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It’s great to be back in the swing of things in the NBA, RotoBallers. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I'm selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.
Tonight's slate features a whopping two games, and the NBA made the smart move of avoiding direct competition with the huge slate of NFL games. Two-game slates require a slightly different strategy, as it becomes even more imperative to differentiate in the right spots to avoid duplicated lineups.
The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/3/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.
We can go a few ways to get to these top guys on this slate. It will be challenging to fit multiple studs into one lineup with shaky value, but that can change as we usually see a handful of players get a rest day on Sunday. My favorite route is Zion Williamson paired up with cheaper players like Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Zion is in great form and gets a smash spot against the Hawks, who allow the sixth-most FPPG to Cs and the fourth-most FPPG overall.
Trae Young is right there with Luka Doncic regarding having the highest potential ceiling on the slate, and I'll take the $1,000 discount we get between the two on DraftKings. Young has a path to another 60-70 DK point game in this game environment, which features a high 231-point implied total and a fast projected pace.
- Zion Williamson, NOP vs. ATL - PF/C ($9,100 DK; $9,000 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL @ NOP - PG ($10,400 DK; $9,800 FD)
- Franz Wagner, ORL @ DAL - SF/PF ($7,400 DK; $7,500 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.
Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar, excluding players priced $7,000 or higher:
As stated, the value is pretty bleak tonight. I'll get to all the top players listed here, with Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., and Jose Alvarado being the priorities due to the higher certainty of their minutes projections. Alvarado is especially intriguing, as he's averaging 33.5 minutes and 35.34 DK PPG over his last two contests.
Yves Missi is intriguing, but his minutes and production have been about as volatile as possible through six games. I'll take some fliers on him with the underwhelming center position, but I won't be going crazy with the exposure.
Top Value Plays:
- Jalen Suggs, ORL @ DAL - PG ($6,500 DK; $7,900 FD)
- Jose Alvarado, NOP vs. ATL - PG ($5,600 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Wendell Carter Jr., ORL @ DAL - C ($5,400 DK; $5,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
We have a lot of routes we could potentially go at PG tonight. Jalen Suggs and Jose Alvarado project the best at their mid-range salaries, but they will be the most popular picks by the field. Trae Young has shown a monster ceiling on the new-look Hawks, and he could be in for another explosive game in a favorable matchup against New Orleans.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic can always be utilized, but it can be challenging to know which of the two to play in lineups, so I'll be fading them relative to the field.
Top PG Options:
- Jalen Suggs, ORL @ DAL ($6,500 DK; $7,900 FD)
- Jose Alvarado, NOP vs. ATL ($5,600 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL @ NOP ($10,400 DK; $9,800 FD) Core FanDuel Play
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Brandon Ingram has been a bit hit-or-miss this season, but he has scored at least 44 DK points in the Pelicans' three competitive games. This matchup holds a 3.5-point spread and should be an excellent game environment, so I like Ingram as a core piece tonight.
There's not much else to like here, so I'll be mixing in value pieces like Anthony Black, Garrison Mathews, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dyson Daniels, and Jordan Hawkins to fill out my SG spot.
Top SG Options:
- Brandon Ingram, NOP vs. ATL ($8,200 DK; $8,000 FD)
- Anthony Black, ORL @ DAL ($4,200 DK; $4,500 FD)
- Garrison Mathews, ATL @ NOP ($3,300 DK) DraftKings Only
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
We can also play Ingram at SF, but my favorite target is Franz Wagner. He has had some major dud games recently, but that was due to an illness that limited his minutes and fantasy production. He should be back to normal tonight, so all systems go for the forward on Orlando.
Zaccharie Risacher, KCP, and David Roddy are other cheap targets I will be mixing in at the SF position.
Top SF Options:
- Franz Wagner, ORL @ DAL ($7,400 DK; $7,500 FD)
- Zaccharie Risacher, ATL @ NOP ($4,800 DK; $4,800 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Here we have my favorite DFS play of the night, Zion Williamson. He snapped out of a shooting funk in his last game on 11/1, resulting in his best performance of the season as he put up 61 DK points over 37 minutes against the Pacers. Tonight's matchup against the Hawks is close to as good as it gets, as Atlanta's frontcourt has been unable to slow down opposing bigs. They're allowing the sixth-most FPPG to Cs this season.
Wagner can also be played at PF, but Jalen Johnson is another higher-priced piece to rotate into lineups. He only needs 42 DK points to hit 5x value, and he has produced games of 54.75 and 59 DK points over his last three outings.
Top PF Options:
- Zion Williamson, NOP vs. ATL ($9,100 DK; $9,000 FD)
- Jalen Johnson, ATL @ NOP ($8,400 DK; $8,200 FD)
- PJ Washington, DAL vs. ORL ($5,300 DK) DraftKings Only
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
This is gross. Wendell Carter Jr. projects the best from a points-per-dollar perspective, but he's questionable to play with a knee injury. I like him as a target if he plays, but we may be looking at an uncomfortable $4,900 Moritz Wagner as a top value play if he sits.
Yves Missi and Dereck Lively II can be mixed in, but I will prioritize Zion and whichever Magic center makes sense as we get more news leading up to lock.
Top C Options:
- Wendell Carter Jr., ORL @ DAL ($5,400 FD; $5,700 DK)
- Yves Missi, NOP vs. ATL ($4,300 FD; $4,200 DK)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Hawks @ Pelicans (o/u 231)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
It's not best practice to "avoid" anyone on a two-game slate. However, I'll be fading Doncic and Irving relative to their projected ownership. They simply don't fit with the builds I like best on this slate, which includes getting to Zion, Trae Young, Wagner, and Suggs.
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: Zion Williamson
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jalen Suggs
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jalen Johnson
- My favorite value play: Jose Alvarado
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