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We have a six-game Thursday night slate on tap, a solid mid-sized ledger that offers us a robust enough player pool without it reaching the point of overwhelming.
Five of the six matchups feature teams very close record-wise, and even the one game between two losing squads, a Spurs-Timberwolves clash, should be competitive. Injuries shouldn't play an inordinately large role in the night, either, setting us up for what should be a fun night of DFS play.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 11/18/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dejounte Murray, PG – at MIN ($9,900)
Murray arguably has offered production befitting a five-figure salary, as he's averaging 46.2 FD points per contest and has eclipsed 50 on five occasions, including two straight. The fifth-year veteran is boasting career highs in multiple categories, including his 17.6 shot attempts per contest. The Timberwolves have been notoriously stingy against point guards all season, but Murray has essentially proven matchup-proof and should be in for another high-usage night in a game that carries one of the highest projected totals and narrowest spreads of the slate.
Bradley Beal, SG – at MIA ($8,700)
Beal will be operating in the backcourt without Spencer Dinwiddie on Thursday, who's slated to sit out the contest for rest purposes. Beal returned from a two-game bereavement leave to put up 42.1 FD points against the Hornets on Wednesday night, and he's sporting a 34.2 percent usage rate and averaging 43.7 FD points per 36 minutes with Dinwiddie off the floor this season. The Heat have been very good defensively overall, but they've allowed the fourth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (23.5 percent), along with the sixth-most points (23.4) and second-most made threes (4.0) per game to the position. With Beal already taking 21.5 shot attempts per game with Dinwiddie available and a highly competitive game on tap, he could well overdeliver on his salary.
Jordan Poole, SG – at CLE ($5,600)
There's a chance Poole has to operate without Stephen Curry next to him on Thursday, as the perennial All-Star is dealing with a hip contusion that has him listed as questionable. Poole is sporting a team-high 35.2 percent usage rate and averaging 37.4 FD points per 36 minutes with Curry off the floor this season, and he's facing a Cavs team that, like the Heat, has been very good defensively overall but has had trouble defending the shooting guard spot at times. Cleveland is allowing the 12th-highest offensive efficiency to two-guards (20.9 percent) and 35.6 FD points per game to the position overall. Poole is averaging 27.7 FD points per contest with Curry typically alongside him, so he'll be poised to deliver a strong return on his modest salary even if his star teammate shares the backcourt with him.
Also consider: Reggie Jackson ($6,300)
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FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Paul George, SF- at MEM ($10,100)
George is a good bet to earn every bit of what is typically a five-figure salary every time he's on the floor, considering he's still carrying the heaviest load for the Clippers on a night-to-night basis in the ongoing absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee). PG 13 is averaging 48 FD points per contest overall and sporting a 34.9 percent usage rate, and he's unsurprisingly putting up career highs in total shot attempts (21.9) and three-point shot attempts (8.6) per contest. George draws an appealing matchup Thursday as well, as the Grizzlies are allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to small forwards (24.4 percent), along with an NBA-high 48.3 FD points per game to the position.
Jimmy Butler, SF – vs. WAS ($9,700)
Butler is an excellent play under normal circumstances, but even more so if Bam Adebayo is forced to miss a second straight game with a knee injury. Coming back from his own three-game absence due to an ankle injury Wednesday, Butler exploded for a 31-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against the Pelicans that netted 58 FD points. The veteran wing is going to encounter more resistance against the Wizards, but with a 29.0 percent usage rate and average of 54.4 FD points per 36 minutes with Adebayo off the floor this season, Butler makes for a potential bargain even at his elevated salary. Even if Adebayo does suit up, consider Butler has already offered over 5x return on his current salary in seven of 12 games, keeping him firmly in play.
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF – vs. LAC ($6,900)
Jackson is averaging a solid 29.5 FD points per contest and comes into Thursday's matchup against the Clippers running hot, as he's putting up 15.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 steal across just 27.0 minutes over his last seven games, a sample during which he's also shooting 38.5 percent and averaging 33.1 FD points per contest. The Clippers are allowing 39.6 FD points per game to power forwards, along with the fourth-highest three-point shooting percentage (39.6) and sixth-most rebounds (56.5) per road game, making Jackson a potentially rewarding mid-salary play Thursday.
Also consider: Anthony Edwards ($8,200)
FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic – vs. PHI ($11,600)
Jokic is up to averaging 55.5 FD points per contest after eclipsing 60 in three of his last four contests. The big man is once again playing at an MVP level and putting up career bests in rebounds (13.8) and shooting percentage (59.3). The 76ers are less formidable down low without Joel Embiid (COVID-19 protocols) -- who'll remain out of action Thursday -- allowing 52.7 FD points per contest to centers in the last seven games (five without Embiid), a significant bump up from their 46.0 season figure. It's also worth noting the Sixers are yielding the sixth-highest three-point shooting percentage (37.1) on the road, certainly relevant when considering how productive Jokic has been in that capacity this season.
Rudy Gobert – vs. TOR ($8,500)
Gobert has scored over 40 FD points on eight occasions this season, and he's been under 33.2 just once in 14 games overall. The Stifle Tower also checks into Thursday with five straight double-doubles and sports career highs in rebounds (15.4) and steals (1.1). The Raptors come in allowing 52.2 FD points per game to centers for the season, including 53.8 over the last seven games, and they're allowing the 10th-highest offensive efficiency to the position on the campaign as well (33.1 percent). Gobert has delivered over 5x return on his current salary on six occasions this season, and given the matchup metrics, could well be due for a seventh Thursday.
Drew Eubanks – at MIN ($5,500)
Eubanks is slated to continue starting for Jakob Poeltl on Thursday, as the latter is already ruled out due for conditioning purposes following his clearance of COVID-19 protocols. Eubanks has averaged 24.8 FD points per contest during his seven-game starting tenure, putting up a solid 9.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks across 22.4 minutes. The big man gets a premium positional matchup Thursday, as the Timberwolves are allowing the third-most FD points per game to centers over the last seven contests (58.7), along with the highest offensive efficiency (37.6 percent) to the position overall this season. It's also worth factoring in Minnesota has allowed the NBA's sixth-lowest shooting percentage at home (42.7) and put up the third lowest on its home floor as well (40.7 percent), which should mean plenty of opportunities on the glass on both ends of the floor for Eubanks.
Also consider: Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,800)
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