The Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley is a solid DFS cash option against the Raptors on Monday.
Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate as we enter Thanksgiving Week. I won’t have a Thanksgiving article with zero NBA games on Thursday, but I wanted to thank everyone who has followed along this year. Hopefully you’ve been getting some cashes and big wins this season, and I plan on helping with more in the near future. Let’s get right to it.
If you’re going to play NBA DFS, you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money. We have seven- and 10-game slates today, which is the perfect amount of games for me to play cash and GPP contests. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
NBA DFS core plays
Nikola Jokić (C – DEN)
- DraftKings: $13,500
- FanDuel: $12,800
It kind of feels like a free space at this point to throw Nikola Jokić in core plays because there simply is not a player out there with his consistent ceiling. He hasn’t even dipped below 60 fantasy points in eight straight games. His average is 70 fantasy points per game.
Maybe you can say he averages 68 fantasy points a game on the road compared to 71 at home, but that’s his biggest knock. Memphis’ defense is bottom third of the league, and they’re dealing with injuries. With the number of games, you should be able to find plenty of value options to fit in your lineup because you won’t find more raw points anywhere else.
Cade Cunningham (PG – DET)
- DraftKings: $10,500
- FanDuel: $10,800
Here is how many points Cade Cunningham has scored in his last nine full games: 59, 52, 96, 49, 53, 53, 53, 63 and 66. Even if you take away the 96-point effort, he’s still averaging over 55 fantasy points a game in that span.
Detroit gets the benefit of playing the Pacers tonight, and even though it’s a road game, Indiana has been one of the worst teams in basketball this season. The Oklahoma State product was out the last time these two matched up, and the Pistons still crushed with 127 points.
This should be a high-scoring game, and a lot of it should be centered around Detroit’s guard, with his 33% usage rate. There is a solid handful of guards today, but Cunningham tops the list with his high floor and ceiling.
Karl-Anthony Towns (PF – NYK)
- DraftKings: $9,500
- FanDuel: $9,100
I was a bit hesitant to list Karl-Anthony Towns, given the pace down spot against Brooklyn, but that is baked into his price tag. The Nets are playing in a back-to-back, so we will see who starts tonight, but either way, Brooklyn has one of the worst defenses in the league.
Even with their third-lowest pace of play in the league, the Nets still allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards. Towns has a 27% usage rate. While there is a risk of an early blowout, that likely happens if Towns is the one producing, so I plan on going over the field on Towns.
NBA DFS cash game targets
Evan Mobley (PF, C – CLE)
- DraftKings: $8,400
- FanDuel: $8,800
With Jarrett Allen expected to be out tonight, Evan Mobley slots in as a solid cash option. It is the second leg of a back-to-back, but Cleveland needs their big man, so I expect the USC product to get his run. In this game, you have a nice total of 237 points.
Both teams are in the top half of the league in pace of play, and Cleveland’s offense has been solid. Last time out against Toronto, Mobley didn’t have the best performance, but with his expected increased usage and playing time tonight, I’m comfortable with his likelihood of getting to 40 fantasy points. He also doesn’t totally break the bank.
Jamal Murray (PG – DEN)
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,500
It’s not the sexiest play, but for cash lineups, you’re not looking for sexy. Jamal Murray’s price has stayed consistent, and he’s covered 34 fantasy points in 10 of his last 11 games played, which is a good floor to start with.
Memphis’ defense so far this season ranks in the bottom half of the league, and his consistent 26% usage rate is solid. I expect 40 points from the Denver guard today, which he’s done in four of the last five outings, and should do so again here in Tennessee.
NBA DFS GPP targets
Max Christie (SG, SF – DAL)
- DraftKings: $4,800
- FanDuel: $4,900
He may not offer the usual ceiling that I would suggest for GPP options, but for his price tag, Max Christie is great from a cost-benefit analysis standpoint. On Saturday, the Dallas guard put up 12 fantasy points. The day before that, he scored 33 fantasy points. He also tallied two DraftKings points before that. That’s the kind of range we’re dealing with here.
