Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We have a 14-game slate kicking off on Wednesday, November 22nd, a day before Thanksgiving break! I'm thankful for more NBA basketball and winning NBA DFS plays! There are so many great game environments on the board as well as elite plays atop the slate including Giannis Antetokoumpo, Nikola Jokic, LaMelo Ball, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We have 10 teams on a back-to-back and this slate has a LOT of interesting things that haven't taken place throughout the day being led by Joel Embiid being ruled out and Jayson Tatum being downgraded to questionable.

NBA DFS Tools to dominate tonight's NBA DFS slate!

Make sure to check out today's NBA DFS projections and NBA DFS ownership projections before finalizing your lineups today. We also have the NBA Consistency Report to help identify players that have exceeded value based off their current price tag this season and of course our NBA DFS Lineup Generator!

 

Here's the NBA DFS Podcast for today's slate. Like the video and subscribe to our channel!

Notable NBA Injury Updates

QUESTIONABLE

OUT

PROBABLE

Teams on Back-to-Backs

Pace Up Spots

Pace definition: Pace is the total number of possessions a team uses in a game.

*key* Green is elite pace of play, Blue is decent pace of play, & Red is slow pace of play.

Green = Fast Paced team

Blue = Neutral Paced team

Red = Slow Paced team

  • Pacers rank: 1st vs. Raptors rank: 22nd
  • Wizards rank: 2nd vs. Hornets rank: 10th
  • Bucks rank: 6th vs. Celtics rank: 25th
  • Hawks rank: 3rd vs. Nets rank: 21st
  • Clippers rank: 20th vs. Spurs rank: 5th
  • Bulls rank: 29th vs. Thunder rank: 7th
  • Mavericks rank: 4th vs. Lakers rank: 14th

NBA Game Totals

Top Tier Core Plays

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

We’re going RIGHT back to the well here. This game is fantastic when a random blowout isn’t in play. Even in a random blowout, Sabonis was two assists shy away from a triple-double. The Kings aren’t on a back-to-back in this one and face a Pelicans team that’s eighth in pace this year. Sabonis has been great lately as he’s put up 53+ DKP in six straight prior to that stinker in New Orleans. Run it back here!

LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

It feels like we’re at a point with LaMelo Ball that should have him priced around or at 11K and yet, he’s just 10.2K on DK. He faces off against a Wizards team that is 2nd in pace and 27th in DRtg. Check and check. Without Terry Rozier this year, Ball is sitting at 1.47 FP/min. Ball’s gone for 50+ DKP in five straight and in seven of eight overall. Big minutes, a lot of shots, and massive peripheral stat upside.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

I mean, I’m not entirely sure WHY he’s under 10K, but we’re here. What if I told you Shai Gilegous-Alexander averages 1.86 FP/min without Jalen Williams this year? Again, going to harp on the price real quick, but he’s under 10K for the first time all year. He has a massive ceiling here. Oh, the 42% USG without J Dubs isn’t bad either.

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

I’m OK getting to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis here at low ownership. Yes it’s a back-to-back, but the Lakers didn’t push their starters at all last night with the game well in hand by half time. James only played 24 minutes and if you’re worried about him resting on a b2b, don’t be. He played 35 minutes in their last b2b set and had a 28-point triple-double. This game is against a bottom-five defense and top-five team in pace. The Lakers are also 7-1 at home, for what that’s worth.

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Look, there’s no Joel Embiid. Maxey’s going to shoot a LOT here. Maxey has a 36.2% USG with Joel Embiid sidelined. Philly is on a back-to-back and is facing one of the top-two defenses in the league in Minnesota. Without JoJo, that usage rate is up 10.3% for Maxey. He’s scored 50 actual points in a game this year, so we know how high his ceiling CAN be.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

I’m actually definitely down to get to Zion Williamson here in the mid-tier in this spot. Without CJ McCollum this year, Williamson has a 30.1% USG rate and averages 1.26 FP/min. Williamson has went for 42 and 44 DKP in each of the last two games and in a more competitive setting in a fast paced contest, this is an upside-type performance.

Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors

This is a fantastic spot for Siakam and the rest of the Raptors facing off against the Pacers. The Pacers are fresh of allowing 152 points and are now 29th in DRtg on the year. Not only that, but they’re first in pace, so this is a dream scenario for the Raptors. Siakam’s tied for the cheapest he’s been all season long and averages 1.1 FP/min and has a team-leading 25.5% USG rate. 

Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets

Miles Bridges entered the starting lineup last game and played 45 (!!) minutes, 40 in regulation. If you need to see what Bridges upside can be, it’s seeing him go 3-for-13 from the floor and still put up 45 DKP. He has a fantastic rapport with LaMelo Ball and they have shown to be a good 1-2 punch without Terry Rozier.

Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets

We’ve been getting a ceiling in terms of minutes out of Williams lately playing 30+ in three straight games and that’s coincidentally since Nick Richards was injured. Williams had 21 points and 24 rebounds against Washington earlier in the season and we’ve seen the ceiling out of him multiple times this season.

De'Anthony Melton, Philadelphia 76ers

It’s only been a 25 minute sample, but Melton has been quite good without Embiid and Oubre this season. 26% USG and 1.47 FP/min without them. He’s averaged 32.1 DKP/game and 33.5 minutes over his last six games. If Philly is going to keep this game close against one of the league’s best defenses, Melton is one of the reasons.

Value Tier Core Plays

Daniel Gafford, Washington Wizards

It was pretty shocking to see Gafford at 4.2K on DraftKings. He’s been $4.9K or more every slate this year. He’s also now played 24+ minutes in four straight games and has 24+ DKP in three of his last four. Gafford’s been well over a FP/min against Charlotte this year. On the year, Gafford has averaged 1.01 FP/min this season. Charlotte is the worst rated defense in the league.

Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers

The biggest news of the day has dropped as Joel Embiid’s been ruled out heading into this Wednesday game against Minnesota. For one reason or another, Reed’s price sits at 5K after being 3.5K yesterday. Without Embiid and Oubre off the floor, Reed has avg. .92 FP/min this season. He’s been the direct backup to Embiid. Firmly in play is Mo Bamba, who will likely operate as the 76ers backup tonight.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves

With Jaden McDaniels leaving the TWolves last game, NAW saw 33 minutes in his stead and put up 21 DKP. There’s definitely a chance that we see NAW in the starting lineup and he is a decent FP/min producer. He’s sub-4K and draws a 76ers team on the second leg of a back-to-back. 

Chris Duarte, Sacramento Kings

It looks as if we're going to get Chris Duarte in the Kings starting lineup tonight. We got news this afternoon that Keegan Murray is not going through shootaround and Duarte was not only participating, but wearing a starters uniform. At $3.7K on DK, he would be a solid value option. To be viable, we need him starting.

Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

With Cam Reddish officially ruled out, could we possibly see Austin Reaves re-enter the starting lineup? We'll see, it's likely between him, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie. Without Reddish and Gabe Vincent this year, Reaves averages 1.07 FP/min this year and is really cheap for his ceiling. I'm OK getting to Reaves whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Late-News Core Play Section

*Section for players we are considering “core plays” based on late-breaking news

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SHEET UPDATE! The grid below is listed as our PLAYER POOLS, not our core plays. We've switched the formatting and the players written up above are the players we're using as CORE options. Everyone in the grid are options we would use too.

Player Pool

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Stacks

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