Nov. 8 resumes the NBA action with a frenetic 14-game featured slate, tipping off 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. LaMelo Ball and Nikola Jokic are two of the best options in tonight’s expansive player pool. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Wednesday, November 8
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Core Play of the Day — LaMelo Ball — Indiana Pacers vs. San Antonio Spurs
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 55.29 | FanDuel: 52.62
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 44.8% | FanDuel: 49.2%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $8,900 | FanDuel: $8,800
Terry Rozier is out until the weekend at the earliest with a groin injury. That means all the usage and assist opportunities will be flowing through LaMelo Ball on most possessions. Speaking of possessions, Washington is allowing a league-worst 120.6 points per 100 possessions this season, and the Hornets are allowing the fourth most, with a 117.7 defensive efficiency. These teams also have the same rankings when it comes to pace of play.
Ball is coming off a 39-minute effort in Dallas on Sunday without Rozier in the mix. The Mavericks did not take the lead for the final time until there were just under four minutes remaining in the final frame. It would seem like the minute cap has been lifted for Ball, so he is shaping up as one of the best total fantasy point projections as well as point per dollar.
This is such a good game environment that Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington and Mark Williams are excellent plays and would be core options if we did not have so many teams in the player pool.
Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford, Tyus Jones and the man who has never encountered a shot he wouldn’t take, Jordan Poole, can all be utilized in all formats. Get used to this matchup, as it is going to be reprised on Friday in Washington.
Nikola Jokic — Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 65.46 | FanDuel: 62.43
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 17.6% | FanDuel: 9.4%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings:$11,700 | FanDuel: $12,100
Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are once again a decision point, but as we saw on Monday, Jokic is nearly without peers from a fantasy perspective with Jamal Murray sidelined due to a strained hamstring. In 36 minutes, Jokic notched his third triple-double of the season, recording 35 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists on his way to a 70-plus-fantasy-point performance. That came at the expense of the Pelicans, but it is not like an aging Draymond Green and Kevon Looney are going to do much to stop Jokic in a regular season game.
New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
C.J. McCollum (lung) and Zion Williamson (personal) are not available tonight; that means 66.3 minutes, 34.5 field goal attempts, 43.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and a variety of ancillary stats will need to be replaced tonight. Jonas Valanciunas should see minutes in the upper-20s; he is all but a lock for a double-double, and he has produced several outstanding rebounding efforts against Rudy Gobert.
Brandon Ingram should also be on the short list of primary targets, as he should see an increase in minutes, field goal attempts, rebounds and assists with his fellow starters out of commission. On Monday, rookie Jordan Hawkins had himself a game as the direct replacement for McCollum, with 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. It is unlikely the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft will go 7 of 14 from beyond the arc again, but he is a strong fantasy-point-per-dollar play.
Dyson Daniels played 21 minutes in the last game, while Hawkins’ effectiveness probably earned him an extra 4 to 5 minutes, which could easily slide over to Daniels. Kira Lewis Jr. saw the court for only nine minutes, and while we are not going to want to employ him in the DFS world, he could steal minutes from Hawkins as well.
Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Naz Reid and Gobert are slightly better plays on DraftKings than FanDuel, and though they do not need to be forced into lineups, they should not be avoided in this fantasy-friendly matchup.
Additional NBA Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Malcolm Brogdon is an interesting option against the Kings tonight in Sacramento, with a +210 line to record a double-double. NBA Bet Pro currently has Brogdon projected for 35.8 minutes, 21.88 points and 8.01 assists, with +181 “True Odds,” which is how OddsShopper measures the potential expected ROI; that is indicative of a line that is inefficient by just over 9%.
Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson remain out, which means Brogdon will be called on as the main facilitator again tonight. In the last two games after moving into the starting lineup, the basketball nomad posted 18 points and 11 assists in 39 minutes and 24 points and 10 assists in 44 minutes in an overtime game, with both efforts coming against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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