RADIO
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.
We have a small three-game slate on both sites tonight. Three-gamers are among my favorite slate sizes because there is enough variation to avoid highly duplicated lineups while giving us plenty of options to differentiate and find that low-owned play. The Bulls-Hawks matchup stands out as the best game environment due to its high implied total and fast projected pace, but we'll be getting guys on all six teams to fill out our 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 11/9/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 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.
Trae Young and James Harden are the only high-priced studs on the slate, so deciphering this will be interesting. Young is in a great spot against the Bulls, while Harden holds a 31% usage rate and the highest FPTS/min rate on the slate at 1.40. They both look incredible tonight, though it may make more sense to choose one of them and go with a Jalen Johnson type to strike a more balanced build.
- Trae Young, ATL vs. CHI - PG ($10,300 DK; $9,500 FD)
- James Harden, LAC vs. TOR - PG ($9,500 DK; $9,600 FD)
- Jalen Johnson, ATL vs. CHI - PF ($8,400 DK; $8,800 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
As you can see from the table above, there is not much to like on the value side tonight. Garrison Mathews stands out a bit as he plays 20+ minutes per night and only needs 16 DK points to hit 5x value, but there is almost no path to a ceiling with him. Caris LeVert is one of my favorite value options tonight, as he can fill the stat sheet and crush value, particularly in this favorable matchup against the Nets. Lastly, the #1 pick has flashed a mega ceiling on a Hawks team that needs it, and I like his chances at hitting another big game against the Bulls tonight.
Top Value Plays:
- Zaccharie Risacher, ATL vs. CHI - SF ($5,400 DK; $5,400 FD)
- Caris LeVert, CLE vs. BKN - PG/SG ($4,800 DK; $5,200 FD)
- Garrison Mathews, ATL vs. CHI - SG ($3,200 DK; $3,900 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Unless we get news that Zach LaVine is out again, my point guard picks are pretty clear-cut. I'll be taking shots at Trae Young hitting another 60-70+ DK point ceiling game against one of the most vulnerable defenses in the NBA (#2 FPPG allowed overall, #2 FPPG to PGs). I will prioritize Harden, LeVert, and Coby White in all my other lineups, as this slate is currently lining up to be more of a "balanced build" type of slate.
Harden gets the Raptors, who allow the fifth-most FPPG overall this season. It has been a while since he hit a ceiling game, but his usage rate is still there, and this is the matchup for it. White has been a bit inconsistent as he is finding his stroke, but a matchup against the Hawks (#4 FPPG to PGs) could be just what the doctor ordered. White and Josh Giddey are incredible plays if LaVine is again ruled out.
Top PG Options:
- James Harden, LAC vs. TOR ($9,500 DK; $9,600 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL vs. CHI ($10,300 DK; $9,500 FD)
- Coby White, CHI @ ATL ($7,100 DK; $7,000 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
This is where we plug our noses and take the savings with Mathews. LeVert and White can also be played here, and I'll try to squeeze them in as they (obviously) have a much more direct path to producing a score we need to take down a tournament.
Top SG Options:
- Caris LeVert, CLE vs. BKN ($4,800 DK; $5,200 FD)
- Coby White, CHI @ ATL ($7,100 DK; $7,000 FD)
- Garrison Mathews, ATL vs. CHI ($3,200 DK; $3,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
Risacher is my guy here. RJ Barrett looks fine at the top of the salary board but won't fit into how I want to build lineups tonight. There isn't much to love at the small forward position, so I'm getting to the #1 pick and sprinkling in others to fill it out.
The rookie has been volatile and will continue to be, but that's baked into his affordable pricing on both sites. He exploded for 59.25 DK points against the Knicks on 11/6, scoring 33 points while snagging seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and three steals. He has been inconsistent and underwhelming otherwise, but this is the type of play we want to embrace on a small slate like this. The Bulls are awful defensively, and this game has a high implied total and fast projected pace so that we could see another breakout game here.
Top SF Options:
- Zaccharie Risacher, ATL vs. CHI ($5,400 DK; $5,400 FD)
- Norman Powell, LAC vs. TOR ($7,200 DK; $6,300 FD)
- Cameron Johnson, BKN @ CLE ($6,300 DK; $5,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
It's all Jalen Johnson for me at power forward. Johnson holds a 25% usage rate - somewhat high for a power forward - and an excellent 1.35 FPTS/min rate that will translate in any game environment. Luckily for us, this matchup couldn't get much better as the Bulls don't have an answer for Johnson defensively. This season, they're allowing the fifth-most FPPG and the third-most real-life points to PFs.
Top PF Options:
- Jalen Johnson, ATL vs. CHI ($8,400 DK; $8,800 FD)
- Evan Mobley, CLE vs. BKN ($7,400 DK; $7,800 FD)
- David Roddy, ATL vs. CHI ($4,000 DK; $4,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
We could get a Jarrett Allen explosion game in this spot. It's tough to nail the right places to play Allen, as he holds a low 17% usage rate playing alongside Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland. However, Allen still produces a solid 1.23 FPTS/min clip, averaging 37.7 DK PPG. He only needs 35 DK points to hit 5x value tonight, and the matchup against the Nets can't get any better. This season, Brooklyn allows the fourth-most FPPG and the most real-life points to centers this season.
Nikola Vucevic looks solid against the Hawks, but I'm only interested in paying up for him if LaVine gets ruled out again. Even with LaVine out recently, Vucevic hasn't blown anyone's socks off. I'd instead mix in guys like Jakob Poeltl, Evan Mobley, Nicolas Claxton, and Ivica Zubac.
Top C Options:
- Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. BKN ($7,000 FD; $7,600 DK)
- Ivica Zubac, LAC vs. TOR ($7,900 FD; $7,400 DK)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Bulls @ Hawks (o/u 237.5)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
He's a scary fade, but I won't get much of Donovan Mitchell tonight. He's expensive for his recent production, which includes three games with less than 29 DK points while failing to exceed 43 DK points over his last five contests. Cleveland looks excellent in this spot, but I will prioritize Allen, LeVert, and others before selecting Spida.
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: James Harden
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Darius Garland
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Zaccharie Risacher
- My favorite value play: Zaccharie Risacher
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