Sunday, Nov. 28, wraps up the weekend with a succinct three-game slate. Let’s look at the player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Do not forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS home page for more great written daily fantasy basketball content.
NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Sunday, Nov. 28
Yahoo Play of the Day — Fred VanVleet: Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 36.36 | DraftKings: 37.35
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 20.6% | FanDuel 18.2% | DraftKings 29.0%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $33 | FanDuel $8,400 | DraftKings $8,100
It seems that Fred VanVleet has sufficiently recovered from his sore groin, as evidenced by a 38-minute average over his last three games. This is right in line with his 38.1 season-long figure, which leads the league. While VanVleet is not particularly efficient, he does contribute across the box score, and the counting stats really add up due to his heavy minutes load. Now that Kyle Lowry is out of town, VanVleet is posting at or above his career highs in every statistical category. While he does not have many 50-fantasy-point games, he is almost always in play for 40 fantasy points on a nightly basis.
Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 43.19 | DraftKings: 45.14
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 26.6% | FanDuel 29.6% | DraftKings 37.1%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $43 | FanDuel $9,700 | DraftKings $9,900
Jayson Tatum is third in the league in minutes per game with 36.6. He has been a steady fantasy contributor for three seasons now, and it truly is a disappointment anytime he falls below 40 Yahoo points. Although his assists are down, he is averaging a career-high 22.1 field goal attempts and 8.6 rebounds. There is room for improvement, as he has career lows from behind the arc (32.0%) and from 2-point range (40.5%). Once his shot starts falling, Tatum should be able to flirt with 50-plus fantasy points every night. The Raptors have been abysmal on defense this season, and they are allowing 108.2 points per 100 possessions, which is the sixth-worst mark in the league.
Cade Cunningham: Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 32.2 | DraftKings: 33.45
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 38% | FanDuel 26.1% | DraftKings 34.2%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $26 | FanDuel $7,400 | DraftKings $7,500
This season the Lakers are playing at the NBA’s fastest pace, with 103.7 possessions per 48 minutes, while Detroit is 11th with 100.6. Both squads are marginal on defense, which makes this matchup nearly the exact opposite of what it would have been last season. Rookie Cade Cunningham has been a bright spot in yet another dismal-looking season for the Pistons. While there will be growing pains and bad games, over his last seven outings he is averaging 32.9 minutes, 14 points, 7.3 rebounds, seven assists and 2.3 combined blocks and steals. Though Cunningham has not topped 31 fantasy points in his last three games, he averaged just over 45 fantasy points in the prior four games. This also included a 45.4-fantasy-point performance against the Lakers.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant is out with a sprained knee, so that thrusts Tyus Jones into the forefront as the value option du jour for Sunday. He has filled in many times over the years for injured teammates, and he is a capable performer when given 30-plus minutes. De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Desmond Bane will also help fill the void, and each is adequate as a non-traditional, secondary facilitator. Richaun Holmes is out for the Kings, which should keep Alex Len in the starting lineup and secure 24 to 27 minutes in the frontcourt for Chimezie Metu. If Harrison Barnes misses a second game with his foot injury, Davion Mitchell would see a boost, and that likely would keep Marvin Bagley relevant for a second straight game with two starters on the shelf.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons
The last two games for the Lakers have gone to overtime, including a rare three-overtime game on Friday night. In these games LeBron James played 43 and 49 minutes, while Anthony Davis played 49 on Friday and was out with an illness for the one on Wednesday. Given this workload and a winnable matchup, it would not be a surprise to see one of these superstars sit tonight. Plus, if it is James who gets a night off, then he will be denied the rematch with Isaiah Stewart. It was only last Sunday that James and Stewart got in a kerfuffle that saw James suspended for one game, while Stewart was out for two. The Association would clearly like to move on from this, so James getting the night off indeed seems possible. If James is out, then Russell Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker would join Davis as outstanding options. There is a three-hour gap between the first two games and the nightcap, so plan accordingly for maximum flexibility.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS picks for the Sunday, Nov. 28 Slate
Things are lining up for another wild Sunday with late-breaking news. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
