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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on November 1st, 2023. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
We're set for the biggest slate of the week on Wednesday night, as there are a massive 13 games on the docket. Slates of this size can actually provide an edge from a few different perspectives as far as DFS is concerned, as both DraftKings and FanDuel will roll out multiple smaller sub-slates that can give us less unwieldy player pools to work with. However, for those with a taste for the super-sized slates, there's certainly no shortage of very profitable tournaments tied into the full night's worth of games.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/1/23. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 pm Eastern.
Without further ado, let's dive into multiple candidates to consider for each position for Wednesday's action. Good luck Rotoballers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry - PG/SG, GSW vs. SAC ($10,000 DK, $10,000 FD)
Curry's rostering never really requires much statistical justification, but there's certainly no shortage of early-season numbers to fortify his case. The legendary sharpshooter has opened the campaign averaging 50.8 DK/47.8 FD points per contest while shooting a blistering 55.8 percent, including 47.1 percent from three-point range. His two sharpest games shooting-wise have also netted 40-plus-point tallies.
Curry lit up this same Kings squad for 57.5 DK/53.8 FD points across 35 minutes in the second game of the season, and he's now back in the friendly confines of Chase Center. Sacramento has been very tough against point guards over its first three games, but the Kings will be without the player that's helped provide that stingy defense, De'Aaron Fox (ankle), on Wednesday. Sacramento is also conceding a 36.2 percent success rate from three-point range, adding to Curry's appeal.
In NBA history, only twice at age 35 or older has a player had 40+ points and 7+ threes on 70% shooting or better:
Stephen Curry, tonight (41 points, 7 threes, 73.7% shooting)
Stephen Curry, 3/14/23 (50 points, 7 threes, 71.4% shooting).One of one. pic.twitter.com/pjIb9qo0Un
— Sideline Films (@SidelineFilmz) October 28, 2023
Dejounte Murray - PG/SG, ATL vs. WAS ($7,300 DK, $8,300 FD)
Murray will undoubtedly be popular, especially at his salaries, after racking up 61.3 DK/59.9 FD points over 39 minutes against the Timberwolves on Monday night. Additionally, with Trae Young (Achilles) questionable for Wednesday's game, Murray's roster rate could be through the roof. Nevertheless, he's an excellent candidate to take a shot on in tournaments and simply differentiate elsewhere in your lineup, especially given the matchup.
The Wizards have opened the season allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to shooting guards (26.7), partly the byproduct of allowing 54.5 percent shooting, including 50.0 percent from three-point range, to the position. Washington is also tied with the Nets for most assists (7.3) surrendered to twos, and the Wizards have also allowed an NBA-high 125 points per contest.
Shaedon Sharpe - SG/SF, POR at DET ($6,000 DK, $6,700 FD)
Sharpe's salaries make him an interesting pivot off what is certain to be a deeply rostered Cam Thomas (highlighted in the "others to consider" section below), with Portland's second-year pro possessing plenty of upside in his own right relative to his salaries. Sharpe is averaging 31.2 DK/30 FD points per game thus far, and he's gotten to those numbers despite shooting a middling 43.3 percent thus far.
Sharpe will continue to fill in as the starting shooting guard for Anfernee Simons (thumb) for the time being, and the Pistons check in allowing 47.7 DK/45.9 FD points per game to two-guards in the early going, along with an NBA-high 28.9 points per contest to the position. Detroit gave up 39.3 percent three-point shooting in its one prior home game as well, and Sharpe has encouragingly put up at least five attempts from distance in three of the first four games of the season.
Others to consider: Terry Rozier - SG, CHA at HOU ($7,000 DK, $7,500 FD); Cam Thomas - PG/SG, BKN at MIA ($6,600 DK, $7,800 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum - SF/PF, BOS vs. IND ($10,300 DK, $10,600 FD)
Tatum and the new-look Celtics are off to an outstanding start, and despite the very noteworthy offseason additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, this is still clearly Tatum's squad. The perennial All-Star has opened the new campaign in especially efficient form, shooting a career-best 55.4 percent (61.4 percent true shooting percentage) over his first three games, and on a career-high 21.7 shot attempts per contest to boot.
