A nifty nine-game slate awaits NBA DFS users tonight. The 11/6 NBA DFS Game Previews and Prop Bets gets you ready.
Knicks at a Glance — 29th in scoring (99.6), 14th in defensive scoring (108.7), 28th in offensive rating (100.4), 20th in defensive rating (109.6), 27th in pace (99.2)
NBA DFS Stud: PG/SG RJ Barrett ($6700/DK). Dud: C Mitchell Robinson ($5000/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF Marcus Morris ($5900/DK)
Pistons at a Glance: 20th in scoring (107.1), 21st in defensive scoring (112.4), 18th in offensive rating (106.2), 25th in defensive rating (111.4), 22nd in pace (100.9).
NBA DFS Stud: C Andre Drummond ($10,800/DK). Dud: SF/PF Markeiff Morris ($3900/DK). Sleeper: SG/SF Bruce Brown Jr. ($5300/DK).
Wizards at a Glance: 5th in scoring (116.8), 26th in scoring defense (117.7), 4th in offensive rating (110.8), 26th in defensive rating (111.6), 8th in pace (105.5).
Stud: SG Bradley Beal ($8900/FD). Dud: SF Davis Bertans ($4000/FD). Sleeper: PF Rui Hachimura ($5900/FD).
Pacers at a Glance: 19th in scoring (107.3), 9th in defensive scoring (106.9), 19th in offensive rating (105.6), 25th in defensive rating (111.4), 7th in pace (105.5).
Stud: PG Malcolm Brogdon ($9000/FD). Dud: SF T.J. Warren ($6800/FD). Sleeper: C Goga Bitadze ($5300/FD).
Kings at a Glance: 27th in scoring (101.1), 16th in scoring defense (110.1), 27th in offensive rating (101.5), 22nd in defensive rating (110.5), 26th in pace (99.6).
Stud: PG De’Aaron Fox ($7800/DK). Dud: SG/SF Bogdan Bogdanovic ($4300/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF Harrison Barnes ($5200/DK).
Raptors at a Glance: 12th in scoring (113), 11th in scoring defense (106.8), 12th in offensive rating (107.9), 8th in defensive rating (102), 13th in pace (103)
Stud: PF/C Pascal Siakam ($8000/DK). Dud: C Marc Gasol ($5200/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF OG Anunoby ($5200/DK).
Bulls at a Glance: 22nd in scoring (105.9), 18th in scoring defense (111.3), 23rd in offensive rating (104.3), 21st in defensive rating (109.6), 16th in pace (101.5).
Stud: PF Lauri Markkanen ($7300/FD). Dud: SF Otto Porter Jr. ($5000/FD). Sleeper: PF Thaddeus Young ($5000/FD).
Hawks at a Glance: 25th in scoring (104.2), 6th in scoring defense (103.7), 24th in offensive rating (103.2), 11th in defensive rating (102.7). 21st in pace (100.9).
Stud: PG Trae Young ($9700/FD). Dud: SG Kevin Huerter ($4600). Sleeper: SG Deandre’ Bembry ($4700/FD).
Warriors at a Glance: 14th in scoring (111.7), 28th in scoring defense (120.4), 10th in offensive rating (109), 30th in defensive rating (117.5), 14th in pace (102.5).
Stud: SF/PF Eric Paschall ($6500/DK). Dud: C Willie Cauley-Stein ($4800/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF Glenn Robinson III ($4800/DK).
Rockets at a Glance: 4th in scoring (119.3), 29th in scoring defense (123.1), 5th in offensive rating (110.3), 28th in defensive rating (113.9), 2nd in pace (108.2).
Stud: Russell Westbrook ($9400/DK). Dud: SF/PF P.J. Tucker ($4800/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF Danuel House Jr. ($5100/DK).
Timberwolves at a Glance: 7th in scoring (116), 24th in scoring defense (115.7), 20th in offensive rating (105.4), 14th in defensive rating (105.1), 1st in pace (108.2).
Stud: C Karl-Anthony Towns ($11,300/FD). Dud: PG Jeff Teague ($6000/FD). Sleeper: PF Robert Covington ($5800/FD).
Grizzlies at a Glance: 23rd in scoring (105.5), 25th in scoring defense (117.3), 29th in offensive rating (97.5), 17th in defensive rating (108.4), fifth in pace (106.4).
Stud: PG Ja Morant ($7800/FD). Dud: PF Brandon Clarke ($5600). Sleeper: SF Jae Crowder ($5600/FD).
