Tuesday has a short three-game docket, with the NBA action getting underway at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let’s dive into the best NBA DFS picks today, including Jalen Johnson, Jalen Suggs, Luka Doncic and other fun decision points. These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page.
NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Tuesday, November 25
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jalen Suggs: Magic at 76ers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 34.28 | FanDuel: 34.16
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 53.5% | FanDuel: 63.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $6,500
Jalen Suggs dealt with a variety of maladies over the last season-plus, including a knee issue that ended his year after 35 games. The team is slowly bringing him back to ease his workload, and despite not playing on back-to-backs, he missed time with a groin strain.
In two of his last three games, the 24-year-old played nearly 32 minutes, though the Stokastic Projections have him for a median outcome of 29.6 minutes. Suggs carries a $6,500 salary cap hit on both DraftKings and FanDuel, which in turn has him currently projecting to be one of the two most popular plays on each site. Paolo Banchero (groin) is out through Thanksgiving, which continues to make more offensive opportunities available to the rest of the rotation. This is a boost for Suggs, along with Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Tristan da Silva.
The absence of Banchero is a significant boon to the production of Desmond Bane, as the former Memphis Grizzly continues to acclimate to his new teammates. In the six games without Banchero, he averaged 35.8 minutes and 16.3 field goal attempts, leading to 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 stocks (combined steals and blocks). Bane is not discussed much in the DFS world, though on the three-game slate tonight, he will have a prominent role for savvy gamers.
Philadelphia will provide value options once again, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Adem Bona and rookie VJ Edgecombe all out. Joel Embiid is questionable, though he missed the last seven games due to his balky knees, and who knows when he is actually going to play again? Be sure to tune in to the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 6:00 p.m. ET on YouTube for all of the up to the minute injury reports and DFS analysis.
Tyrese Maxey continues to lead the league at a ridiculous 40.4 minutes per game, along with 23.4 field goal attempts. He ranks second with 33.0 points per game, sixth at 7.8 assists, and his 1.6 steals are just outside the top 10. Among the players who project for more than 45 fantasy points, he has by far the lowest projected popularity at around 20% on the main DFS sites. The Magic are a good defensive team, though we just saw Maxey pop off for 80-plus fantasy points two games ago, and if his shot is falling, the volume easily converts to major DFS upside.
If Embiid is out, then Andre Drummond is a solid center option, and he still has some merit even if the Cameroonian returns to the court. Quentin Grimes, Dominic Barlow, Trendon Watford and Justin Edwards are salary savers across a variety of positions, pushed into prominence given the six-team player pool.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jalen Johnson: Hawks at Wizards
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 52.49 | FanDuel: 50.92
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 67.1% | FanDuel: 55.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $9,900 | FanDuel: $10,300
Jalen Johnson, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Injuries cut short the last two seasons for Johnson, though he managed to improve his scoring, assist and steals averaged in each of his five seasons, and his 9.6 rebounds are just a tick behind the 10.0 he averaged last year, which is strong considering the addition of Kristaps Porzingis.
Death, taxes and the Washington Wizards being dreadful on defense are the only certainties in life anymore. The Wizards surpassed the Brooklyn Nets, allowing 123.4 points per 100 possessions, with the Nets at 122.7 and the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings tied at 119.8. In the 12 games without Trae Young, Johnson had a 25.4% usage rate and a 34.0% assist rate. He flirted with a triple-double in each of the last eight games, not quite getting there, though averaging 24.5 points. 10.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists.
Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu should feast on the Washington frontcourt, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels making life difficult for the backcourt and plethora of young wings.
Alexandre Sarr returned to action on Saturday, having missed two games due to a toe issue. He played nearly 28 minutes, which is a little shy of his typical run. He is the lone bright spot for Washington this season, and while he is going to have the attention of the Atlanta defense, he has the talent to approach 20 points and 10 rebounds in any matchup.
Tre Johnson is out, with Marvin Bagley III (hip) and Kyshawn George (illness) questionable. Depending on who is in, C.J McCollum, Bilal Coulibaly and George have tournament appeal due to the shallow player pool.
Need help getting started with Stokastic’s NBA DFS Sims? Check out all of these FREE resources before making NBA DFS picks today!
- How to Use NBA DFS Sims: Expert Strategy Guide, Tips & Advice
- How Stokastic Sims Are Better Than and an NBA DFS Optimizer
- NBA DFS Sims: Single-Lineup Simulator Is a Lineup-Building Godsend
- NBA DFS Contrarian Strategy: How to Use Stokastic Ownership Projections
- NBA DFS Late Swap Strategy with Stokastic’s NBA DFS Sims
- NBA DFS Leverage & Game Theory: Large Field GPP Strategy
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Luka Doncic: Lakers vs. Clippers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 59.41 | FanDuel: 57.19
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 18.4% | FanDuel: 25.2%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $12,000 | FanDuel: $12,400
Deandre Ayton is out with a knee bruise, which means more rebounds will be available for Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic is leading the league at 34.5 points per game, along with 9.9 free throws and 12.5 free-throw attempts.
We know that this duo can coexist on the court, even with the continued improvement of Austin Reaves. James played 29.6 and 34.3 minutes after missing the first 14 games of the season, and in most games, he should be around 30 minutes as he heads towards his 41st birthday next month. He likely will play 34 to 35 in competitive games, though expect to see more second half rest if the games are in hand.
After this trio, there is nobody particularly interesting for the Lakers, and whoever is in at center between Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maximillian Kleber or Jake LaRavia will still have to deal with Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez.
Zubac and John Collins are the most popular Clippers on FanDuel, though only Zubac (15.1%) and Kobe Sanders (13.2%) are escaping single-digit popularity. James Harden is having another solid season, but the return of Kawhi Leonard changes the gravitational pull of the offense. He played 26.5 minutes on Sunday after a 10-game absence, and he should be closer to 30 minutes tonight.
Derrick Jones Jr. is out for at least six weeks, and Bogdan Bogdanovic (hip) is questionable. Coach Tyronn Lue is continually tweaking the back of the rotation, so it is hard to pinpoint with any accuracy who could make a box score splash on a game-to-game basis.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
If you’re serious about winning in NBA DFS, you know the edge comes from having the right tools. The same principle applies to sports betting, and that’s where Portfolio EV shines.
Take a bet like Jalen Johnson to have more than 9.5 rebounds tonight. On the surface, it’s a simple play. But behind the scenes, it’s a +EV bet, meaning it’s mathematically profitable based on the best odds available. Portfolio EV finds these +EV bets and allows you to bet them at high volume with just a couple clicks, maximizing your bankroll’s long-term profitability.
Digging into the details on Portfolio EV, Johnson is currently listed at -105 on Hard Rock for more than 9.5 rebound. By comparison most operators are in the -130 range, with Novig and Rebet at a punitive -154, which equates to NEGATIVE 13.1% expected ROI.
Let Portfolio EV do the heavy lifting, pitting the books against each other and finding the best values from a top-down betting approach.
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