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Zach's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Wednesday, 11/20/24. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
On Wednesday night the NBA is ready to roll with a full eight-game, regular-season schedule after Tuesday's games continued the NBA Emirates Cup. The eight matchups are all on the main DraftKings slate, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Four of the 16 teams in action are finishing back-to-backs, so be sure to keep a careful eye on the injury reports when they come out for the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Thunder.
The Cavs will take on the Pelicans, who make a very soft landing spot for the Cavs after they took their first loss of the season last night in Boston. In the three late games, teams from the East face teams from the West as the Knicks, Hawks, and Magic visit the Suns, Warriors, and Clippers, respectively, setting up some very interesting matchups to consider for fantasy basketball lineups this Wednesday. Be sure to check back and finalize your lineup with the latest news just before tipoff. Let's look at all of these matchups from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/13/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 p.m. EST on DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Damian Lillard, MIL - PG ($8,700)
The Bucks got Lillard back from a week-long absence on Monday and celebrated with a narrow, one-point victory over the Rockets. Because he's Dame, obviously he hit the game-winner.
DAMIAN LILLARD pic.twitter.com/xAyMH0Mqqa
— Follow HeavenlyBuckets (@heavenlybuckets) November 19, 2024
Lillard finished that game with 18 points, 10 assists, and 38.5 fantasy points and is averaging 43.8 DraftKings points per game and 1.22 DraftKings points per minute in his 11 games this season.
On Wednesday, he gets a beautiful matchup against the Bulls, who have given up the second-most fantasy points to point guards this year and play at the fastest pace in the NBA. Since he's well-rested and knocked some of the rust off Monday, Lillard is poised for a monster game against Chicago. He's pretty affordable under $9,000 and makes sense as a great place to begin your lineup construction.
Jalen Williams, OKC – C ($8,500)
I'm going to keep coming back to the well on Williams until he cools off or his salary catches up with his production, but for now, the third-year player from Santa Clara is still way too affordable for his ceiling. Williams has moved to center since the injury to Chet Holmgren and thrived in his new role, turning in great scoring and excellent peripheral numbers.
In the six games dating back to Chet's injury, Williams has averaged 1.47 DraftKings points per minute and 48.4 DraftKings points per game. He has scored at least 27 points in four of his last five games and had a double-double against the Spurs in Tuesday night's loss.
His versatility and ability to produce in multiple categories give him a very high ceiling in any matchup, and he should be in a smash spot to help the Thunder roar back into the win column at home against the Trail Blazers.
Bennedict Mathurin, IND – SG/SF ($6,700)
Mathurin has gotten off to a great start to the season for the Pacers, averaging 34.2 DraftKings points per game. He's stepped up even more over the last 10 games, averaging 38.4 DraftKings points per game and 1.09 DraftKings points per minute. He had one odd down game against the Heat with only eight points last Friday but bounced back with over 20 points in each of his two games since then.
In his most recent game on Monday, he had 28 points and over 40 DraftKings points for the fourth time in his last five games with this big game against the Raptors in Toronto:
Bennedict Mathurin dropped a team-high 28 points tonight.
he's averaging 22.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, while shooting 52.9% from the field and 48.8% from three over the last ten games. pic.twitter.com/k5Pw0hVx11
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 19, 2024
Mathurin will be a strong core option at his salary if he nears 40 DraftKings points again on Wednesday, which is a reasonable expectation against the Rockets in the game with the third-highest over/under on the slate.
Others Under Consideration: Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C ($11,500), Stephen Curry - PG ($9,100), Alperen Sengun - C ($8,000), Zach LaVine - SG/SF ($7,100)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK - C ($9,400)
Towns has been an outstanding fit with the Knicks so far, averaging 51.0 DraftKings points per game and 1.57 DraftKings points per minute over his first 13 games with the team. He has posted a double-double in 11 of his last 12 games and posted over 50 DraftKings points in four straight games before only needing to play 25 minutes in a comfortable win on Monday over the Wizards.
Karl-Anthony Towns is currently in his own tier among Eastern Conference Centers.
• 1st among East Cs with 26.2 PPG
• 2nd has 20.7 PPG• 1st among East Cs with 12.4 REB
• 2nd has 11.9 REB• 1st among East Cs with 34 3-Pointers
• 2nd has 31 3-PointersNobody’s close. pic.twitter.com/4nHsp8yDXB
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) November 19, 2024
If he's back to his full workload against the short-handed Suns, he should be set up for another monster game. Jusuf Nurkic ($6,200, ankle) is questionable for Phoenix, and if he's sidelined it will be an even better matchup for KAT.
Fred VanVleet, HOU – PG ($7,100)
VanVleet has been more aggressive with his scoring in the last few games for the Rockets, increasing his usage from 17.6% over his first nine games of the season to 23.9% over his last five games. In those five contests, he has produced 1.30 DraftKings points per minute. In each of his last three, he posted over 45 DraftKings points including a huge game on Sunday against the Bulls in which he had 52.25 DraftKings points on 28 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
Fred VanVleet knocks down BACK-TO-BACK buckets 😤pic.twitter.com/pZTcaQFjMS
— Rockets Nation (@RocketsNationCP) November 18, 2024
FVV brings a high ceiling vs. the Pacers in what will be a very entertaining game in Houston, and getting him at $7,000 gives your tournament entry plenty of upside.
Franz Wagner, ORL – SF/PF ($9,000)
Without Paolo Banchero (oblique) Wagner is carrying the Magic and putting up outstanding numbers. In his last seven games, he has averaged 50.5 DraftKings points per game with a 33.2% usage rate and a production rate of 1.41 DraftKings points per minute.