Magic at a Glance: 30th in scoring (93.6), 2nd in scoring defense (98.7), 30th in offensive rating (96.4), 7th in defensive rating (101.6), 30th in pace (97.1).
Stud: C Nikola Vucevic ($7900/DK). Dud: PG D.J. Augustin ($4000/DK). Sleeper: SF/PF Jonathan Isaac ($5600/DK).
Mavericks at a Glance: 6th in scoring (116.7), 20th in scoring defense (112.2), 1st in offensive rating (116.4), 18th in defensive rating (109), 19th in pace (101.1).
Stud: PG Luka Doncic ($9800/DK). Dud: PG/SG Delon Wright ($4900/DK). Sleeper: C Dwight Powell ($4000/DK).
76ers at a Glance: 10th in scoring (114), 13th in scoring defense (107.3), 14th in offensive rating (107.4), 6th in defensive rating (106.4), 5th in pace (106.2).
Stud: PG Ben Simmons (8800/FD). Dud: SG Josh Richardson ($5600/FD). Sleeper: PF Al Horford ($7000/FD).
Jazz at a Glance: 28th in scoring (100), 1st in defensive scoring (95.6), 26th in offensive rating (101.7), 1st in defensive rating (97.2), 28th in pace (98.3).
Stud: SG Donovan Mitchell ($8400/FD). Dud: C Rudy Gobert ($8200/FD). Sleeper: PF Mike Conley ($7000/FD).
Bucks at a Glance: 1st in scoring (121.3), 17th in scoring defense (110.3), 2nd in offensive rating (112.6), 10th in defensive rating (102.4), 7th in pace (106.1).
Stud: SF/PF Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700/DK). Dud: C Brook Lopez ($5200/DK). Sleeper: PG Eric Bledsoe ($6300/DK).
Clippers at a Glance: 13th in scoring (112.9), 12th in scoring defense (107.3), 3rd in offensive rating (112.1), 16th in defensive rating (106.6), 23rd in pace (103.7).
Stud: PF/C Montrezl Harrell ($6200/DK). Dud: SF/PF Danny Green ($3900/DK). Sleeper: C Ivica Zubac ($4100/DK).
I’ll reach and say Doncic doesn’t reach 24.5 points because the Magic will slow the pace down and frustrate his shooting groove. On the other hand, I’d take the over on Vucevic and his 12.5 rebounds. If the Mavs run a fast pace without scoring the ball consistently, then the extra boards will come easy.
Baseball’s over, kiddies, so the 10/31 NBA DFS Game Previews & Prop Bets will have your undivided attention. It’s just a three-game slate, so the diamond withdrawal will come slowly.
The Heat are a surprising seventh in points per game (118). More surprising is they are third in pace at 107.8, trailing only the Rockets (no shock) and Grizzlies (now be shocked). Miami is just 15th in offensive rating and head into Atlanta to face a Hawks team that is playing better defensively than advertised, as they are 10th in defensive rating.
This should be a good matchup for Jimmy Butler, who is playing in just his second game of the season. Bam Adebayo is also a solid play; both are the only Heat players with Player Efficiency Ratings (PER) better than 20. The opposite is with Justise Winslow, whose PER is far worse (10.49) than expected. Not to worry, though: Winslow is out tonight. Rookie Tyler Herro is getting a lot of minutes with little true bang for the buck, but this is a good matchup that favors him.
I don’t feel good about Goran Dragic, who I feel is a bit overrated even in a bench role, but in a three-game slate, the options are limited. He’ll get his share of ownership. With Butler back and his track record of high usage rates (27.5 in his season debut), everyone has to follow his lead.
Putting it Bluntly: It’s Butler and Adebayo. Oh, wait…you’re waiting for other names? Keep waiting.
The Hawks are living a charmed life in that Trae Young’s MRI on his injured ankle delivered good news, but they will be without him for tonight’s game. That means 38.2% of usage is up for grabs. Evan Turner has a bad Achilles and will be a game time decision, so it means that rookies Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter and Tyrone Wallace will have an opportunity to eat away at those minutes.
John Collins is the easy play here, but Jabari Parker is an interesting sleeper that I am tempted to add in a lineup or two as his minutes will get a boost in the wake of Young’s absence. Wallace’s 25.82 PER is the result of 14 garbage minutes, but he’s going to get a chance to see what he can do since Young is out until next week. Hunter, Alex Len and Reddish each have PERs under 10. That’s three members of your starting five. It’s going to get awfully ugly without Young, who’s going to really define the phrase Most Valuable Player.
Atlanta is 24th in offensive rating with Young in the lineup. Let that fester for a moment.