Dallas has a lot of questionable players right now to keep track of. Brandon Williams has a lower back issue, Cooper Flagg is dealing with a thumb splint and P.J. Washington is just coming off the injury report. I am leaning towards Williams missing tonight’s game, which is a big reason I’m in on Christie. Even if the full cast plays, Christie is still in a good spot.
Miami has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing guards, and the total is just shy of 240 points. Christie might not break the bank, but he will be too low rostered for the ceiling I’m projecting.
Josh Giddey (PG, SG – CHI)
- DraftKings: $9,800
- FanDuel: $9,800
We’ll see where rostership lands on Josh Giddey, but as of this morning, it’s too low. Despite a lack of name-brand recognition compared to the similar stars in this range, Giddey has put up some serious numbers. He’s coming off a 62-point effort against Washington and has two 70-point efforts already this year.
The Chicago guard can also score fewer than 40 points in any given game because the Bulls aren’t the most consistent team, but I expect tonight to be closer to a ceiling performance. The total on this late matchup is 243, and the Pelicans have been atrocious. There are a lot of Bulls players you could argue to prioritize tonight versus New Orleans’ 26th-ranked defense, but I’m going to go with Giddey. Don’t be surprised by another 70-point fantasy effort tonight.
Zion Williamson (PF – NOP)
- DraftKings: $8,100
- FanDuel: $8,400
This one feels a little ridiculous with Zion Williamson monitoring a hamstring issue, but I want to be ahead of the game here, and tonight is the night for it to happen. The Bulls are a friendly fantasy matchup, and after missing the game against Atlanta, Williamson should be off the injury report and good to go.
If that is the case, Williamson should see upwards of 34 minutes. To start the season, he produced consecutive 50 fantasy point outings. Again, this is for deeper field GPPs, but the ceiling is there, and he’s not too expensive if he plays full minutes.
NBA DFS value plays
Spencer Jones (SF, PF – DEN)
- DraftKings: $3,200
- FanDuel: $3,600
If you’re looking for a punt spot tonight, look to Spencer Jones. With Aaron Gordon out, Jones slotted into the starting lineup on Saturday, playing 24 minutes and getting a whopping one point. Obviously, the outcome is disappointing, but there’s only one direction to go.
The fact that Jones played 24 minutes is what I’m focused on here because the opportunity will come with more chances on the court. I imagine he will slot in for a similar role tonight, and while he might not get 30 fantasy points, I project him over 20, which would be ideal for a sub-$4,000 option.
Gradey Dick (SG, SG – TOR)
- DraftKings: $3,500
- FanDuel: $3,700
I should say this will be Gradey Dick or Ja’Kobe Walter, depending on who starts over RJ Barrett tonight in their second game of a back-to-back. That’s also assuming Barrett is out. My lean is Dick just because we have seen his ceiling with a 30 fantasy point outing.
Dick is capable of catching fire, and we saw that last season, too. Walter actually played pretty well yesterday, hitting six of his seven shots, including four 3-pointers, and a 19% usage rate. Not bad. Dick offers a higher ceiling, but if Walter gets the start, you can assume he’ll get a bit more run. Facing Cleveland isn’t the best matchup, but at least it’s at home.
Derik Queen (C, PF – NOP)
- DraftKings: $5,800
- FanDuel: $6,800
I apologize to all my FanDuel truthers, as Derik Queen isn’t exactly a value option, but I wanted to get a center in here, and I figured Queen is a solid choice. The Pelicans this year have been…very bad. A 2-15 record and injuries abound have pretty much finished the season for New Orleans before it even started.
The rookie center hasn’t been too shabby and is severely underpriced tonight. In his last three games, the Maryland product has produced 54, 47 and 41 DraftKings points, respectively, and gets the Chicago Bulls tonight. No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing centers than the Bulls. Their fast pace and bad defense make this a prime spot for Queen to return some serious value.
There are a lot of solid value options on the slate today, so I’ll also throw out Jaylon Tyson, Caleb Love and Jalen Smith as potential plays.
