NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (11/16/25)

November 16, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Kyle's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on November 16th, 2025.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have a five-game NBA slate tonight, leaving us with ten teams to choose from on both DraftKings and FanDuel. These smaller slates can be fun, as it's easier to pluck out the best plays while the mid-tier and value picks become the key differentiating factors. This slate is interesting, as we don't have any of the "mega ceiling" players to choose from. All five games look appealing from a game environment standpoint, but the Bulls-Jazz (243.5-point implied total) and Blazers-Mavericks (234-point implied total, top projected pace) stand out above the rest.

It's a Sunday, so anything is possible when it comes to teams giving players a rest day. Anthony Davis is doubtful to suit up, while we have Q tags on Zion Williamson, Coby White, P.J. Washington, and Tre Jones. Watch out for news throughout the day, as it's almost a guarantee that we'll see value open up as coaches decide to give players the night off.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/16/25. 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

Josh Giddey - PG on DK, PG/SG on FD (DK $9.7K, FD $9.2K)

It feels a little strange to say this, but Josh Giddey is the top spend-up option on tonight's slate. He's at the highest price he's been all season, but his season-long average (51 DK PPG) is higher than what he needs to 5x value tonight (48.5 DK points). He also flashed a tantalizing ceiling lately, posting 63.5, 61.8, and 70.8 DK points in consecutive games before his injury on 11/8. A matchup against Utah awaits - an excellent spot for him to make his return to the lineup.

Josh Giddey is doing it all on every level this season ‼️

23.1 PPG | 10.0 RPG | 9.1 APG pic.twitter.com/gJXCmvcCuR

— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2025

The Jazz have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game and rank 25th in defensive rating. Both teams play at a top-15 pace, and this game has a very high 243.5-point implied total, so it's projected to turn into a back-and-forth shootout with little defense on either end. That's going to benefit Giddey, who has a "do everything" skill set, averaging 21.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game to this point in the season. Fire him up in all formats, and take the overs on his props.

Stephen Curry - PG (DK $9.1K, FD $8.7K)

The Warriors-Pelicans matchup grades out as the worst on the slate from a game environment standpoint, but that doesn't mean we can't find a play or two in it. Curry has found his shooting stroke lately, posting 65.8 and 64 DK points in consecutive games heading into tonight's matchup in New Orleans. Curry feels underpriced on both sites, particularly given the matchup against the defensively challenged Pels.

New Orleans ranks 28th in defensive rating and has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to this point, but it gets even more interesting when we dig deeper into the numbers. They've permitted the fourth-most 3PA (41.3 per game) and have allowed the eighth-most 3PM (14.2 per game), which clearly plays into Curry's strengths. They've also allowed the fourth-most 3PM from 25-29 feet (9.8 per game), which is Curry's specialty. He's going to keep making it rain from deep tonight, making him a core play on the slate.

Jalen Johnson - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD ($9.1K DK, $9.1K FD)

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't recommend Jalen Johnson as a play tonight. The emerging star finished with 92 DK points against Utah on Thursday with an insane 31/18/14 slash line, adding seven steals. He's averaging 47 DK PPG and has flashed a 50-60+ DK point ceiling, but this was obviously on a whole different level. Playing against the Jazz with Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis definitely contributed, but he could be in for another 60+ DK point outing with his circumstances tonight.

The ONLY player in NBA HISTORY with this stat line.

JALEN. JOHNSON. pic.twitter.com/YxB9KT4gmX

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 14, 2025

The Suns grade out surprisingly well on defense, ranking 11th in defensive rating while allowing the 10th-least fantasy points per game. What's appealing here is that Young will remain sidelined, which opens the door for Johnson to take the reins offensively. He sees a slight usage rate bump to 25.1% and his FPTS/min stays steady at 1.26 with Young off the floor. We're obligated to take shots on him after the generational type of game he's coming off of.

NBA DFS GPP Pivots

Deni Avdija - SF on DK, SF/PF on FD (DK $8.8K, FD $8.4K)

Avdija, who is now the star player on Portland, has turned in a string of sub-5x value duds over his last three games. He produced 62.2 and 58.5 DK points before that, though, which gives us an idea of what his ceiling game looks like. He should be in for another monster game against Dallas tonight, a team that will be playing without its primary rim protector in Anthony Davis.

The Mavericks have remained a top-10 defensive unit with Davis off the floor, ranking 8th in defensive rating over their last eight games. However, they only rank 20th in rebounding rate (48.8%) and allow the third-most rebounds per game (49.1), which gives Avdija a non-scoring avenue to produce fantasy points. He has finished with at least 10 rebounds in three of his last five games, so we know he is capable of taking advantage here. Lastly, this should be a very fast-paced matchup as Portland ranks 2nd in pace while Dallas ranks 5th.