The Pacers have been about the middle of the pack against power forwards early – they've allowed 46.7 DK/48.1 FD points per game to the position – and they're ranked in the bottom 10 with 37.5 percent three-point shooting allowed overall. Indiana also surrendered a whopping 63 rebounds in its one road game thus far, and it's also worth noting the Pacers allowed two tallies of over 60 DK points to Tatum in three games last season with many of the same players he'll face again Wednesday.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and now James Harden ran to the West because they know Jayson Tatum runs the East! pic.twitter.com/sUY5alqh0S
— 𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 ☘️ (@CelticsRiley) October 31, 2023
Scottie Barnes - SF/PG, TOR vs. MIL ($7,800 DK, $8,900 FD)
Barnes has opened the season putting performances that are frankly befitting of higher salaries, especially on DraftKings. The third-year big is averaging 48 DK/46.9 FD points per contest over his first four games, shooting 52.3 percent and sporting a 25.4 percent usage rate. Barnes is currently sporting career highs in points (20.8), rebounds (9.5), assists (5.5), and blocks (2.5) while putting up 16.3 shot attempts per contest.
The Bucks have also opened the season somewhat vulnerable to small forwards, allowing the 12th-highest offensive efficiency rating (24.3) while surrendering an elite 60.5 percent shooting, including 58.3 percent from three-point range, to the position. Given Barnes' increased importance with Fred VanVleet now in Houston and his early returns, Barnes is well worth the investment in tournaments.
Ben Simmons - SF/PG, BKN at MIA ($6,800 DK, $7,100 FD)
There was rightfully plenty of skepticism involving Simmons coming into the season given how his 2022-23 campaign unfolded, but at least for the moment, he's looking like a reasonable facsimile – at least as a rebounder and facilitator – of his 76ers heyday. Simmons comes into Wednesday with averages of 8.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per contest while shooting 60.0 percent overall.
Simmons is only putting up 6.7 shot attempts per game, but with Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle) doubtful and both Cameron Johnson (calf) and Nicolas Claxton (ankle) out on Wednesday, there should be plenty of scoring, rebounding and assist opportunities for Simmons, who's expected to operate as the primary ball handler.
Others to consider: Jaylen Brown - SF/SG, BOS vs. IND ($7,700 DK, $8,000 FD); Keegan Murray, SAC at GSW ($6,300 DK; $6,900 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Domantas Sabonis - C, SAC at GSW ($10,500 DK, $10,100 FD)
Sabonis is off to another strong start this season, averaging 50.3 DK/48.8 FD points per contest on the strength of a typically well-rounded 17.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. The big man has shot 54.1 percent, including 40.0 percent from three-point range, and his most productive game of the new season came against these same Warriors in the form of a 19-point, 18-rebound double-double that included seven assists and three steals and netted 59 DK/59.1 FD points.
He'll get another crack at the Warriors on Wednesday, and this time, he'll be in line for even more usage with Fox out with an ankle sprain, as noted in Curry's entry. Golden State is also allowing over 60 fantasy points per game to centers on both sites over its first four games, making Sabonis one of the best players to pay up for Wednesday.
Domantas Sabonis finishes through contact for the AND-1 💪pic.twitter.com/KKFLWkPoEM
— Kings Nation (@KingsNationCP) October 26, 2023
Alperen Sengun - C, HOU vs. CHA ($7,700 DK, $8,200 FD)
Sengun already brings in an impressive body of work into Wednesday, and he also draws what has been one of the most favorable matchups for centers thus far this season. The big man is averaging 42.3 DK/40.8 FD points per contest on the strength of an impressive line of 19.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per contest, and he's shooting an impressive 54.5 percent in the early going.
The Hornets are also right back to being a virtual sieve against big men, already allowing the second-most DK (62.6) and FD (61.9) points per game to centers, along with the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating (38.3) to the position. Charlotte is surrendering an NBA-high 26.9 points per game to fives and ranks in the bottom five in rebounds per contest given up to centers as well (17.2). And, the Hornets are allowing the third-most points in the paint per game (58.7), an area of the floor where 66% of Sengun's scoring is coming from thus far.
P.J. Washington - C, CHA at HOU ($5,800 DK, $6,500 FD)
Washington's salaries are especially eye-catching considering how he's opened the campaign, averaging 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest while putting up 31.8 DK/30.8 FD points per contest. The big man is shooting a career-best 55.6 percent despite some glaring inefficiency from three-point range (21.4 percent), and he should play a key role in a game that could turn into a high-scoring affair.
The Rockets have been vulnerable to power forwards, ranking No. 21 in offensive efficiency allowed to the position (28.0) while giving up over 50 DK points and over 48 FD points per game to the position. Houston is also allowing the fifth-most rebounds per game (58.7), so Washington could be in line for an active night on the boards that helps to prop up his overall fantasy production.
Others to consider: Nikola Jokic, DEN at MIN ($12,000 DK, $12,100 FD); Brook Lopez, MIL at TOR ($6,100 DK, $5,700 FD)
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