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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on November 18, 2023. Kyle Ringstad provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's a glorious fall Saturday in the NBA as we have five games on the main slate and a funky Knicks-Hornets matchup on its own showdown slate starting at 6:00 pm EST. The main slate should be a fun one, as there are enough teams in action for us to create unique lineups and there should be enough injury news to allow us to jam in some studs. The Mavericks-Bucks game projects out as the top matchup to target for DFS purposes, but there will be pieces we'll need to consider on every team in action tonight.
As always, injuries are a key factor here and we will need to monitor for news and make adjustments as we learn more. Stephen Curry is the big name with a questionable tag, but we also have Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Luke Kennard, Cason Wallace, and Derrick Rose carrying a questionable designation.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/18/23. 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 EST.
I start my process with a "K-Grade" model shown below, which I've been fine-tuning for about three years. This model takes real metrics like the implied total, fantasy points per game allowed, defensive ratings, offensive ratings, and projected pace, and applies them to a model with weights. It should be used as a directional guide for the slate and I've had plenty of success with it, but stick to your own process and DFS best practices. For example, a player on a team with a "D" K-Grade could easily be the top value on the slate due to a significant uptick in minutes and usage rate.
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Desmond Bane, MEM vs. SAS – SG/SF ($8,900 DK; $8,900 FD)
The pricing on Desmond Bane feels a little absurd, as he's right behind players like Kyrie Irving and Bam Adebayo while ranking ahead of players like Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, and Brandon Ingram. However, you have to pay a premium for a shot at a 60+ DK point game, and that's what Bane brings to the table.
He has games of 67.5 and 62 DK points under his belt already, coming against bottom-tier defenses in the Jazz and Trail Blazers. Those teams rank fifth-worst and second-worst against SGs, respectively, and allow the second-most and third-most fantasy points per game overall. The Spurs - his opponent tonight - allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing SGs and allow the fifth-most fantasy points per game overall. Bane should explode in this spot.
Jacob Gilyard, MEM vs. SAS – PG ($4,800 DK; $4,700 FD)
I'd forgive you if you didn't know who this Jacob Gilyard character is. For the record, he's an undrafted 5'9" 160 lb point guard out of Richmond, playing in his second season after appearing in one game for the Grizzlies last year. He got a start on 11/10 against the Jazz and went off, accumulating 34 DK points on 5-of-10 shooting, eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal over 34 minutes.
His minutes and fantasy production ticked down in the two games since, but the Grizzlies' injury issues may force him back into significant minutes tonight. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard won't suit up, and it remains to be seen if veteran Derrick Rose will be making his return to action. With the aforementioned incredible matchup on tap against the Spurs, Gilyard could be a near-lock-button value if everything breaks right.
Others to consider: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jeremy Sochan, Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jimmy Butler, MIA vs. CHI, SF/PF ($8,500 DK; $8,800 FD)
I think I say it every time: I don't like playing Jimmy Butler. That being said, we have to like getting to him when the price and matchup are in the right spots, and they are tonight. He needs just 42.5 DK points to hit 5x value at his current salary, and he has been well over that with 53.75 and 47.5 DK points over his last two. He's taking more of a scoring-centric role lately, and we like that development in a #NARRATIVEALERT game against the Bulls tonight. Chicago is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing SFs this season.
Jaden McDaniels, MIN vs. NOP, SF ($4,300 DK) DraftKings Only
Jaden McDaniels is a DraftKings Special at his low salary and with the position starving for any semblance of value. McDaniels has gotten off to a weird start to the year, getting into major foul trouble in 4-of-9 games while playing just two minutes before being ejected in the recent scuffle with Draymond Green and the Warriors. The Wolves want him to be a guy they can have on the floor for at least 30 minutes per game, as he's an efficient shooter and one of the top defensive players in the NBA. He's projecting for 30 minutes tonight, and as long as he can stay out of foul trouble, I love him as a key value piece at the forward spot.
Others to consider: Keldon Johnson, Kyle Anderson, Victor Wembanyama, Naz Reid, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. NOP, C ($7,900 DK; $8,200 FD)
Karl-Anthony Towns is a much more appealing play on DraftKings, where he's slightly cheaper and the PF/C pricing is much tighter overall. This is tied for his cheapest price tag all season, and the masses might be off of him after he put up a 36.25 DK point dud over 31 minutes against the Suns in his last game. That game was the second leg of a back-to-back with a very tight turnaround, so we can excuse that output. He averaged 51.6 DK points per game in the three games prior, and I expect him to get back to that range tonight against New Orleans. The Pelicans have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing Cs this season.
Others to consider: Nikola Vucevic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Bismack Biyombo, Zach Collins
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