-point average against Orlando in their last three matchups.
Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
Hali had a career night on Saturday, and he’s in line for a special season. The Pacers point guard has scored at least 44 DraftKings points in every game, generating a 52-point average on the year. He’s got one of the highest floors since he has double-digit assists in every game, and that total should be easy to reach against the Spurs. San Antonio was dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency last season, posting a 30th OPRK against opposing guards this year!
GPP Targets
Jeremy Sochan (PG/SF – SAS): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Sochan isn’t designated as a point guard, but that’s what he is for the Spurs. The stat-stuffing guard is coming off a season-high 35 DK points in his most recent outing, and he should be locked into 30-35 minutes as long as Devin Vassell remains out. That makes him about $1,000 too cheap, and we love the matchup with Indiana. The Pacers rank 29th in points allowed and dead last in defensive efficiency!
De’Anthony Melton (PG/SG – PHI): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
Melton has struggled a bit this season, but he’s a good GPP play as long as this roster stays pat. This fantasy-friendly guard has always been a much better option when Harden has been out of the picture, averaging over 30 DK points per game without him last season. We haven’t quite seen that upside yet this year, but facing the worst defense in the NBA might be an excellent way to get him back on track. In a reserve role last season, Melton had 29 DK points across 21 minutes against this woeful Washington defense.
Reggie Jackson (PG – DEN): $5,500 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
Jamal Murray might sit here after pulling his hammy on Saturday, which will likely force Jackson into the starting lineup. This guy has been a stud as a starting point guard in the past, regularly priced between $6K-$7K in that role. This team doesn’t have any other point guards outside of R-Jax either, and it should guarantee him 30 minutes as the primary ball-handler. If that happens, this guy is way too cheap.
Value Plays
Tobias Harris (SF/PF – PHI): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Harris has always been one of the most underrated players in the league, and he’s playing much better with Harden in LA. That’s led to Toby scoring at least 28 DraftKings points in all five games en route to a 35-point average. That’s the stud we saw whenever Harden was out the last two years, and it should continue with the boost in shot attempts and usage! The matchup is the icing on the cake, with the Wizards surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing forwards.
Dillon Brooks (SF – HOU): $5,200DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
It’s shocking how well Brooks has gelled with this Houston team, but it’s working like peanut butter and jelly. The feisty forward has scored 39 and 41 DraftKings points in his two most recent outings. We love that he’s locked into 35 minutes and 15 shots, making DB way too cheap. Not to mention, he has that season-high of 41 DK points against Sacramento, which is no surprise since they surrender the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.
Goga Bitadze (C – ORL): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Goga got the first start at center for Wendell Carter Jr.on Saturday, and he was superb in that expanded role. The big man had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks at a minimum price tag! That’s the production you see from a $8K player, and we’ve seen Bitadze be a per-minute stud in the past. As long as he plays 25 minutes, Bitadze should be at least $6K on both sites. The matchup with the Mavs is marvelous, too, with Dallas allowing the most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Advantageous Pricing
- Reggie Jackson (PG – DEN): $5,500 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
- Klay Thompson (SG – GSW): $6,900 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
- Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,900 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
- Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
- Kyle Anderson (SF – MIN): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
- Onyeka Okongwu (C – ATL): $4,700 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
