NBA DFS Picks 12 November: DK, FanDuel, Yahoo

Games and pace

Totals are close together. Dallas at Minnesota and Philadelphia against Toronto carry the highest numbers, while Phoenix and Charlotte is the lowest-scoring game on the board.

MIN-DAL: total 227.6. Minnesota is implied for 116.8 and Dallas for 110.8.
PHI-TOR: total 226.6. Philadelphia is implied for 117.0 and Toronto for 109.6.
WAS-DET: total 224.0. Detroit is implied for 118.1 and Washington for 106.0, the biggest gap on the slate.
PHX-CHA: total 214.1. Phoenix is implied for 110.3 and Charlotte for 103.8.

Detroit has the highest team total and the weakest opponent, which is why so many of my best values come from that game.

NBA DFS picks for Fanteam

Fanteam is the main focus. You need seven players (PG, SG, SF, PF, C and two UTIL) under an 84 cap, with up to seven from one team. That limit means you can stack a game as hard as you like. On Fanteam, value is points per unit of salary and about 3.0 is the baseline tonight.

Top plays

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Cade Cunningham	PG	DET	16.0	48.1	3.01
Anthony Davis	C	WAS	15.0	44.4	2.96
Cooper Flagg	SF	DAL	16.8	42.3	2.52
Tyrese Maxey	PG	PHI	14.3	41.8	2.92
Jaylen Brown	SG	PHI	13.5	40.9	3.03
Joel Embiid	C	PHI	13.8	40.5	2.93
LaMelo Ball	PG	MIN	13.7	40.2	2.93
Devin Booker	SG	PHX	13.7	39.5	2.88

Cunningham is the best projection on the slate and he sits right at the value line. Washington is a poor defense and, according to the latest injury report, Jalen Duren is out for Detroit, so the Pistons have a clear path to a big team total. I would start there.

Davis is the best center option on Fanteam by projection. Center is a weak position tonight, and a player with a secure workload at 15.0 is hard to pass up. Brown has the best value among the top plays, and I like him more because of Philadelphia’s frontcourt picture, which I cover below.

Flagg is the one I would think about differently. He has the third-best projection, but his price is steep. If you want a lower-owned stand in a tournament, he is a reasonable swap for Cunningham, but he costs you points per salary.

Value plays

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Daniss Jenkins	PG	DET	8.3	33.0	3.98
Grayson Allen	SF	CHA	9.8	31.2	3.18
Rudy Gobert	C	MIN	9.7	30.2	3.11
Dean Wade	PF	PHI	6.5	20.0	3.08
Kevin Huerter	SG	DET	7.7	23.6	3.06
Kyrie Irving	PG	DAL	12.7	38.6	3.04
Jaylen Brown	SG	PHI	13.5	40.9	3.03

Jenkins is the standout at 3.98, far above everything else. I like him as long as he keeps his spot in the starting lineup. Lineups are not final, so that is worth confirming. Huerter is the cheaper Detroit piece and gives you room for a pay-up elsewhere.

Allen is my favorite mid-priced play. According to the latest injury report, Charlotte is without Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Dennis Schroder, which leaves shots and playmaking for him. Gobert is the steady center value, with Anthony Edwards out for Minnesota per the report and the Wolves implied for a healthy 116.8.

Philadelphia’s frontcourt

Embiid is listed as questionable according to the latest injury report. LeBron James is listed as out for Philadelphia, and Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti are out too. The frontcourt is already thin.

If Embiid sits, I want more Maxey and Brown, and Dean Wade becomes a cheap, useful body at 6.5. If Embiid plays, I am less keen on him than the price suggests. His efficiency has been poor this season and he may not be fully healthy. Treat him as a late call, not a lock.

Fades

These are not bad players. They are badly priced tonight relative to what we project.

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Paul Reed	PF	DET	10.7	26.4	2.47
Cooper Flagg	SF	DAL	16.8	42.3	2.52
RJ Barrett	SG	TOR	13.9	37.1	2.67
P.J. Washington	PF	DAL	10.8	28.9	2.68

Reed at 10.7 is a lot for a projection of 26.4, even with Duren out. Barrett could look better depending on who plays for Toronto. The report has Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard out, but lineups are not final, so I would rather pay for Philadelphia’s side of that game. Washington is priced for a role he is not projected to fill.

DraftKings picks

DraftKings needs eight players under a $50,000 cap, and value is points per $1,000, with about 5.0 as the benchmark. The Detroit bargains are the best of them.

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Daniss Jenkins	PG	DET	$5,000	33.0	6.60
Kevin Huerter	SG	DET	$3,900	23.6	6.05
Grayson Allen	SG	CHA	$5,900	31.2	5.29
Rudy Gobert	C	MIN	$5,800	30.2	5.21
Dean Wade	SF	PHI	$3,900	20.0	5.13
Kyrie Irving	PG	DAL	$7,600	38.6	5.08

FanDuel picks

FanDuel uses nine players and a $60,000 cap, with the same points-per-$1,000 scale. John Collins gets a starting role at center with Duren out per the report, and Phoenix’s cheap guards and wings also show up.

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Daniss Jenkins	PG	DET	$5,200	30.6	5.88
John Collins	PF	DET	$4,600	25.4	5.52
Grayson Allen	SG	CHA	$5,500	30.0	5.45
Dillon Brooks	SF	PHX	$4,700	25.3	5.38
Jalen Green	SG	PHX	$4,800	25.7	5.35
Collin Gillespie	PG	PHX	$4,000	21.2	5.30

Yahoo picks

Yahoo uses eight players, a $200 cap and no more than six from one team. Value is a plain ratio where 1.0 beats the price. Toronto’s lineup is still unsettled, so I would hold off on the Raptors until it is clearer.

Player	Pos	Team	Salary	Proj	Value
Ja’Kobe Walter	SG	TOR	14	25.9	1.85
Daniss Jenkins	PG	DET	18	30.6	1.70
Paul Reed	C	DET	18	27.1	1.51
Sion James	SF	CHA	15	20.1	1.34
Collin Murray-Boyles	PF	TOR	20	26.3	1.31
Ayo Dosunmu	PG	MIN	25	31.9	1.28

Reed is a fade on Fanteam but a value on Yahoo. The price scales differ, so the same player can land on both lists.

FAQ

Who is the best player on the slate by projection?

Cade Cunningham, at 48.1 points. He is projected highest on every site, and Anthony Davis is next at around 44.

Which cheap player stands out the most?

Daniss Jenkins. He leads the Fanteam and DraftKings value lists and sits near the top on FanDuel and Yahoo, provided he keeps his starting role.

What should I watch before lock?

Joel Embiid’s status first, since he is questionable according to the latest injury report. Toronto’s final lineup and Jenkins’ starting spot come next.

Lineups can change late, so check the final injury report and starting fives before lock.

For the always-updated slate numbers and full player projections for DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and Fanteam, see our NBA DFS Projections page.