DraftKings NBA Picks for November 1
There are eight games in the NBA tonight as we begin to ramp up the schedule. At this point in the season, we are just trying to see what trends can help us win some money in DraftKings. That means identifying bench players who played 20 or more minutes per game behind starters that don’t produce so we can pay for expensive players.
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DraftKings is making one very important change for the 2016-2017 season. For some strange reason, they gave up their only advantage over FanDuel for NBA games. DraftKings decided to lock ALL games when the contest starts just as FanDuel does.
The big difference now between FanDuel and DraftKings is the lineups. FanDuel has one more slot, but you are confined to two of every position except center, where you get one. On DraftKings, you get a starting five plus a G, F, and UTIL. This is still an advantage over FanDuel because we can play two centers even though the roster is smaller!
Sound like fun? If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for a free entry into the Fantasy Football Millionaire contest. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that free entry into a solid bankroll!
Best Bets:
Damian Lillard ($9,500): Lillard’s worst output so far this year was 46.5 DraftKings points. That is still just shy of 5x value. He has been hot from the floor (55%) and has only missed two free throws out of 21. Lillard is off to the best start of his career so far. There is no reason for that not to continue against the Warriors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($8,900): The Pelicans backcourt has been solid defensively, so don’t go into this expecting another 50 points from Giannis. However, he only needs 44.5 DraftKings points for 5x value. He should be close to that because he does so many things on the court. That makes him a solid foundation.
Honorable Mention:
D’Angelo Russell ($6,700): Russell is mostly a scorer, so a poor shooting night could really hurt you. That said, the Pacers haven’t forced a tough shooting night from a guard yet this year. Russell has the ability, and will have plenty of shots against a Pacers team that has been abused by opposing guards.
Tim Frazier ($5,900): Frazier has excelled for the Pelicans in a thin backcourt so far. Frazier is averaging 35.8 DraftKings points, which means he averages 6x value. He will be widely used, but can you afford NOT to use him at this point?
Dark Horses:
George Hill ($5,800): Hill has been very consistent with the Jazz so far. He has managed to hold off the rest of the Jazz guards because his shot is falling, and he is playing really good defense. Hill has played 106 minutes in three games so far. If they keep using him like this, he will definitely reach 5x value a night, and should close in on 6x.
Kris Dunn ($4,100): Dunn’s NBA debut has not gone as planned. His shots are falling (5-8 from the field), but he has only made one out of four free throws, and has only played 35 minutes over two games. So why is he on here? Because Ricky Rubio is out with a sprained elbow. That means Dunn is a starter on an electric team for $4,100. He wont score much because he wont have to, but he was a good defender and excellent passer at Providence last year. He may take this job and never let go.
My pick: Frazier(PG), Dunn(G)
Best Bets:
C.J. McCollum ($7,200): McCollum has been stuffing the stat sheet all around this year. He has 64 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, seven steals, and even three blocks in three games. In the past McCollum has been tethered to points for fantasy value. That is not the case so far this year. That mitigates a lot of the risk of paying up for him.
Zach LaVine ($5,700): LaVine will also benefit some from the absence of Rubio. He will likely man the point when Dunn is not on the court, which could provide a boost to his assist numbers. LaVine has ten rebounds over two games, which only helps his DFS value. He is also hitting his shots (13-28 from the floor, 8-9 from the line) right now, making him a great value at this price.
Honorable Mention:
Evan Fournier ($6,000): Fournier has quietly put up 28 DraftKings points per game in the first week. That is good for nearly 5x value. Tonight he gets a 76ers squad that is improving, but is largely still a defensive black hole. Fournier is a strong candidate for mid 30’s in DraftKings points this evening.
Monta Ellis ($5,400): Ellis is always a risk because he does little more than score, but tonight he gets the Lakers. Open shots wont be hard for him to come by. He looked sharp in the opener against Dallas, but has turned in two subpar performances since. He should shake that trend tonight.
Dark Horses:
Matthew Dellavedova ($4,200): Dellavedova has played 96 minutes in three games with the Bucks. So long as he gets this kind of run, he will perform well above his price. He passes well and takes care of the ball. Dellavedova has also scored in double figures in all three games so far. There is no reason to think he will stop anytime soon unless the minutes dry up.
Nick Young ($3,500): So long as Young is starting, he is worth playing. Mostly because DraftKings doesn’t dock you for missed shots. His production is tied almost exclusively to scoring, but the Lakers don’t seem to care that he lays bricks on two out of three shots. If you chuck enough of them up, some are bound to go in. Kobe Bryant taught him that.
My pick: LaVine(SG), Dellavedova(UTIL)
Best Bets:
Kevin Durant ($10,500): Remember all those people that said Durant was going to struggle to keep up his production in Oakland? He didn’t get the memo. KD has turned in 55.5, 68.75, and 57 DraftKings points respectively in his first three games. He is playing big minutes, shooting the lights out, and rebounding like a champ. The production of Klay Thompson has taken the biggest hit, not Durant. Fade him at your own risk.
