Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate. It’s been a good start to the season as we are well into the NBA campaign. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. The holidays are here, which is when the season really takes off.
If you’re going to play NBA DFS, you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money. We have either six or nine game slates, depending on which site you’re playing, so plenty of options to choose from. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,800
- FanDuel: $9,800
As core players go, James Harden isn’t my favorite recommendation I’ve ever offered, but the stats and projections are too hard to pass up. The Clippers guard has been playing incredible minutes in the last three games — around 38 a night with a 33% usage rate.
Pair that with an incredible pace-up spot against a Miami team that is just starting to get healthy, and the writing is on the wall for a clear floor, even if Harden has an off game. Miami’s defense might cap Harden a bit from a nuclear performance, but he should still see 25-30% rostership tonight, which I support.
- DraftKings: $8,700
- FanDuel: $8,100
I’m trying to find anyone on the Orlando side against Chicago, and there are some great options. Franz Wagner leads them all. He has the highest ceiling among Magic players and the Bulls have allowed the third-most fantasy points a game to opposing forwards.
With no Paolo Banchero, the usage has been condensed on the floor for Orlando in a remarkable pace-up spot that gives this game a total of around 240 points. Wagner should clear 40 DraftKings points without much issue and he has a ceiling over 50 points as he’s done already this year.
- DraftKings: $7,900
- FanDuel: $7,900
I don’t want to knock my own plays as I type them up as my favorites, but as roster construction goes, this feels like much more of a GPP type day. But I wanted to provide a center for my lovely readers. For me, it’s Jalen Duren. He’s cheap and his handful of 50+DraftKings point efforts draws me in against this Hawks team.
Duren is coming off a missed game with a leg injury, so monitor the news, but all signs point to him going tonight without any cap to his minutes. He is more of a GPP play, but his rostership is way too low considering the questionable tag next to his name, and I expect you can take advantage of that.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,900
I feel like a broken record throwing Evan Mobley out there again, but with Cleveland missing Jarrett Allen once again, it’s hard to pass up. The Cavaliers big man has missed three of the last four games. While Cleveland has felt it, we’ve seen bigger usage and rebounds out of Mobley down low.
Indiana’s defense actually isn’t bad for what their record is, but Cleveland is still favored by seven on the road, so the opportunity will come. Mobley continues to rise in price, but I expect him to see 35 minutes and around a 25% rostership, which makes him a clear cash option.
- DraftKings: $7,000
- FanDuel: $6,600
In his last eight games without Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs has only dipped below 30 fantasy points once. He once again projects in the mid to upper 30s against a friendly Bulls defense and will likely be the highest-rostered option of the slate for Orlando.
Suggs has only gone over 40 DraftKings points twice all season, so I do prefer him in cash games because his ceiling won’t break the bank for a big GPP bink. Still, his floor is clear in a great matchup, making him a perfect cash play.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $10,500
- FanDuel: $10,700
With Atlanta coming off a back-to-back and Cade Cunningham’s clear ceiling, I’m shocked at how low rsotered he is right now. His rostership is coming in at single-digits on DraftKings, and it’s not like they’re facing an elite defense. Everyone might play for Atlanta, but their unit ranks outside of the top 10, and their pace of play ranks inside the top 10.
Detroit’s favored by nearly double-digits, but we’ve seen multiple 70+ fantasy point outings out of the Pistons guard. His usage is at a 34% clip, and he’s capable of taking over against this unit. Cunningham deserves more rostership tonight without a doubt. He’s expensive, but if he’s contrarian, then he makes a great play.
- DraftKings: $8,800
- FanDuel: $9,200
Considering how the Pacers sit at 4-16 with the second-worst-ranked offense in the league, it’s hard to write his name out as they face a top-10 defensive unit in Cleveland. Still with his 6-8% rostership, Pascal Siakam makes for a clear GPP play with his ceiling.
The Pacers’ offense has been bad, as I mentioned, but their forward has been consistent with a near 30% usage rate, averaging 43 fantasy points per game. Siakam has gone over 60 points a few times already. While he hasn’t exactly had that “got to have it” performance, I feel like it’s coming. With no Jarrett Allen tonight for Cleveland, their frontcourt is susceptible to points, and the Cavs have actually been very friendly to opposing power forwards so far this season.
- DraftKings: $6,100
- FanDuel: $5,400
For a bit of a different and cheaper option in the GPP realm, we have Kevin Porter Jr. The Bucks guard had his first game back on Saturday and managed 32 DraftKings points despite just 25 minutes of play. With Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially still capped and Milwaukee facing the worst-ranked league defense, I’m surprised to see his rostership so low. It did seem like Porter shook off the rust from missing so much time last time out and will only see his usage and minutes grow.
In general, this game has a lot of GPP options between Khris Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Alexandre Sarr and Ryan Rollins just because there won’t be the best defense played on either end of the court. It’s tough to say any one player is set up to smash, but I imagine at least someone in this game will end up in the optimal lineup tonight.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $4,000
- FanDuel: $4,400
I don’t understand how Kris Dunn continues to be so low-rostered on DraftKings, considering how consistent he’s been. Dunn continues to start and put up significant minutes that should clear him for a 5X return against Miami.
While the Heat defense is dangerous, I don’t expect a lot of focus to be on Dunn, and Miami leads the league in pace of play. While the ceiling might be capped a bit — we’ve only seen one 30+ point performance so far this season — I don’t mind throwing Dunn in lineups as a salary saver, especially with no Bogdan Bogdanovic. John Collins is also in the same boat, just a bit more expensive.
- DraftKings: $4,400
- FanDuel: $4,500
Despite playing in one of the worst matchups from a pure basketball standpoint all season, Egor Demin is a part of the All-NBA Name team and one of the best values on tonight’s slate. I project him for over 25 points tonight.
While he will be highly rostered, that makes him ideal for cash. You can throw him in some GPP lineups, but I would either go all in or fade completely, considering he can score anywhere from 50 to 14 fantasy points. Demin will play around 30 minutes against a subpar Charlotte defense. Both teams play quite slowly, so the pure opportunity might be hard to come by, limiting his ceiling a bit compared to past performances.
- DraftKings: $5,500
- FanDuel: $5,500
If you’d like to spend down at center tonight, may I offer you one Wendell Carter Jr.? I’m trying to find the best spots for this game, considering the Bulls offer one of the best opportunities for opposing offenses.
Carter keeps popping up. He has a wide range of outcomes, so I prefer him in GPPs, but with the pace-up spot and 241-point total, the opportunity will be there, especially as Paolo Banchero continues to be out.
