NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (11/22)

This slate is going to be wild! We have 14 games, with only two teams not taking the floor. This is simply because we have no games on Thursday, and it’ll be fun to watch all of these teams in action. It’s not the best time to play DFS, though, because it’s tough to navigate a slate when hundreds of players are in play. It gives us a lot to talk about, so let’s go ahead and get into it!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• DEN at ORL (DEN -4) O/U: 218
• WAS at CHA (CHA -4) O/U: 240.5
• BKN at ATL (ATL -4) O/U: 231
• MIL at BOS (BOS -4.5) O/U: 236
• MIA at CLE (CLE -2) O/U: 213
• TOR at IND (IND -3.5) O/U: 237
• SAC at NOP (SAC -1) O/U: 236
• MEM at HOU (HOU -5.5) O/U: 214
• PHI at MIN (MIN -3.5) O/U: 220
• LAC at SAS (LAC -8.5) O/U: 230.5
• CHI at OKC (OKC -7) O/U: 224
• GSW at PHX (PHX -2.5) O/U: 232
• UTA at POR (UTA -3) O/U: 225
• DAL at LAL (DAL -1.5) O/U: 235

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Anthony Davis (B2B) Questionable
• LeBron James (B2B) Questionable
• Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) OUT
• Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) Questionable
• CJ McCollum (ribs) OUT
• Tyler Herro (ankle) OUT
• Jamal Murray (hamstring) OUT
• Cam Thomas (ankle) OUT
• Terry Rozier (groin) OUT
• Ben Simmons (back) OUT
• Bradley Beal (back) OUT
• Caris LeVert (knee) Questionable
• Draymond Green (suspension) OUT
• Devin Vassell (groin) Questionable
• Jalen Williams (hip) OUT
• Marcus Smart (ankle) OUT
• Scoot Henderson (ankle) OUT
• Kelly Oubre (ribs) OUT
• Keegan Murray (back) Questionable
• Walker Kessler (elbow) OUT
• Markelle Fultz (knee) OUT
• Xavier Tillman (knee) OUT

Core Plays

Kevin Durant (PF – PHX): $10,400 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Durant is one of the greatest offensive players ever, and he might be having the best season of his career. The Slim Reaper has scored at least 50 DraftKings points in eight straight games, flirting with a 60-point average in that span. The Suns have made him the focal point of their offense, and it’s scary to have that role since he’s one of the greatest scorers of all time. The revenge game against Golden State is wonderful, too, posting a 26th OPRK against opposing forwards.

LaMelo Ball (PG/SG – CHA): $10,200 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel
Ball got off to a slow start this season, but he’s cruising now. The absence of Terry Rozier has allowed him to take over this offense, scoring at least 47 DraftKings points in seven consecutive games. He’s also got at least 58 fantasy points in three of his last four outings and should go wild against a Washington team that’s bottom three in points allowed and defensive efficiency. LaMelo is averaging nearly 50 DK points per game in their two matchups this season.

Pascal Siakam (PF/C – TOR): $8,000 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
Siakam also got off to a slow start, but he shouldn’t be this cheap. The playmaking big man averages 45 DraftKings points per game across his last seven fixtures. That’s who we saw last season, and Sia was close to $9K on both sites with that sort of production last year. The matchup against Indiana is incredible, too, with the Pacers ranked first in pace and dead last in points allowed! We just saw them give up over 150 points on Tuesday!

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,500 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
The Joker was ejected in Denver’s most recent outing but was on pace for another triple-double before the halftime buzzer. That’s what this former MVP does all the time, averaging a league-best 62 DraftKings points per game. He’s been even more absurd since Jamal Murray went down, scoring at least 67 DK points in the first seven games that Murray missed. We can use him against anyone, but we love that he had at least 59 DK points in both matchups with the Magic last season.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,800 DraftKings, $11,700 FanDuel
Luka is the only player in the same stratosphere as Jokic. The Slovenian point guard averages 57 DraftKings points per game while establishing a 40-point floor. That’s what you want from one of your cash game players, but it’ll continue all season behind his 34 percent usage rate. You know Doncic will be hungry in a road game against the Lakers, scoring 80 DraftKings points the last time he played LA!

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,500 DraftKings, $12,100 FanDuel
It’s hard to believe that we have to pick between these three studs. Embiid is playing better than he did in his 2022-23 MVP campaign, ranked second in the NBA with over 60 DraftKings points per game since the opener. He’s also got at least 63 fantasy points eight times this season and is thriving as the primary playmaker with James Harden out of town. Minnesota is a tough matchup, but Joel has dropped at least 55 DK points in all four of their matchups over the last two years.

GPP Targets

James Harden (PG – LAC): $7,900 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
The Beard was slow to get going in his first few games with the Clippers, but he’s rounding into form. Harden has a season-high 38 and 47 DK points in his two most recent outings. That alone is amazing from a sub-$8K player, but we’ve seen Harden get closer to five figures on both sites over recent years. The best part of this is the matchup, with San Antonio surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing guards. This is one of the only players below $8K who can drop 50 fantasy points, and James is only getting better as he gets healthier!

Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – BKN): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
With Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons getting injured, Dinwiddie has re-established himself as this team’s primary ball-handler. That’s been massive for his fantasy value, scoring at least 26 DraftKings points in four straight fixtures. He also showcased a 51-point upside two games ago, and we’ve seen Dinwiddie play at that level for weeks at a time in the past. The matchup with Atlanta is astounding, allowing the fifth-most points in the NBA.

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – WAS): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Poole is going to be a GPP option all season. He’s been terrible in his first season with the Wiz, but we’re really encouraged by what we saw in their most recent game. Poole took 26 shots in that defeat, and that’s the sort of role we expected to see at the beginning of the season. If this guy sees 20-plus shots, 35-40 minutes, and a 30 percent usage rate, Poole could provide some monster games at this diminished price. The matchup couldn’t be much better either, with Charlotte owning a 29th OPRK against opposing guards.

Value Plays

Mark Williams (C – CHA): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
This youngster is looking like a stud as the starting center in Charlotte. Williams averages 38 DK points per game across his last three outings, dropping 50 fantasy points in his most recent game. That’s not even a season-high, with Williams showcasing a 57-point upside two weeks back. They need him out there to dominate in the paint, and that should be an easy task since they play the worst defense in the NBA here.

Santi Aldama (PF/C – MEM): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
This situation is murky, but Memphis needs Aldama to play big minutes. Ja Morant being suspended is one thing, but they’re also missing Xavier Tillman, Marcus Smart, and Steven Adams due to some injuries. That led to Aldama running the show on Monday, scoring 60 DraftKings points across 39 minutes. He’s also got at least 39 fantasy points in three straight outings and needs a price bump if he’s going to be the focal point of this underwhelming offense.

Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
What is this $4,200 price tag? This is the biggest discrepancy on this slate, and it’s hard to understand what DK is doing. This guy is still the starting center in Washington, averaging over 24 DraftKings points per game. He’s posted that average despite seeing some limited minutes, but we love that DG has played 28 minutes in back-to-back games. This guy can average 30-40 fantasy points in a 25-minute role, and it’s hard to understand why he’s so cheap. What makes it even more baffling is that Charlotte surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing centers last season.

Advantageous Pricing

• Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
• Nic Claxton (C – BKN): $5,900 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Precious Achiwua PF/C – TOR): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
• Russell Westbrook (PG – LAC): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC): $9,700 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
• Andre Drummond (C – CHI): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,800 DraftKings, $10,700 FanDuel
• LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
• Christian Wood (C – LAL): $5,500 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel

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