RADIO
Thursdays usually mean a pared-down slate, and this week is no different. We have a modest five games on the docket, making it even more prudent than usual that we invest our salary-cap dollars wisely.
A couple of the absolute best defensive teams in the league in the Jazz and Heat are in action as well, which has the effect of potentially narrowing our player pool even further if the salaries on some of the opposing star players are a bit too high to make it worthwhile to deploy them in such a tough matchup. Luckily, there are a couple of other more palatable scenarios on the docket, which I'll focus on fairly heavily in my selections.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 11/4/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Russell Westbrook, PG – vs. OKC ($9,200)
Westbrook has started to settle in nicely with our without LeBron James in the lineup, and he'll enter Thursday's favorable matchup having scored 44.1 FD points or more in six of his last seven contests. He gets a crack at one of his old squads in the Thunder, which come in allowing 45.5 FD points per game to PGs. Westbrook isn't quite raining down triple-doubles yet in his new Lakers digs, but he's coming close most every night and has accomplished the feat on a couple of occasions already. It's also worth noting OKC ranks last in offensive efficiency allowed in the paint (67.4 percent), a particularly relevant stat when considering Westbrook, who's logging 58.1 percent of his points in that part of the floor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG – at LAL ($7,600)
SGA has been one of the few bright spots for the Thunder, averaging 35.4 FD points per contest and already eclipsing the 40-mark on two occasions and 50-threshold in one other. Gilgeous-Alexander faces a premium positional matchup Thursday as well, as the Lakers are allowing the second-most FD points per game to PGs (53.5), and they rank bottom five in points (27.4), rebounds (7.4), assists (10.7), made threes (3.6) and offensive efficiency (30.4 percent) allowed to the position as well. SGA is also averaging a career-high 18.1 shot attempts, and he should definitely be involved heavily in the matchup against a marquee opponent.
Furkan Korkmaz, SG – at DET ($4,200)
Korkmaz should find himself back on the first unit again Thursday with Danny Green (hamstring) still out of action, and he'll enjoy some extra usage with Tobias Harris (COVID-19 protocols) and Ben Simmons (personal) still sidelined as well. Korkmaz has performed well with an expanded workload the last two games, scoring 26.9 and 22.5 FD points in those contests. He gets a particularly appealing matchup Thursday, as the Pistons check in allowing the highest three-point shooting percentage (43.6) and are allowing 44.5 FD points per game to small forwards as well. Korkmaz has taken 12 three-point attempts in his two aforementioned spot starts, and given the matchup, he should remain aggressive Thursday.
Also consider: Chris Paul ($7,800); Seth Curry ($5,100)
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FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Anthony Davis, PF- vs. OKC ($10,500)
Davis continues to play through his probable tag that's related to ongoing knee soreness, and he's proven capable of producing despite the issue. Davis most recently put up 53.3 FD points over 32 minutes against Houston on Tuesday, and Thursday, he gets an even better matchup. The Thunder have been a doormat in the frontcourt thus far, allowing the second-highest FD points per game to power forwards (52.3) and the third-highest offensive efficiency (32.0 percent) to the position as well. OKC's vulnerability in the paint overall that was enumerated in Westbrook's entry certainly comes into play as well here, as Davis is putting up a career-high 65.0 percent of his scoring from that area of the floor this season.
Christian Wood, PF – at PHO ($7,900)
Wood has picked up right where he left off last season, already averaging 40.4 FD points per contest while eclipsing the 50-mark on two occasions in his first seven games. The most recent instance came his last time on the court against the Lakers on Tuesday, when the big man racked up 51.7 FD points in a tough matchup on the strength of a 26-point, 16-rebound double-double. Wood could have an even easier path Thursday, as Deandre Ayton could sit out for the Suns with a lower-leg injury and Phoenix is already ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency (32.0 percent) and FD points per game (55.8) allowed to centers.
Tyler Herro, SF – vs. BOS ($6,400)
Herro has taken his game to another level in the early going of the season, already putting up 34.3 FD points per game on the strength of new career bests in points (22.4), rebounds (6.0), assists (4.4), overall shooting percentage (47.2) and three-point shooting percentage (40.8). The third-year wing's 18.1 shot attempts per game are also easily a career-high figure, and he should be aggressive once again Thursday versus a Celtics team that's had trouble on defense against quality teams. Boston is also struggling with two-guards in particular, allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency (27.0 percent) and second-most FD points per game (45.8) to the position.
Also consider: Jimmy Butler ($10,300); Carmelo Anthony ($6,000); Jae Crowder ($4,600)
FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid – at DET ($9,600)
Embiid will once again take the floor without the aforementioned trio of Simmons, Green and Harris, and the big man is already posting a 34.4 percent usage rate and averaging 45.7 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammates. Embiid will be on the second night of a back-to-back set Thursday, but he had the benefit of three days of rest prior to Wednesday's contest against the Bulls, when he posted 41.3 FD points in 34 minutes. The matchup is a tantalizing one Thursday, as the Pistons are giving up 54.3 FD points per game to centers, including the fifth-most rebounds (18.4).
Bam Adebayo – vs. BOS ($8,800)
Adebayo is clocking 41.4 FD points per contest and has back-to-back double-doubles against the Hornets and Mavericks coming into Thursday's contest. The opposing Celtics have been relatively generous to centers in the early going, allowing 55.2 FD points per game to the position, including the seventh-most blocks per game (2.7). Adebayo has encouragingly been more involved offensively than ever this season with 14.7 shot attempts per contest -- which has helped him to a career-high average of 20.8 points per game -- while his average of 13.8 boards is also easily a career-best figure. The fact Miami is also allowing NBA-low 39.7 percent shooting certainly helps Adebayo's chances of big nights on the glass.
Also consider: John Collins ($6,900)
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