Putting it Bluntly: You are a sadist if you’re playing Showdown with this game. Without Young, the Hawks are going to look more like a solid ACC squad than an actual NBA team.
Thus far, the Nuggets look like they’re sleepwalking into the season. Denver is 22nd in scoring but sixth in scoring defense, making them look a more flashy version of the Jazz. Actually, that’s an insult to Utah since the Nuggets are dead last in pace at 96.1.
Look, I heart Nikola Jokic like the next DFSer, but looking at them on Tuesday made me feel like I was watching a game in the late 1990s (ie, the apex of the NBA’s “Dead Ball” era). I won’t have to worry about that since the Nuggets will sit him out tonight. That means lots of Mason Plumlee, and I would be in.
Since this is a three-game slate, I suppose we have to consider some Nuggets. I like Jamaal Murray as the best option to play, and I do feel good about Paul Millsap. Both are moderately priced and you figure the Nuggets will get their offensive act together. Will Barton is also a nice play here now that he’s grabbing boards to go along with his offense.
Putting it Bluntly: Jokic will break out. It just won’t be tonight.
That the Pelicans are 28th in defensive rating should be encouraging to run with the Nuggets tonight, but New Orleans is also fourth in pace, so the bet here is that they will make the Nuggets dance to their beat. They’ll have Jrue Holiday back in the lineup after he missed the past two games, but it’s doubtful Derrick Favors will go tonight with a sore right knee.
Brandon Ingram is going to be a star, and his first four games are showing why I think that. Freed from the circus in LA, he’s also in a system that’s allowing his skills to manifest. He’s not quite an every game add, but I’ll want him in the bulk of my lineups tonight. This is also a good play for Lonzo Ball, as he and Jamaal Murray will make this fun if the pace is in favor of the Pelicans. Josh Hart returns to the bench after filling in for Holiday the past two games.
I’d really love to see more Jaxon Hayes, who looked impressive in his only game played. May not happen tonight, but he’s got some interesting tools I’d love to see more of.
Putting it Bluntly: Play Ingram. I really hope the Pelicans make the Nuggets get out of their comfort zone and make them play a more uptempo style.
Fifth in offensive rating, the Spurs are also seventh in pace. This is a well-balanced team SA has put together, one that has a pair of big guns to bolster a DFS roster along with a handful of players that can be productive in nights where there is a short slate of games. Lookie here, tonight is one of those nights.
LaMarcus Aldridge is 34, but looks like a 27-year-old with the way he’s playing thus far. I’d certainly want him tonight. DeMar DeRozan has looked like DeMar DeRozan over the past couple of games, but the player to grab is Dejounte Murray. Injuries have limited him early in his career, but we’re starting to see why the Spurs had no problem letting the door split on Tony Parker when he left last year. Murray is hitting near 30 in PER with a usage rate of 29. His strong start isn’t a fluke. This is a future All-Star.
Jakob Poeltl serves his purpose. He’s nasty, physical and has a nice R/40 rate. However, Trey Lyles would be a better fit for the offense. That a player with freakish talent like Lyles has yet to get a legit shot is beyond me. Place him on a slag team and Lyles would be getting 28-30% usage. Rudy Gay is just Rudy Gay: solid and damn unappreciated. Bryn Forbes is also an interesting play here.
Putting it Bluntly: I smell some stacking here.
Since Kawhi Leonard sat out on Wednesday, he’ll be more than ready to take on his old team tonight. Only the Rockets have a better offensive rating than the Clippers, but they are 25th in defensive rating. The Clippers run a slower pace than the Spurs, as they are 19th compared to San Antonio’s seventh-place spot in the category.
Lou Williams is scoring at nearly 23 points per game without playing more than 29 minutes per night. Montrezl Harrell got into foul trouble in Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz, playing only 14 minutes. There’s some gold in Ivica Zubac, but we’re not going to so long as he and Harrell are sharing minutes at the 5. JaMychal Green looked solid on Wednesday, but won’t be much of a factor with Leonard in the lineup.
Patrick Patterson, Landry Shamet and Patrick Beverley are each below 10 in PER. That’s unnerving when 3/5ths of your lineup is playing at the level of a back of the bench player.
Putting it Bluntly: It’s Leonard’s show. The bench is actually carrying the Clippers, though.
Goran Dragic — Averaging 19.3 points per game off the bench, Dragic is looking like the Eastern Conference version of Lou Williams.
Jabari Parker — He’s managing just 2.8 rebounds per game, but Parker will be needed to help fill the void left by the injury to Trae Young. That will mean more minutes off the bench.
Verdict — Take the under on Dragic, but take the over on Parker.
Every team will have a game in the books after tonight’s three-game slate. The 10/24 NBA DFS Game Previews get you ready to build your lineups.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Gold right here! Projections, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
Wanna catch my DFS musings on Twitter? Follow me here!
The Hawks go as PG Trae Young ($8,300, DraftKings) goes. Young averaged 37.7 Fantasy points per game last season at DK and has the potential to become a consistent 40-45 FPPG player. He’ll make for a more affordable alternative to James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry. C John Collins ($7,300, DK) averaged 36.9 FPPG and should be strongly considered for NBA DFS if you want in for this game. SF De’Andre Hunter ($4,000, DK) makes his NBA debut; not one to consider here, but worth watching to see how he flows into things.
Andre Drummond ($8,300, DK) opened with 32 points and 23 boards on Wednesday and is a strong option at C. You’ll pay for the rebounds and blocks. The scoring will be there as the Pistons go without Blake Griffin. PG/SG Derrick Rose ($5,400, DK) had 29.3 FP off the bench on Wednesday, but it will be hard to invest in a repeat effort. PG/SG Reggie Jackson ($5,300, DK) played just 20 minutes on Wednesday, so give Rose the edge here. Luke Kennard ($4,700, DK) scored 30 in the opener and is a value play considering the Hawks had one of the Association’s worst defenses.
Reigning league MVP and NBA DFS star Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,200, FanDuel) will be the anchor in the bulk of formats. SG Khris Middleton ($7,600, FD) offers premium scoring and should be able to hit his 33 FPPG rate of 2018-19. This might be one matchup that won’t fit C Brook Lopez ($5,800, FD), as he will be shadowed by Rockets C Clint Capela ($8,400, FD). PG Eric Bledsoe ($7,000, FD) is a game time decision (ribs), but I’d put good money that he’ll be in the starting lineup. He was seventh in steals (1.48) last season, yet this is one game where he’ll be overshadowed in that category.
The Rockets’ Great Experiment begins with PG Russell Westbrook ($10,000, FD) joins SG James Harden ($11,400, FD). The two combined for over 113 Fantasy points per game last season, and while there will be nights they’ll achieve this, tonight isn’t the night to stack them together. Give Harden the edge as the Bucks were 28th in stopping opposing SGs last season. Capela will still get enough trash baskets to merit starting him. He averaged 39.09 FPPG at FD last season and should be the best play outside of Drummond at C. Streaky SF Eric Gordon ($4,900, FD) is perhaps the only other Rockets player worth considering.
No shock here: SF Kawhi Leonard ($9,800, FD) is the best option on the Clippers, having scored 47.7 FD points on Tuesday. The Warriors are thin up front, making PF/C Montrezl Harrell ($7,000, FD) something of a bargain as he amassed 34.4 FD in the win over the Lakers. SG Lou Williams ($6,900, FD) could exceed the 38.5 FP he scored on Tuesday as he won’t have to worry about Klay Thompson blanketing him. He’s a good pairing with Westbrook in the backcourt. SF Moe Harkless ($4,900, FD) surprised with 32.79 FP on Tuesday coming off the bench.
NBA DFS King PG Steph Curry ($10,300, FD) will have the green light to attempt 25-30 shots. This could be a 50-55 FP night for him as the Warriors look to discover who else can offer offense outside of him and PF Draymond Green ($8,000, FD), who should be a good option up front. SG D’Angelo Russell ($8,200, FD) makes his Golden State debut. His style should fit well with the Warriors’ game pace. C Kevon Looney ($6,400, FD) has value now that he will see extended minutes as a starter. Those who love a deep toss of a gamble will like PF Marquese Chriss ($3,800, FD), whose athleticism and upside might have finally found a home after spending last season as a bench player with the Rockets and Cavaliers.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Gold right here! Projections, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
Stephen Curry — Fifth in scoring last season, Curry will have a chance to compete for a scoring title as he takes the bulk of a Warriors offense without injured Klay Thompson and the departed Kevin Durant.
Kawhi Leonard — He was right behind Curry among last year’s top scorers. He was 10-for-19 from the field (1-for-5 beyond the arc) and 9-for-10 from the free throw line in his Clippers debut on Tuesday night.
My Pick — Curry has no Plan B around him, so don’t be shocked if he attempts 25-plus shots. Leonard will be the top scoring option in the Clips’ starting five, but elite sixth man SG Lou Williams has the potential to lead the team in scoring each night. It may not do wonders for Curry’s field goal percentage, but I’ll take him at the Over, with Leonard just scraping the under.
"*" indicates required fields