Lauri Markkanen - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD (DK $8.5K, FD $8.0K)

Revenge Game Alert! Markkanen will head into a matchup with the team that drafted him on a roll, posting games with 46.2 and 54.8 DK points with 35 and 40 real-life points in those outings. He's taking a ton of shots and averaging a 30.4% usage rate with Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler off the floor, which will be the case for tonight. While his ceiling isn't the most evident thing in the world, he did put up an insane 77 DK points with a 51/14/3 game against the Suns back in late October.

More importantly, his matchup tonight gives him a chance at another monster outing. It's the top game environment on the slate by a wide margin, holding a 243.5-point implied total and the second-fastest projected pace. Chicago allows the 9th-most fantasy points per game and has struggled to defend bigs (6th-most FPPG vs. PFs; 2nd-most FPPG vs. Cs). Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Smith, and Matas Buzelis aren't a frontcourt trio we need to fear on defense. As a reminder, Jalen Johnson just put up 92 DK points on this team a few days ago.

Franz Wagner - SF on DK, SF/PF on FD ($8.7K DK, $8.3K FD)

This one is a little tricky, as Wagner has been underwhelming this season and has only posted one game over 50 DK points. He holds a 39.3 DK PPG average, and he needs 43.5 DK points for 5x value tonight, so it doesn't seem like he's shaping up to be a good play. However, usage rate hog Paolo Banchero won't be playing tonight, and that changes the story for Wagner's prospects.

Wagner holds a high 32.6% usage rate, and his FPTS/min rate shoots up to 1.22 with Banchero off the floor this season. He only put up 40 DK points in his first Paolo-less game on Thursday (with an in-game injury playing a part), but he'll have an excellent chance to redeem himself tonight against the Rockets. Houston has a solid defense, and both teams play at a below-average pace, but the Rockets have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing SFs this season. I like Wagner as a contrarian pivot who shouldn't attract much attention after his slow start to the season.

NBA DFS Value Picks

Naji Marshall - SF/PF (DK $5.2K, FD $5.3K)

Marshall has stepped up in a big way recently, averaging 32.4 DK PPG with spike games of 44.5 and 50.5 DK points over his last six contests. He's playing more minutes with Anthony Davis sidelined, which will again be the case tonight. The veteran should be in for a similar role against the Blazers, who allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game while ranking 20th in defensive rating. He sees close to a 2% increase in usage rate (16.1% to 17.9%) with AD off the floor, and his FPTS/min rate moves to 0.92. He's a solid mid-range value option on tonight's slate.

Kyle Filipowski - C on DK, PF/C on FD (DK $4.6K, FD $4.7K)

The second-year pro out of Duke is on a nice roll, producing at least 28 DK points in three of his last four games. He's a bit of a risk because he hovers around 20 minutes per game and hasn't exceeded 26 minutes yet this season, but his efficiency has allowed him to finish over 5x value more often than not over his last six games. Tonight's matchup against the Bulls is one he can take advantage of, as the game holds a sky-high implied total and the Bulls have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to Cs this season.

Vit Krejci - SG/SF on FD (DK $4.2K, FD $4.6K)

Krejci is taking advantage of his moment in the sun, averaging 30.5 DK PPG while spiking for 34.2 and 40.8 DK points over his last four contests. He has seen 32 and 30 minutes of playing time in two of his previous three games, so the production he's showing feels sustainable as long as Young remains out. Krejci holds the highest usage rate on the team over the last four games at 29.7%, and his 1.04 FPTS/min rate during that stretch will get the job done at his low salary.

Vit Krejci has turned into a shooting god these last three years 🎯🔥 pic.twitter.com/BeqyB7KJlb

— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) November 12, 2025

Josh Okogie - SG on DK, SG/SF on FD (DK $3.8K, FD $4.1K)

No one likes playing Josh Okogie. It's difficult to put your hard-earned money on a player like him; I understand. We have to consider him as a value option on tonight's slate, though. Tari Eason has been ruled out, which means we can expect Okogie to pick up a few extra minutes. At just $3.8K on DraftKings, he's underpriced. He only needs 19 DK points to hit 5x value, and he has been over that mark in three of his last five games, even with Eason in the lineup. Hopefully, more value opens up so we don't have to get to him in our lineups, but he's a low-floor, low-ceiling option for us at the moment.

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

Bulls @ Jazz (243.5 O/U)

Trail Blazers @ Mavericks (234 O/U)

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: Josh Giddey
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jalen Johnson
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Franz Wagner
• My favorite VALUE play: Naji Marshall

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis