Nov. 9 brings a quick two-game featured slate, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel, and there are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton are two of the best options in tonight’s shallow player pool. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Thursday, November 9
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Core Play of the Day — Giannis Antetokounmpo — Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 55.95 | FanDuel: 55.47
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 46.0% | FanDuel: 70.1%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,700 | FanDuel: $10,600
Giannis Antetokounmpo should be good to go after being ejected early in the third quarter last night. The Bucks ceded a 15-point lead in that period before rallying to a victory in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, buoyed by their hometown fans. Antetokounmpo received his second technical after an emphatic dunk, which even afterwards did not seem overly offensive or taunting. Regardless, that is not an issue for tonight, and he will be facing one of the fastest-paced teams, one that has a dreadful defensive efficiency rating.
We know the drill on short slates, where raw fantasy point production is crucial. This is likely to move Antetokounmpo well into the 50% and 70% popularity levels on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Khris Middleton (knee) is expected to play after getting last night off, but it is unlikely to see him move much beyond 22 to 24 minutes, even if drawing a start. Jae Crowder and Bobby Portis will fill in the other 24 to 26 minutes, with the latter also getting backup center minutes. Either could find a path to 28 to 30 minutes if they are finding success on the court, and both are likely to have a 20- to 22-minute floor.
Damian Lillard has settled into a steady 34-ish minutes, which is his go-forward baseline, and he could see into the upper-30s in close games. The addition of Lillard and subtraction of Jrue Holiday has appeared to impact the overall defensive efficiency for the Bucks, who are allowing 5 more points per 100 possessions than last year — albeit in a small seven-game sample.
Tyrese Haliburton — Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 51.06 | FanDuel: 49.31
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 46.1% | FanDuel: 45.5%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings:$10,000 | FanDuel: $10,000
Tyrese Haliburton continues his stellar season, producing double-doubles in all but one appearance while leading the league with 11.9 assists per game, along with a personal-best 22.9 points per game. Last night Haliburton played just over 30 minutes, and while this is the third game in four nights for the Pacers, Haliburton played 28 minutes on Monday.
Myles Turner is always a tournament option, with his upside accessed via scoring outbursts. In his last two games against Brook Lopez, he has averaged 36 minutes, 27 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks. The risk is that Turner has played more than 26 minutes only three times this season, and he can be foul prone.
Paolo Banchero — Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 40.89 | FanDuel: 39.94
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 40.9% | FanDuel: 59.4%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings:$8,000 | FanDuel: $7,900
In a fun development, Paolo Banchero has posted 50-plus fantasy points in two of his last three appearances. This season he sees nearly a 10% increase in his fantasy points per minute when he is on the court without Wendell Carter Jr., who will be out for a couple more weeks. Atlanta does have the fifth-best rebounding rate in the league, but fortunately, Banchero is able to contribute across the box score. The second-year phenom has seen an increase in his assists up to 5.6 per game, and it won’t be long before he is topping last season’s points and rebounds.
Gary Harris is also out, while Jonathan Isaac (hamstring) and Markelle Fultz (knee swelling) are dinged up. If Fultz returns, he may be rusty after nine days off, and he could be on a minutes restriction, Cole Anthony remains a strong play either way, though it is getting harder for him to return a profit on his escalating salary.
Speaking of escalating salary, Goga Bitadze is all the way up to $5,600 on DraftKings and now relegated to tournament differentiation only. FanDuel has him cheaper at $5,000, though it will cost the center position, which is a hefty tax of losing out on Turner, Lopez, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu.
Additional NBA Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a DFS stalwart, but there also is some value in the over on his 28.5 points prop at -115. NBA Bet Pro currently has the two-time NBA MVP projected for 34.3 minutes and 30.54 points, with -124 “True Odds,” which is how OddsShopper measures the potential expected ROI; that is indicative of a line that is inefficient by just over 3%.
Even with everyone available for Milwaukee tonight, the Pacers are the perfect team for Antetokounmpo to light up on the score board.
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Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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