NBA Fantasy Projections & Optimizer Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 11/5

For Friday night, DFS players get a nine-game slate to target. With 18 teams in action, NBA fantasy lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel will be flush with high-level talent and value plays. The Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page will provide breaking news when starters are announced as well as a full injury report on players who might be missing in action. Below are some NBA daily fantasy options that stand out for tonight’s slate using Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.

Awesemo NBA expert Zach Brunner gives out the best value plays today in his NBA DFS Grades & Values article, using Awesemo’s premium data and tools.

NBA Fantasy Projections & Optimal Lineup Picks Tonight

Boom: Patrick Beverley: $4,000 DraftKings/$5,000 FanDuel

51.3% DraftKings Boom/31.7% FanDuel Boom

With D’Angelo Russell (ankle) missing his second straight game, Beverley is an elite punt play tonight. He drew the start at point for Russell on Wednesday night and finished with 36.5 DraftKings points in a season-high 31.3 minutes of work against the Clippers. Beverley was two assists shy of a triple-double in the starting role and faces the Clippers again Friday night. This season he has shot the ball at a 52% clip and is contributing nearly two defensive stats a night, resulting in 1.06 DraftKings points per minute.

Beverley is a very emotional player, and he loves the challenge of facing his former team. Both the Timberwolves and Clippers are top 12 in pace, and Beverley should have zero issues exceeding 5x value in this rematch. Not only is he rating as the best DraftKings value on the slate, but no player has a higher boom score than Beverley tonight.

Boom: Jarrett Allen: $6,600 DraftKings/$7,500 FanDuel

31.3% DraftKings Boom/19.5% FanDuel Boom

Allen’s price has been adjusted on FanDuel, but at only $6,600 on DraftKings, he is a no-brainer. With Kevin Love (health protocols) away from the team, Allen has been a monster, with 55.9 DraftKings points per game across his last two. Lauri Markkanen (health protocols) also missed the Cavaliers’ last game and will be inactive again alongside Love for Friday’s matchup with the Raptors. With the pair of big men missing Wednesday, Allen received a season-high 39.4 minutes against the Trail Blazers.

Considering that Cleveland has won these past two with him taking on a much larger role, Allen should continue to see heavy volume Friday. Awesemo’s projections forecast him for 34.9 minutes, and in all the time Allen has played with Markkanen and Love off the floor this season, his usage has risen 4.9 percentage points and his rebound rate has vaulted 9.9 points. Allen scores 1.3 DraftKings points per minute in this situation and should produce another huge double-double tonight against Toronto.

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Boom: C.J. McCollum: $8,100 DraftKings/$8,000 FanDuel

28.2% DraftKings Boom/29.8% FanDuel Boom

McCollum has had a great start to his season, eclipsing 40 DraftKings points in five of eight starts. His usage has seen an upgrade from a year ago, increasing 2.4 percentage points to a career-high 28.9%. McCollum is currently providing 1.17 DraftKings points per minute, and on the menu for Friday night is a plus matchup with the Pacers. Hosting Indiana, the Blazers have the highest implied team total on the slate (114 points), and this game’s total is the second highest on the board (223.5 points). The Pacers rank seventh in pace, and their defense ranks 20th in efficiency.

According to Awesemo’s NBA Player Props Tool, McCollum has 57% chance to go over his 23.5-point prop in this great matchup. At reasonable salaries on both DraftKings and FanDuel, McCollum is an appealing combination of safety and upside that provides exposure to one of the premier game environments of the night.

Bust: O.G. Anunoby: $8,000 DraftKings/$7,700 FanDuel

47.8% DraftKings Bust/41.5% FanDuel Bust

With Scottie Barnes (thumb) back in the lineup tonight, Anunoby is an easy fade. When he and Barnes have shared the floor, Anunoby’s usage has dropped 2.1 percentage points and his fantasy production has decreased to 0.88 DraftKings points per minute. On a per-game basis, Anunoby has been nearly 9 DraftKings points worse playing alongside Barnes, and Friday’s matchup with the Cavs is far from ideal. Cleveland ranks 11th in defensive efficiency and 23rd in pace. At season-high price points on both sites, Anunoby is an expensive option to avoid, particularly on FanDuel where his ownership is projected to approach 20%.

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