Thursday brings a three-game featured slate with the first game tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let’s dive into the best NBA DFS picks today, including Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell 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: Thursday, November 13
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Jalen Johnson: Hawks at Jazz
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 44.64 | FanDuel: 44.08
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 53.5% | FanDuel: 59.6%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,300 | FanDuel: $8,500
Tonight is the third road game in four nights for Atlanta, and the Hawks are finding success, winning six of the last eight games. Kristaps Porzingis did not play on a back-to-back in his first two chances, and indications are that he will be held out of this game.
Jalen Johnson is rounding into form as the lead option without Trae Young. In the last two games, the soon-to-be 24-year-old led the team twice with rebounds and assists, plus he added a team-leading 24 points last night and a solid 16 points in the win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Over the last six games, all sans Walker Kessler, Utah allowed 119.5 points per 100 possessions, which was a bottom-5 defensive efficiency rating. It does not take much for either of these teams to be enticed into an up-tempo affair, leading to a 232.5 game total.
There is a chance Johnson will not play tonight, having sat each of the last two back-to-back games, so sure to tune into Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock at 6:00 p.m. ET on YouTube for expert analysis, key insights and winning strategies to dominate your NBA DFS picks today!
Onyeka Okongwu should move into the starting lineup for Porzingis, as he did for each of the three games without the Unicorn. Off the bench, Okongwu usually sees 25 to 28 minutes of run, though he had at least 32 minutes in his three starts, averaging just 33.3 minutes. He should push towards a double-double tonight, and with power forward eligibility on FanDuel, he is a foundational play.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed two games with a shoulder issue, and while he played 21.7 minutes last night, most of the starters hit the bench midway through the third quarter with the Hawks leading by nearly 30 points. Expectations are that NAW will play again tonight, and he should be closer to 30 minutes in a competitive affair.
Mouhamed Gueye played 29.7, 23.1 and 34.2 minutes in the three games without Porzingis, joining Okongwu in with the first five in the latter two tilts. Dyson Daniels is also a top-tier play, considering the makeup of Thursday’s six-team player pool.
From Utah, Lauri Markkanen has the highest median fantasy point projection, Jusuf Nurkic is the most popular member of the Jazz on both sites and Isaiah Collier is expected to be the discount dandy after topping 26 minutes in two of his three games, with a 15.7-minute appearance in between.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Nick Richards: Suns vs. Pacers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 19.63 | FanDuel: 19.52
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 22.6% | FanDuel: 1.9%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $3,200 | FanDuel: $3,700
Nick Richards is probably going to start for Mark Williams, who is unlikely to play on consecutive days for the foreseeable future. He is playable as an extreme punt, though is someone to actively avoid on FanDuel, where the opportunity cost of the center slot is too high to entertain rostering the likes of Richards. The role is likely to be split with Oso Ighodaro, with the starter having the best path to 20 minutes.
Devin Booker is an outstanding option on both of the main sites, as is Pascal Siakam, who is carrying the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin and Bennedict Mathurin. T.J. McConnell returned, playing 11 minutes in his debut, though it would be a surprise to see him with more than 15 minutes tonight as he regains conditioning after missing the start of the season due to a hamstring issue. On a side note, even if McConnell were healthy, the 33-year-old played more than 22 minutes in 13 of 79 (16%) games last year, topping 24 minutes just five times.
Looking at the Stokastic Boom/Bust Tool, Booker is the most positively leveraged player, being underrepresented by around 10% on both DraftKings and FanDuel. This is likely to slide back to a more neutral state, though again he and Siakam join Johnson as the players with the three highest median fantasy point projections.
Jalen Green is out through the holidays after reinjuring his hamstring in his second game for Phoenix. Dillon Brooks is back from his own injury, and we know he is never afraid to look for his offensive opportunities. Grayson Allen is dialed in from downtown, converting on 44.6% of his lofty 9.3 3-point attempts per game. Royce O’Neale also has seen more offensive opportunities, helping provide spacing from beyond the arc now that Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are on new teams.
Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are the only other Pacers who are showing up with any notable popularity for Indiana, though stay tuned to see who starts in the frontcourt between Isaiah Jackson and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
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- 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
Evan Mobley: Cavaliers vs. Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 42.99 | FanDuel: 42.87
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 31.1% | FanDuel: 38.6%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,600 | FanDuel: $8,800
Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell rested last night in Miami, though both are expected to return to the first five back in Cleveland. Lonzo Ball is unlikely to play on the back-to-back, and Darius Garland aggravated his toe, putting his availability into question.
If Garland is out, then Mobley and Mitchell could end up with median fantasy projections that are higher than the current top 3, making for even more choices. Craig Porter Jr. went nuts last night with 19 points, four rebounds, nine assists and seven — yes, SEVEN — combined steals and blocks in 32 minutes. He should at least see 12 to 15 minutes helping fill in for Ball after that flurry, and he could get a couple more ticks if Garland sits as well.
Jarrett Allen and De’Andre Hunter can be sprinkled across rosters, with both being solid in last night’s victory and not cracking 28 minutes. Garland’s availability will have a trickledown effect to the reserves, so keep tabs on the starting lineup.
Jakob Poeltl had a season-high 29.6 minutes on Tuesday, which bodes well for tonight. Anything less than a double-double will be disappointing, though it is hard to see a slate-breaking score in this matchup.
Look to the core four of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for tournaments tonight, with this quartet providing options at a variety of positions and salary cap hits.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
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Take a bet like Dillon Brooks to have more than 2.5 made 3-pointers 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, Brooks is currently listed at +118 on FanDuel, which is a steady 3.3% expected ROI, when considering the “true odds” of +111. Most other books have this at even money down to -107, which is between a NEGATIVE 5% and 8% expected ROI. Be a savvy shopper!
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