Kawhi Leonard ($8,600): Leonard’s great start has been overshadowed by Durant, but the has turned in two 50+ DraftKings point games in four tries. The only night he struggled was the night that Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili rested. With the Spurs’ best guards on the floor, Leonard has been free to wreak havoc. Oh, and he has topped 20 points in all four games!
Honorable Mention:
Rudy Gay ($6,200): If you want a consistent foundation for your DFS roster, Gay is your man. He has been for a couple of years now. He lacks the upside to hit 50 DraftKings points on any night, but he also produces so much across the board that he is almost never below 30. He has hit at least 5.5x value in every game so far.
Marcus Morris ($5,300): Tobias Harris gets most of the love in Detroit at the position, but Morris gets you more bang for your buck. His average is only one point lower than Harris through the first three games, and he is $1,000 cheaper. Morris’s defensive prowess, especially with rebounds, gives him a high floor. He is essentially a poor man’s Rudy Gay.
Dark Horses:
Justise Winslow ($5,200): Winslow has responded well to his increased role in Miami, posting a 30.6 DraftKings points average in the first three games. Perhaps the most telling thing in that span was the fact that he held his own against the Spurs. That’s good enough for me. His rebounding ability makes sure that he still produces even if he is off from the field.
James Ennis ($4,600): Ennis has been the primary beneficiary of the absence of Chandler Parsons. Parsons is still at least a week away from returning, which means we can keep using Ennis. He has posted three nearly identical lines in three games, each one hitting 5.5x value in each. If you need to go cheap to afford Durant, this is one of the safer places to do so.
My pick: Durant(SF), Ennis(F)
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis ($10,800): Davis started the season off with 99 and 80.25 DraftKings points respectively before being shut down by the Spurs on Saturday. Davis is practically the only weapon that the Pelicans have on the court right now, and the One-Man Gang is dominating. It may be foolish to expect him to drop another 80, but he should at least come close to 5x value (54 DraftKings points) against an undersized Bucks frontcourt.
Myles Turner ($7,300): Turner dominated a shoddy Dallas interior, but he still looked good against The Nets and Bulls later in the week. The Lakers wont provide a whole lot of resistance to Turner here. He should be a lock for 5x value tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Draymond Green ($7,700): Green does so many things well that his production hasn’t suffered much with Durant’s arrival. His scoring is down, but he was never a prolific scorer to begin with. What Green gives you is dominance on the boards and excellent interior passing with blocks and steals to boot. He is one of the lowest risk options out there.
Gorgui Dieng ($6,200): Dieng has been an absolute monster in the Timberwolves’ first two games. Dieng has posted back to back double-doubles at a very low price. His lack of passing ability and lack of creation skills will keep him from ever being an elite option, but he looks to be a double-double machine and is completely worth his current price.
Dark Horse:
Zach Randolph ($5,900): Instead of sulking about no longer being a starter, Randolph has dominated on the second team, racking up 33 DraftKings points per game while averaging only 23.5 minutes. He has racked up 54 points and 27 rebounds already, and is arguably playing better than he was as a starter.
Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,400): Aminu’s dreadful shooting (4-18) from the floor has tempered his fantays output, but his rebounding has picked up with the move to power forward. That makes sure that he will get you value at this price with some upside if his shot ever starts falling.
My pick: Dieng(PF)
Best Bets:
Hassan Whiteside ($8,700): Whiteside is one of the truly elite center options because of his efficient shooting and dominance around the rim. He has ten blocks already, and has had no less than 18 points and 14 rebounds. Play him with confidence!
Andre Drummond ($8,200): Drummond is the undisputed best rebounder on the planet. That alone gives him a very high floor. Drummond has 43 rebounds over his last two games. If you need any more proof than that, there is nothing I can do to convince you.
Honorable Mention:
Marc Gasol ($6,100): Gasol’s all around production has always been his hallmark, and that hasn’t changed this year. He is about as consistent as they come, though he lacks the upside of those in front of him. He is much like Rudy Gay. He is a solid foundation piece of a DFS roster.
Greg Monroe ($5,600): Jason Kidd is killing Monroe’s fantasy value. Monroe has played less than 20 minutes in each of the last two games, but has still managed to top 20 DraftKings points. He would seem to benefit from playing against the Pelicans, but that only applies if the coach keeps him in the game. Monroe can be a beast when he plays, so he has a ton of upside. Good luck predicting what Kidd will do with his minutes though.
Dark Horses:
Bismack Biyombo ($4,000): Biyombo’s size makes him someone you want clogging the middle, but Nikola Vucevic hogs a lot of the minutes at center. That said, Biyombo’s defense when he is in there makes him an intriguing play against a mostly undersized 76ers squad. There is a lot of risk involved though.
Dewayne Dedmon ($3,900): Like Biyombo, Dedmon is clearly a backup. Unlike Biyombo, Dedmon provides some offensive output along with his glass-crashing on the second unit. Dedmon has not been below 18 DraftKings points in all four games, and has peaked at 29. He is always around 5x production if you need to go cheap.
My pick: Whiteside(C)
Next: FanDuel NBA Picks For November 1
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend. We will also have the college football picks against the spread. You don’t want to miss any of this!