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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on November 8, 2023. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
After going fully idle for Election Day on Tuesday, the NBA returns in full force Wednesday with a massive 14-game slate. There are still some big names carrying injury designations and a couple that are already confirmed out, but the size of the player pool insulates us from any lack of flexibility.
It's also worth noting that both DraftKings and FanDuel offer several sub-slates tonight that may be a better fit for those who prefer to have a narrower set of games and players to focus on when building DFS rosters.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/8/23. 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.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. CLE – PG ($10,600 DK; $10,700 FD)
SGA was one of those big names that recently was saddled with an injury, but the star guard came back from a one-game absence Monday and posted 51.5 DK/49.6 FD points across 37 minutes against the Hawks while shooting 55.0 percent from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander has taken at least 20 shot attempts in three straight contests, and his average of 49.8 fantasy points on either site is partly constituted by two tallies over 60 thus far this season.
The opposing Cavaliers have hardly been a friendly matchup to target for DFS, but their point guard defense has been an exception. Cleveland is ranked No. 23 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to the position (28.4) while allowing 45.7 percent three-point shooting to the position. The Cavs are also surrendering an NBA-high 56.1 DK/55.1 FD points per game to ones, and they already gave up 65.8 DK/66.2 FD points to SGA back in the Thunder's second game of the season.
LaMelo Ball, CHA vs. WAS – PG ($8,900 DK; $8,800 FD)
Ball has come into the new season with a clean bill of health and played like it, racing out to averages of 42 DK/39.2 FD points over his first six games. What's more, the young guard has accomplished those numbers with undeniably atrocious shooting that has nowhere to go but up, as he's draining an abysmal 34.0 percent, including 31.9 percent from behind the arc.
Ball is partly making up for it with impressive figures of 9.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per contest. The Wizards check in clocking an NBA-high 109.3 possessions per game, and Washington has surrendered the third-most DK (55.3) and second-most FD (54.8) points per game to point guards. The Wizards are also conceding an NBA-high 35.3 offensive efficiency rating to ones, along with the second-most steals per game (2.8) to the position.
Austin Reaves, LAL at HOU – SG/SF ($5,800 DK; $6,000 FD)
Reaves is arguably undervalued on both sites at his current salary, as the third-year guard has scored 30.5 to 52 DK/30.4 to 47.5 FD points in his last three contests. Reaves is shooting a blistering 64.0 percent, including 46.2 percent from three-point range, over his last two contests as well. He'll face a Rockets team Wednesday that's giving up the fifth-most made threes (3.8) per contest to shooting guards.
Houston is playing at the slowest pace in the league and has done a good job suppressing three-point shooting, so the matchup isn't perfect on paper by any stretch. However, Reaves still offers excellent value at his salaries, and even more so if Anthony Davis is forced to sit out due to the hip injury he suffered against the Heat on Monday. Reaves has boosted his shot attempts to a career-high 11.4 percent per game early this season, and his usage would naturally climb should AD sit out.
Others to consider: Donovan Mitchell, CLE at OKC – PG/SG ($9,600 DK; $10,100 FD); Jalen Brunson, NYK vs. SAS – PG ($8,300 DK, $8,300 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum, BOS at PHI – SF/PF ($10,300 DK; $10,000 FD)
Tatum has spearheaded the new-look Celtics' red-hot start with averages of 30.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest, with all but the assists qualifying as career- or co-career-high figures. Tatum is also shooting a career-best 54.9 percent, and he's draining a stellar 42.0 percent of his three-point attempts along the way. On the fantasy front, he's putting up 50.2 DK/47.2 FD points per contest. On Wednesday, he draws a favorable positional matchup against a Sixers team he's frequently enjoyed success against.
Tatum scored over 40 fantasy points in three of four games against Philly last season, including a tally of 61 DK/58.4 FD points in one of those contests. Tatum has already exceeded 50 DK points on three occasions this season as well, and the 76ers are surrendering over 49 DK and over 47 FD points per game to power forwards in the early going.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS at CHA – PF ($7,500 DK; $7,600 FD)
Kuzma is the most prolific scoring option on the fastest-paced team in the NBA (109.3 possessions per game), which automatically gives him plenty of appeal at his mid-range salaries. Furthermore, he's averaging a career-best 23.7 points (on a career-best 50.0 percent shooting), and he's already eclipsed 40 fantasy points on either site on three occasions this season.
