NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (11/21/25)

November 21, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Keith's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on November 21st, 2025.

Welcome Back, RotoBallers! We have another Friday Emirates NBA Cup slate, with seven games on the DraftKings main slate and nine on FanDuel. Eight of the nine games have a total above 230 points, highlighted by Heat-Bulls with the highest total we have seen all season long (249.5).

The injury report actually looks fairly clean, considering we have 18 teams in action this evening. The biggest news we are waiting for comes in Chicago, with Coby White and Tre Jones listed as questionable, and in Cleveland, with Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen also questionable.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/21/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

NBA DFS Core Picks

Jaime Jaquez Jr., MIA - SF/SG ($7,000 DK), SF ($6,800 FD)

The Miami Heat have yet to play a game this season with their full roster available. Tyler Herro has yet to make his season debut, Bam Adebayo missed some time before returning, and now Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic are out.

The starting lineup spot left open by Wiggins should be filled by Jaime Jaquez, who has been playing well this season. The third-year forward is filling up the stat sheet, with an average of 16.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.  Alternatively, Miami could slide Bam Adebayo to power forward and start Kel'el Ware at center, leaving Jaquez in his customary 6th-man role. Even in that scenario, Jaquez's role would remain secure, and the reduced ownership could actually make him more appealing for tournaments.

Either way, Jaquez should be asked to fill a larger role and play more than 30 minutes. With Wiggins and Jovic off the floor this season, Jaquez has posted nearly a 24% usage rate and an assist rate of over 27%. With a little extra court time and a bump in rates, Jaquez stands out as one of the strongest plays on the slate.

Jakob Poeltl, TOR -  C ($5,600 DK/$6,300 FD)

The Toronto Raptors have the highest implied team total of the evening thanks to a cupcake matchup with the Washington Wizards. Washington plays at the fifth-fastest pace in the league and ranks 29th in defensive efficiency, creating an excellent environment for fantasy points to be scored.

There has been a notable shift in playing time recently for center Jakob Poeltl, who got off to a slow start this season. Over his first six games, the big man averaged just 22.8 minutes, 7.7 points, and 6.7 rebounds per game. In five games since then, his playing time has increased to 30.0 minutes per game, and he's averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds.

Tonight’s Player of the Game: Jakob Pöltl !!

So many options to choose from, but ultimately decided to pick the Austrian Hammer. Jak was not available last time the Raptors faced the Sixers, and his absence was felt.

Great stuff from not just Jak, but from everyone tonight. 🔥… pic.twitter.com/Ue8GxOoGon

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) November 20, 2025

When adding the increased playing time to the elite matchup, Poeltl is under-priced for his role and has enormous upside that could see him post 20 points and 10 rebounds. Washington has allowed the most points overall, the fourth-most points in the paint, and the third-most rebounds in the league this season. Poeltl excels in all of those areas and is in a prime position to take advantage of the matchup.

NBA DFS GPP Pivots

Julius Randle, MIN - PF ($8,600 DK/$9,000 FD)

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle is putting together an incredible season, averaging 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. Each of those averages is a significant bump over his production last season, and he has been playing with incredible consistency. Randle has topped 45 fantasy points in nine of his last 11 games, and he has routinely flashed a ceiling in the 50-55 fantasy points range during that time as well.

Julius Randle propels the @Timberwolves to the victory at home!

🐺 32 PTS
🐺 10 REB
🐺 6 AST

Minnesota improves to 10-5 on the season 💯 pic.twitter.com/LpnClqkWSj

— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2025

Tonight's matchup against the Phoenix Suns sets up well for Randle, who has played exceedingly well in two NBA Cup games. In their first game against Utah, Randle posted a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in only 26 minutes as the Wolves won by 40 points. In the next game against Sacramento, Randle went for 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in a comfortable 14-point win. Randle has played upper-30s minutes several times this season, so there is plenty of upside on the playing in this matchup with the Suns that features a 3.5-point spread.

Nikola Jokic, DEN - C ($13,200 DK/$12,800 FD)

Nikola Jokic is the ultimate ceiling play, and the price tag is high enough that he shouldn't be too popular in tournaments on this slate. Jokic has been on yet another level this season, which seems impossible given what he has already accomplished in his career. The Denver big man is averaging an absurd 29.1 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 11.1 assists.

UPDATED Triple-Double tracker

Nikola Jokic: 9
The entire Eastern Conference combined: 8 pic.twitter.com/cnBvv7EsDA

— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) November 20, 2025

Jokic has already topped 80 fantasy points on three separate occasions this season, and he's gone for 70+ FP in two additional games. With no Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Victor Wembanyama on this slate, Jokic has a chance to post a fantasy score that no one else can come within 20 points of. The matchup against Houston doesn't look great on paper, but Jokic is completely matchup-proof and can smash any time he takes the floor.

NBA DFS Value Picks

Davion Mitchell, MIA - PG ($5,400 DK/$5,700 FD)

Last game, Miami cruised to an easy 14-point win over Golden State, which was resting multiple key rotation pieces on the second night of a back-to-back. In more competitive games, Mitchell has been running the points for more than 30 minutes per game for Miami. He should be locked into that role tonight in the best game environment of the evening.

Chicago has played at the third-fastest pace in the league, and their defensive rating has slipped to 20th in the league. It is a prime matchup for Davion Mitchell and the Heat.

Derik Queen, NOP - PF/C ($5,500 DK/$6,000 FD)

Pelicans rookie Derik Queen is coming off his best performance of the season, posting 30 points and 9 rebounds against Denver. The fact that he did it playing alongside Zion Williamson bodes well for his long-term upside. He has now started three consecutive games and should be locked into that role now that he has proven he can co-exist with Williamson in the lineup as well.

Tonight's matchup against Dallas sets up well for the rookie, especially as Dallas remains without Anthony Davis. The Mavericks have allowed the fifth-most points in the paint and the most rebounds in the league, which are two areas where Queen can impact the game.

Pelle Larsson, MIA - SF ($4,100 DK), SG ($4,300 FD)

Some injury news may shake loose some better value this evening, but for now, Miami Heat wing Pelle Larsson makes the pool as one of the cheaper viable options on the slate in the best game environment of the night. Larsson has carved out a role in the starting lineup and should be even more involved in the offense with Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic sidelined tonight.

Today's Top Game Stacks

Heat at Bulls (249.5 O/U) - Not only the highest game total of the night, but also the highest total we have seen all season. Both teams play at a top-three pace, and there is potentially some value on both sides. Miami has already ruled out Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic, so Jaime Jaquez, Pelle Larsson and Dru Smith could be looking at increased roles. On the Chicago side, Coby White and Tre Jones are questionable, and their absence could put Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter into the value conversation. Paying up for the ceiling of Josh Giddey and running it back with Jaquez is currently the preferred method to attack this game, but injury news could change that.

Wizards at Raptors (240.5 O/U) - Toronto gets one of the best possible matchups in the league against Washington, which plays fast and offers little resistance defensively. Jakob Poeltl is under-priced for the increased role he has seen with his back feeling better, and multiple other pieces are in play from the Raptors side. For Washington, Alex Sarr is questionable, and his absence would open up significant value that would make this the easiest stack of the night.

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Jakob Poeltl
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jakob Poeltl
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Julius Randle 
• My favorite VALUE play: Derik Queen

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis