In his past five full games, Bam Adebayo is averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
We’re heading into the fifth weekend of the new season, and the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament, continues. We have a total of nine games on today’s NBA DFS slate. While FanDuel includes all nine games, DraftKings splits up the evening. There is a seven-game tournament, and you can play the two late games separately.
We also get an Amazon Prime doubleheader, as the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers meet at 7 p.m. ET on the streaming service, while the Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets tip-off is at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Here are our top NBA DFS picks and advice for tonight’s slate.
NBA DFS core plays
Josh Giddey (PG – CHI)
- DraftKings: $9,500
- FanDuel: $9,300
The Aussie gets a crack at the Miami Heat. Josh Giddey is about the best fantasy option on the board on Friday, averaging 51.4 fantasy points per game.
Giddey is coming off a bit of a rough game, posting a season-low nine points on 3-of-9 shooting, as he turned it over five times with three fouls in 31 minutes. He salvaged the line with 13 assists in Portland. Despite the poor outing, he is still averaging a triple-double in November, going for 19.9 points, 10.9 assists and 10.6 rebounds per game in seven outings.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC)
- DraftKings: $10,800
- FanDuel: $11,000
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is good for 53.2 fantasy points per game this season, as he is hands-down the best option on the late slate. The Jazz have managed an opponent rank of 23, so Gilgeous-Alexander is going to give you what you pay for.
The superstar is having an impressive November, rolling up 30.7 points per game through 10 games, and he has hit 2.5 3-pointers per game, while hitting a very respectable 53.5% from the field. The good news is that he has just 1.7 turnovers per game, limiting the minus points.
Pascal Siakam (PF – IND)
- DraftKings: $9,100
- FanDuel: $8,800
The season isn’t going very well for the defending Eastern Conference champions, but that’s no fault of Pascal Siakam. He is good for at least 19 points and at least four rebounds in five straight outings. Siakam has hit 10 3-pointers in the past three outings, while posting at least one steal in each game, too.
Siakam had solid numbers against the Cavaliers last season, averaging 17 points, eight rebounds, 2.7 assists and one block in three meetings. This is his first crack at the Cavs this season.
NBA DFS cash game targets
Bam Adebayo (C – MIA)
- DraftKings: $8,000
- FanDuel: $8,200
Bam Adebayo is a strong play in the middle against the Bulls, and he is well rested. He was sidelined six games due to a toe injury, but he rolled up 20 points with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal across 29 minutes in his return on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors. He shot 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
In his past five full games, Adebayo is averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. More often than not, Adebayo is going to shoot better than 50% from the field, and he rarely has a bad game with miscues.
Chet Holmgren (PF – OKC)
- DraftKings: $7,600
- FanDuel: $7,400
The lanky 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren has been a consistent scorer, going for at least 21 points in five of the past six games, while pulling down at least seven rebounds in six of his past seven outings. He is going to get plenty of blocked shots, too, thanks to his height.
In addition, Holmgren is extremely efficient from the field, hitting 57.1% or better from the field in five of his past six outings while posting at least one 3-pointer in six in a row. The problem is that he tends to turn the ball over a little bit too much, going for two or more turnovers in 10 of his 12 games this season.
Trey Murphy III (SG – NOP)
- DraftKings: $7,200
- FanDuel: $7,700
Trey Murphy has been filling up the stat sheet lately, going for 20+ points in six of the past seven games. He gets a crack at the Mavericks without Anthony Davis (calf).
The last time Murphy faced the Mavs, he went for just 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting, but he was able to grab nine rebounds with five assists, two steals and a block to more than make up for his off shooting night. He’ll face a lot less resistance tonight.
NBA DFS GPP targets
RJ Barrett (SF – TOR)
- DraftKings: $6,900
- FanDuel: $6,500
RJ Barrett has been a giant part of the Raptors surging up the standings, rather than being a pushover like they have in recent seasons.
In the past three games, Barrett is averaging 20 points, four rebounds, 3.8 assists and two 3-pointers, while hitting 22-of-45 from the field. The good news is that Barrett takes good care of the basketball, too, keeping minus points to a minimum. He has no more than one turnover in eight straight outings.
Immanuel Quickley (PG – TOR)
- DraftKings: $6,700
- FanDuel: $6,900
Immanuel Quickley is a solid part of what should be a mini Toronto stack against a very giving Washington Wizards defense. They’ve allowed 129 points per game to rank 30th in the NBA. Teams have hit 47.9% from the field and 37.3% from behind the 3-point line against them.
Quickley is racking up solid, yet unspectacular numbers — 17.6 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game across nine games in November. He has hit at least 50% of his field-goal attempts in five of the past six games. Quickley should well exceed DFS salary expectations against a leaky Wizards defense.
Moses Moody (SF – GSW)
- DraftKings: $5,700
- FanDuel: $5,100
Moses Moody is getting extra work with Jonathan Kuminga (knee) sidelined due to bilateral knee tendinitis. Moody has struggled in the past two games, but he rolled up 32 points on 10-of-16 shooting in New Orleans on Sunday. When the matchup is right, such as it is on Friday night, Moody can be a tremendous value.
Moody is averaging 23 fantasy points per game, but he is facing a Trail Blazers team ranked 22nd in opponent rank. Look for Moody to come in around 15-20 points with several boards and assists.
NBA DFS value plays
Naji Marshall (SF, PF – DAL)
- DraftKings: $5,500
- FanDuel: $5,200
Naji Marshall should continue to see a bump in usage. He, Max Christie and P.J. Washington will be called upon to fill the void of the oft-injured Anthony Davis (calf), who will be sidelined into the new week.
We don’t care about the upcoming week, though; we just care about tonight. The former Xavier product had 23 points last time out on Wednesday against the Knicks, with five boards and three triples, shooting 7-of-11 from the field in 34 minutes.
Ryan Dunn (SF, PF – PHX)
- DraftKings: $4,500
- FanDuel: $4,500
Ryan Dunn doesn’t have the best matchup, as the Minnesota Timberwolves are solid defensively. However, he has been taking advantage of the fact that Grayson Allen (quadriceps) has been sidelined.
Dunn has averaged 10.5 points, four assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in the past two outings, and he has knocked down three triples with seven steals in the span. If he can replicate that kind of production on Friday, he’ll more than exceed his DFS salary.
Gradey Dick (SG, PG – TOR)
- DraftKings: $3,300
- FanDuel: $3,800
While Gradey Dick might not be good for a jersey exchange, he is strong for solid point production at a cheap price tag.
As part of a Toronto mini stack, Dick is a solid play, while helping to save salary for up top. He is averaging 7.8 points, two rebounds and 1.3 3-pointers in nine games this month, despite averaging just 18 minutes per game.