The Wizards-Hornets clash is projected for a whopping 241 points as of early Wednesday, and Washington has a robust 119.25 total and climbing. Charlotte is allowing over 50 DK points per game to power forwards as well, along with 60.2 percent shooting, including 48.6 percent from three-point range, to fours. Given all the metrics cited and expected game conditions, Kuzma could well overdeliver on his salaries yet again on Wednesday.
Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI vs. BOS – SF/SG ($6,300 DK; $6,100 FD)
Oubre has mostly been an unqualified success during his brief 76ers tenure, and he's still averaging 28.1 fantasy points per game on either site despite having turned in a clunker over 27 minutes against his old Wizards squad on Monday. Oubre is shooting a career-best 51.4 percent, including 41.9 percent from three-point range, and he's supplementing his fantasy production nicely with 1.3 steals per contest.
The Celtics are naturally a tough defensive team overall, but Boston is giving up a slightly elevated 35.5 percent three-point shooting on the road, as well as 8.0 steals per contest in that split. The Celts are also surrendering the fifth-most rebounds per road game (55.8), offering Oubre another path to supplementing his fantasy production and posting a strong return on salary in what could well be a wire-to-wire affair.
Others to consider: LeBron James, LAL at HOU – SF/PF ($9,500 DK; $9,800 FD); Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM vs. MIA – PF/C ($8,400 DK; $8,700 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. GSW – C ($11,700 DK; $12,100 FD)
There's really not a lot need be said about why Jokic is a great play any time he steps on the floor, not that there aren't some particularly appealing aspects of Wednesday's matchup. First, the big picture. Jokic is already averaging 61.9 DK/57.8 FD points per contest and has already recorded at least a double-double in every game, including a trio of triple-doubles.
Then, the Warriors are allowing 58.7 DK/56.9 FD points per game to centers. Golden State is also surrendering the second-most assists per game to the position (6.6), a particularly relevant stat when considering the best facilitator in the league at his position in Jokic. It's also worth noting the Warriors have given up 40.6 percent three-point shooting in their last three games, while Jokic is shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range and scored 58.5/70.5 DK and 50.4/65.8 FD points in two games against the Dubs a year ago.
Rudy Gobert, MIN vs. NOP – C ($6,600 DK; $7,600 FD)
Gobert's DK salary is particularly eye-catching, but his FD figure is certainly reasonable enough. The Stifle Tower checks in 35.5 DK/36 FD points per contest, and he checks into Wednesday's matchup having already posted four multi-block tallies in his first six games. He also finds himself in a favorable scenario Wednesday against the Pelicans, who have been highly vulnerable down low early despite the presence of Jonas Valanciunas.
New Orleans comes in ranked No. 20 in offensive efficiency rating allowed to centers (35.3), along with the second-most DK (61.0) and third-most FD (60.1) points per game to the position. The Pelicans are also conceding an NBA-high 58.7 rebounds per contest and are tied for the fifth-most points in the paint allowed per road game (56.0), an area of the floor where 75.0 percent of Gobert's scoring originates from.
Mark Williams, CHA vs. WAS - C ($6,100 DK; $6,400 FD)
Williams is coming into his own early this season, having opened the campaign with averages of 14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks across 26 minutes per contest. The seven-footer has boosted his shooting percentage from his rookie-season figure of 63.7 percent to 81.0 percent, and he's averaging 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over the last pair of contests.
The Wizards have been one of the most generous teams to centers early this season, allowing an NBA-high 42.2 offensive efficiency rating to fives, along with 58.3 DK/56.8 FD points per game to the position. Washington is also ceding an NBA-high 55.3 points in the paint per game -- including 61.3 over the last three contests -- while Williams is scoring 77.3 percent of his points in that part of the floor.
Others to consider: Joel Embiid, PHI vs. BOS - C ($11,000 DK; $11,900 FD); Chet Holmgren, OKC vs. CLE – C ($7,800 DK; $8,200 FD)
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