The NBA season is well underway so it’s becoming clear who the top NBA DFS plays are based on individual players’ usage and minutes each night. In order to hit in daily fantasy sports, a strategy is needed. Is it best to load up on stars and fill out a roster with lower-level value picks? Or, is it better to fill out a roster with a bunch of second-tier players?
DFS Plays for 11/24
Must Plays
Luka Doncic, James Harden, or Paul George
In DFS, oftentimes, it is best to take superstars who are all but guaranteed to have a high output. Luka Doncic is the most expensive player in today’s Fanduel slate at $12,100 so it would be understandable to avoid him. However, he is averaging a whopping 56.95 fantasy points per game. In fact, his lowest fantasy output on the season is still a very solid 39.9 points.
If Doncic is a selection, it will be nearly impossible to add one of James Harden or Paul George and fill out the roster with solid picks.
Harden is going to have a monster usage rate and he is going to produce. He is currently the second most expensive selection on Fanduel at $11,500 but he is actually averaging more fantasy points than Doncic at 58.28. Saving $600 and adding someone who is going to be just as productive, if not more, is a smart move as it allows for that $600 to be spent elsewhere on the roster.
Pairing Harden with George, who costs just $9,100 and is averaging 41.12 fantasy points per game, is a smart move.
Second Tier Plays
Julius Randle, Jamal Murray, and Thomas Bryant
The New York Knicks are off to a horrendous 4-12 start to this season. However, Julius Randle is not the reason for that. He is one of the more expensive second-tier plays today at $8,000 but he is well worth the salary. His average of 32.58 fantasy points per game is being drugged down by a couple of bad performances, but he will have the usage and potential to have a monster game today against the Brooklyn Nets.
Adding a player with the usage rate and ability of Jamal Murray at only $7,200 is a no brainer. Murray hasn’t shot the ball particularly well this season, but he holds a usage rate of 25.8 currently. He will have ample opportunity to have a monster game for the Denver Nuggets today.
The Washington Wizards‘ Thomas Bryant will also have ample opportunity to produce and he only costs $6,900 which is fourth among centers today. Bryant is averaging a very solid 32.73 fantasy points per game and he always has the potential to explode due to the lack of talent on the Wizards’ roster.
Value Plays
Kenrich Williams, Frank Ntilikina, and Frank Kaminsky
Finding value plays in DFS is key to having a successful day. There may not be a better DFS value play today than Kenrich Williams. Williams is only going to cost $4,800 to have in the lineup on Fanduel. His average isn’t anything to write home about at 21 fantasy points per game. However, a lot of that was due to a lack of minutes early in the season. That is not the case now as he has eclipsed 30 minutes in each of the last seven games.
Frank Ntilikina is a boom or bust pick, as is the case with most value plays. Ntilikina will only cost $4,400 to add to the lineup but he has the potential to go for big fantasy numbers. Although he is only averaging 20.41 fantasy points per game, he had 44.1 fantasy points in the Knicks’ last game. A lot of his value will come from the defensive side of the ball where he is excellent at getting in passing lanes and getting steals.
Like Ntilikina, Frank Kaminsky is another boom or bust pick. He is the cheapest of the three value plays at $4,100. A lot of Kaminsky’s value comes from the fact that the Phoenix Suns are currently battling the injury bug throughout their roster. Opening night starting center Deandre Ayton is currently in the middle of serving a 25 game suspension for PED use. Backup center Aron Baynes has been dealing with a nagging injury and is considered a game-time decision tonight.
If Baynes misses the contest, Kaminsky will get huge minutes and he has the potential to put up a really good scoring and rebounding line. For $4,100, he is too cheap to pass up with that potential.
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