Tonight’s NBA DFS slate is looking ugly here. We only have four games, and we are not sure if two biggest names on the slate are going to play in Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. The slate is very different if the two superstars play, as we have a much lower tier of studs at the top if they sit. Furthermore, both the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks have played a lot of games without the two studs, so they are too expensive if Jokic and Doncic play. Our core plays here will cover two guys who look good whether the superstar plays, as well as one definite fade for us tonight. In our premium content we will focus on all the directions we may be going tonight with the injury news.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 11/23/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | |||
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | C. Joseph | $3,900 | |
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | T. Lyles | $3,000 | |
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
Killian Hayes was out for the Pistons last time, and we know he is going to remain sidelined for a couple games. The Pistons put us in a weird spot here, as they present a ton of value but have an awful matchup. We like going to Detroit for the cheap guys, as they don’t need to do as much scoring against the Miami defense. Cory Joseph has played over 30 minutes in three straight games, and we saw him play 39 minutes last time out with Hayes sidelined. Joseph went for 23 FPTS last game, and we would expect him to be more productive with that much floor time. With Hayes out again we expect Joseph plays well over 30 minutes again, which makes him a fantastic value at $3,900.
Usually we would get to one stud and one value play in our core plays, however the stars we like tonight are entirely dependent on if Jokic and Doncic play. With that said, we know we are going to get to a lot of Joseph and Trey Lyles for value regardless of if the two superstars play. Isaiah Stewart is suspended tonight for his heated exchange with LeBron James, and we expect Lyles to start in his place. Lyles is only $3,000 here, so we really don’t need much for him to hit value here.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 11/22/21 (using DraftKings Values)
If you are playing multiple lineups tonight you really should not be looking to fade any studs on a slate this small, as there are just not enough guys they need to beat out to be in a winning lineup. With that said, there are still some guys who are priorities for single entry. Julius Randle is one of those guys, as he is way to expensive for his typical production at $10,000. Randle is only averaging 43.6 FPTS on the season, and he is only hitting above 50 on his good nights. You are really hoping for one of his better games if you roster Randle at this price.
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• A stud rookie who has been exploding.
• One guy who we expect to take on a huge role with a suspended teammate.
• A superstar with some of the best upside on the slate.
• A budget center in a great position here.
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Point Guard
Cade Cunningham – PG ($7,400 DK) There is a low floor for Cunningham in this spot, as his rising price continues to raise the opportunity cost here. Furthermore, Cunningham has a tough night ahead of him matched up with the Miami Heat. With that said, Cunningham has scored 50.5, 46, 41, and 51.5 FPTS in his past four games. If he continues the streak and goes for over 40 FPTS on a slate like this, he is going to be a guy you need to have.
Shooting Guard
Jalen Brunson – ($7,300 DK) If Doncic is able to play tonight then we are going to be fading Brunson at this price point. However, we know Brunson takes on massive usage when Doncic sits and is still to cheap if that is the case again tonight. Brunson went for over 40 FPTS in all three games without Doncic, as we see him play a leading role for the Mavericks. We are going to be playing a ton of Brunson again if Doncic sits, but we are cautious about rostering if we don’t have any injury news.
Talen Horton-Tucker – ($5,900 DK) LeBron James is suspended for tonight because of the altercation with Stewart last game. Horton-Tucker looked fantastic in the few games he got to play without James this season, showing upside over 50 FPTS. Horton Tucker should play well over 30 minutes tonight, and we know his usage is fantastic when James is off the floor. If he puts out another good shooting night like he did last week, he could be another guy you need on this slate.
Anthony Davis – ($10,900 DK) Davis was just changed from probable to questionable, so we must monitor his status here. Davis looks good as a spend up option if he plays, especially if Jokic ends up sitting. Davis crushed for us last time out, going for 70 FPTS in 40 minutes. He usually takes on a nice role when James sits, so we like him here with James suspension. If Davis sits Westbrook becomes an absolute priority, and the Lakers look fantastic for value in general.
Nerlens Noel – ($4,200 DK) The New York Knicks are extremely thin at the center position going into this one, as both Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson are expected to sit. Noel is cheap here and we expect him to play somewhere in the 30 minutes range. He can easily hit value with rebounds and blocks, and we really don’t have many budget big men who look good tonight.
General strategy
This is another one of those slates that is all about the injury news. If Jokic and Doncic both play, they are the only interest we have from there teams. Jokic is going to be an easy Cash play and a tournament priority if he takes the floor, while we will mostly be using Doncic for GPP’s. We have some nice plays from Dallas if Doncic sits, as we will be prioritizing Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr. If Jokic sits we can go back to Will Barton, Jeff Green, or Aaron Gordon but none of them are huge priorities for us. Good luck tonight and make sure you keep an eye for whenever the big news comes out.
Go win your lineup and tell us how you did. Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that.