Wagner has scored at least 29 points in four straight games coming into Wednesday's road game against the Clippers. Even though it isn't an ideal matchup for the star forward, he has shown enough scoring potential to still be a big part of your tournament lineups.
Jared McCain, PHI – PG/SG ($6,300)
McCain is a pick that will go against the grain on Wednesday since Tyrese Maxey ($8,600; hamstring, questionable) may be ready to return from injury. McCain has put on a show while Maxey has been sidelined, emerging as one of the top rookies in the NBA by producing 37.3 DraftKings points per game in his last six games. He has scored at least 18 points in each of those contests and produced an impressive 1.14 DraftKings points per minute.
His usage could take a hit if Maxey is back, but reports are that Maxey will be on a severe minutes limitation even if he is available. Playing McCain at this salary could end up being a huge leverage play since many will assume the rookie will fade into the background if Maxey returns. He's proven enough, though, that I expect him to remain involved enough to still be a strong play, especially if Maxey is restricted on Wednesday.
Others Under Consideration: Trae Young - PG ($9,500), Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF ($7,900), Darius Garland - PG ($7,800), Evan Mobley - PF/C ($7,700), OG Anunoby - SF/PF ($6,500)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Robert Williams III, POR – PF/C ($4,400)
With Deandre Ayton ($6,600; finger) doubtful, Williams should be set for another substantial workload for the Trail Blazers. He has been limited to just four games this season with a hamstring injury, but when he has been available, he has posted strong showings.
Last Tuesday, he had 46.25 DraftKings points in 25 minutes against the Timberwolves, falling just one rebound short of a double-double. After sitting out the second night of Portland's back-to-back, he played 25 minutes on Sunday against the Hawks and posted 14 points, eight rebounds, and 29.5 DraftKings points.
The Portland Trail Blazers must be extremely happy to have Robert Williams III back and healthy. #RipCity
His locker room impact is massive for this team. As soon as he spoke up in the locker room, the Blazers responded with back to back wins.
pic.twitter.com/nzzdwXw1DO— Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) November 15, 2024
With a big size advantage over the Thunder, Williams should post great value numbers if Ayton is out on Wednesday. Donovan Clingan ($4,500) is another Blazers' big to consider as well.
Grayson Allen, PHX – SG ($4,300)
Allen has had to pick up more of the workload for the Suns with both Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (calf) out. Allen has scored 15+ points in each of the last three games and at least nine points in seven of his last eight. He doesn't typically contribute a lot of non-scoring numbers, but his three-point shooting and big minutes are enough to make him a value to consider at under $4,500.
Anthony Black, ORL – PG/SG ($4,400)
Black has shown huge growth in his second season with the Magic and is a huge part of the Magic's elite defense. He's also starting to find a very nice rhythm on the offensive end of the court. He came up just one assist short of a double-double on Monday in Phoenix and also scored a season-high 20 points on his way to 44.5 DraftKings points.
Anthony Black had a career-high nine assists vs the Suns last night. What stood out was Black's patience in letting plays develop and how tight some of the windows he passed into were. Here's a one-minute clip of some of the dimes he dropped. pic.twitter.com/AzWUtjvAAJ
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) November 19, 2024
Black has averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute and 25.2 DraftKings points per game over his last seven contests, and he is an excellent value play against the Clippers in the late game on Wednesday.
Cason Wallace, OKC – PG/SG ($4,000)
It's hard to know exactly which one of the Thunder's role players will get the hot hand and step up in any one game, but Wallace has been regularly contributing lately, including on Tuesday vs. the Spurs.
Cason Wallace tonight:
13 PTS
7 AST
3/5 3PM
5/8 FG
34 MINPlayed his part. pic.twitter.com/TRWqnjojnU
— Wallace Muse (@Wallace_Muse) November 20, 2024
Wallace has over 20 DraftKings points in three of his last four games, which makes him a solid value play even if his ceiling and floor aren't quite as high as Black's.
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
Hawks at Warriors (239 total)
The head-to-head matchup between Steph and Trae should be outstanding as both superstar scoring guards lead their teams into this high-scoring matchup by the Bay. If you're looking to build a Hawks stack, you'll have to keep a very close eye on the injury status of Jalen Johnson ($8,400; leg), who begins the day as questionable after missing Monday's game in Sacramento. If he's out, De'Andre Hunter ($5,200) and Garrison Mathews ($3,900) could step into bigger roles, and they make sense to stack alongside Trae and one of the big men, either Clint Capela ($5,500) or Onyeka Okongwu ($5,100). Dyson Daniels ($7,000) has been excellent, but his salary has caught up with his production, so he isn't quite as good of a value as he was earlier this season.
For the home team, you can definitely add value plays Trayce Jackson-Davis ($3,900) and Lindy Waters ($3,800) to a Curry stack and sprinkle in Andrew Wiggins ($5,400) and Draymond Green ($6,100) as well.
Bulls at Bucks (238 total)
The Bulls are coming off a nice win over the Pistons behind a big game from Zach LaVine, who is at the center of any Chicago stack. You can add in Ayo Dosunmu ($5,100) and Josh Giddey ($6,000) who produce strong non-scoring numbers and even Nikola Vucevic ($8,100) despite a tough matchup with the Bucks' strong frontcourt defense. Vucevic is coming off a monster game on Monday when he had 59 DraftKings points with a 29-point, 12-rebound double-double.
I already highlighted Dame as a great place to start your lineup on Wednesday, and adding in Giannis is always a strong play if you can make it work under your salary cap. Taurean Prince ($4,300) and Andre Jackson Jr. ($4,200) are value plays that can help offset some of that salary but still bring solid upside while playing alongside those two megastars.
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: Damian Lillard
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jalen Williams
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Damian Lillard
- My favorite VALUE play: Robert Williams III
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