NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS primer: Nov. 22
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a player to watch as the Memphis Grizzlies host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
This is another strange slate of scheduling. We have a rare off day on Thursday for Thanksgiving, leading to some chaotic DFS days. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are all ginormous cards, while this Tuesday slate is the smallest of the week. We have just four games making up this main card, and it will be insane in terms of injuries. Denver, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Memphis have all been bombarded by the injury bug over recent weeks, and those make up half the teams on this slate.
Injury Report
- Nicolas Claxton (personal) Questionable
- James Harden (foot) OUT
- Tyrese Maxey (foot) OUT
- Tobias Harris (hip) Questionable
- Ja Morant (ankle) Questionable
- Desmond Bane (toe) OUT
- Isaiah Stewart (toe) OUT
- Saddiq Bey (ankle) Questionable
- Cade Cunningham (shin) OUT
- Jamal Murray (protocols) Questionable
- Nikola Jokic (protocols) Questionable
- Aaron Gordon (illness) Questionable
- LeBron James (leg) OUT
- Anthony Davis (back) Probable
- Joel Embiid (foot) OUT
Core Plays
De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $9,600 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Fox could be vying for his first All-Star berth this year. The speedster has taken his game to another level, scoring at least 36 DraftKings points in all but one game. The one dud was a first-quarter injury, and he’s also flirting with a 50-point average in those outings as well. A matchup with Memphis isn’t too bad either, ranked 26th in points allowed and 20th in defensive efficiency,
Devin Booker (PG/SG – PHX): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel
Booker has been running this Suns offense, and he’ll continue to do so as long as Chris Paul remains out. That’s led to Book scoring at least 38 DraftKings points in 13 of 16 games. He also flashed a 78-point upside over the weekend, and that’s ridiculous from a player below $10K. The Lakers are a tremendous matchup, too, owning a 25th OPRK against opposing guards. In their last three meetings, DB is averaging 53 fantasy points per game!
Tobias Harris (PF – PHI): $7,800 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
This is going to be the Harris show in Philly. Embiid, Harden, and Maxey are all expected to miss this game, leaving Harris as the only guy left. We expect him to play 35-40 minutes, take 20-25 shots and post a usage rate north of 30 percent with all of that usage off the floor. This guy is already averaging 32 DK points per game in a minuscule role, and it’s scary to think how good he can be as the playmaker for this team.
Cash Game Considerations
Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,500 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
AD is feeling it right now. The big man has really stepped up in the absence of LeBron James, scoring at least 57 DK points in four straight games. He’s also got 64 or more fantasy points in three straight, and it’s no surprise since he’s doing everything for this offense. We know AD has the talent to be the best player in fantasy, and it will continue with this career-high usage bump. We also don’t mind that he averaged 52 DK points per game in his three meetings with Phoenix last year.
Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $5,900 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
Jones is going to be scattered across everyone’s lineups but rightfully so. He’s expected to start for Ja Morant, averaging 35 DK points per game in his three starts this year. He also posted a 30-point average in 23 fill-in starts last year, and it’s clear these DFS sites need to bump his price in this expanded role. Facing Sacramento is the best part of this, though, ranked 23rd in points allowed and 26th in defensive efficiency.
GPP Targets
Jaren Jackson Jr.(PF/C – MEM): $6,400 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
The discrepancy in this pricing tells you everything you need to know. JJJ has the ability to be one of the best players in the NBA, dropping 52 DraftKings points in his most recent outing. He’s shown that in the past, and Memphis needs him to step up with Morant and Bane both out of the lineup. The big man has a 36 percent usage rate with those two out since the start of last season while averaging 1.5 DK points per minute. That elite rate should duplicate in a matchup with a subpar Sacramento defense.
Bones Hyland (PG – DEN): $6,700 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
The Nuggets have been shredded by the injury report, missing Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. That’s left Bones as the focal point of the offense, scoring at least 28 DK points in four straight games. He’s also averaging 35 fantasy points per game in that span while leading the team in usage. They need him to run the show with the three-best player out, and we’re certainly not deterred by a Detroit defense that ranks 27th in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Value Plays
Montrezl Harrell (PF/C – PHI): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
Harrell has always been a beast in limited minutes, and Philly will need him to step up here. The big man is expected to start for Joel Embiid and play 30-plus minutes as the primary center. He did that once earlier this year, dropping 27 DraftKings points across 29 minutes. He also posted a 33-point average in 19 games where he played at least 26 minutes last year, and that sort of production is incredible from a $5K player.
De’Anthony Melton (PG/SG – PHI): $7,500 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
This pricing is getting crazy, but Melton has earned it. He dropped 47 DraftKings points across 37 minutes in the first game without Maxey and Harden. That’s awesome since Embiid is also out here, leaving Melton as the primary ball-handler for this shorthanded team. This has always been one of the best per-minute producers in the NBA, and we need to use him with so much production sitting on the bench. The matchup is magical, too, with the Nets surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
Bruce Brown (SG/SF – DEN): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
We just discussed how Denver is missing its three-best players, forcing Brown into one of the most substantial roles of his career. The versatile wingman has at least 29 DraftKings points in five straight games while generating a 36-point average in that span. That’s all you can ask for from a $6K player, especially since he faces the second-worst defense in the NBA.
Advantageous Pricing
- Tobias Harris (PF – PHI): $7,800 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
- Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,500 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
- Jaren Jackson Jr.(PF/C – MEM): $6,400 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
- Dillon Brooks (SG/SF – MEM): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
- Ben Simmons (PG/SF/C): $6,300 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
- Royce O’Neale (SF/PF – BKN): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
- Montrezl Harrell (PF/C – PHI): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
- Santi Aldama (PF/C – MEM): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Bojan Bogdanovic (SF – DET): $6,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
- DeAndre Jordan (C – DEN): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
- Torrey Craig (SF – PHX): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
- Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,500 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.
