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Welcome, RotoBallers. We have a sizeable nine-gamer on tap tonight for the DraftKings main slate. We aren't waiting on a ton of important injury news to drop, as we already got word that Joel Embiid will be out and Raptors' rookie forward Scottie Barnes is doubtful.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/1/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
There are a ton of spots that are packed with DFS upside - let's get to it.
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DraftKings Overview - NBA DFS Matchups
This is how the games, teams, and positional matchups shake out for tonight's slate. "K-Rate" is a metric that includes implied totals, projected pace, fantasy points against, and defensive ratings. The higher the number - the more attackable the game/opponent is for DFS purposes.
DraftKings Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dalano Banton - PG, TOR vs. NYK ($3,000)
Banton is priced at minimum salary and he should be stepping into significant minutes today with Scottie Barnes doubtful to play. Banton has been seeing the court plenty even with Barnes in the lineup, totaling 17, 23, and 16 minutes over his last three games played. He should exceed 20 minutes again tonight and while it's not the most appealing matchup in the world, we only need about 1.00 FPTS/min for him to pay off his salary and he has shown that kind of form as of late. Anything on top of that is a bonus.
Derrick White - PG/SG, SAS vs. IND ($6,400)
White is in an elite spot tonight as the Pacers are allowing the third-most DK PPG to opposing PG's so far this season and the game should be fast-paced. He averages 32.4 minutes and 31 DK PPG, and his DFS scoring is more bankable since he doesn't need to score a lot to be valuable. He's averaging 2.7 stocks (steals + blocks) per game. The Pacers are 1-6 and rank 26th in total points allowed per game (112.57) and 28th in turnovers per game (17.29), so White will have his opportunities to spike for a ceiling game tonight. Dejounte Murray works here for the same reasons, but you'll have to make him a primary lineup piece as he's priced in the "star" territory now.
Others to consider: Alex Caruso ($4,100), Eric Bledsoe ($4,700), Reggie Jackson ($6,000), Dennis Schroder ($5,600)
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DraftKings Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM vs. DEN ($5,400)
Data extraordinaire and fellow RotoBaller analyst Jon Anderson identified Jackson as a player whose cold shooting has dropped his DK salary to a level where we can take advantage (check out his piece here), and I completely agree with him. This is very likely the cheapest we'll see the 22-year-old all season. He's averaging 26 DK PPG despite shooting just 30% from the field, and we only need 27 DK points out of him to hit 5x value on his salary tonight. The Nuggets present one of the toughest matchups a power forward can ask for, but as is the theme for Banton, Boucher, and Drummond, the value is too juicy to ignore.
Chris Boucher - PF/C, TOR vs. NYK ($4,000)
It's always a gamble rolling out Boucher, but he has shown a high ceiling when given minutes in the past. He hasn't been very good this season as he's averaging just 14.5 minutes and 16.3 DK points per game, but minutes-hog Scottie Barnes is unlikely to play tonight and that opens up the path for Boucher to see at least 22 minutes of action. The matchup isn't great as the game has the lowest implied total and slowest projected pace, but the value with Boucher at such a low salary is impossible to ignore.
Wendell Carter Jr. - PF/C, ORL vs. MIN ($5,700)
This game feels attackable as the Magic are allowing the third-most FPPG on the slate and it should play fast, but the Wolves' key players (Russell, Edwards, Towns) are all priced up in uncomfortable salary ranges. What we can do is target big men against the Wolves - they allow at least four additional rebounds compared against the NBA average and they're allowing the second-most DK PPG to both PF's and C's. Carter and Bamba are both in play here, and you can get a little weird with it by running it back with a value Wolves' player or two (Vanderbilt or McDaniels).
Others to consider: Jarred Vanderbilt ($3,700), Jaden McDaniels ($3,500), Terance Mann ($4,600), Luke Kennard ($4,400), Josh Giddey ($5,200), Paul Reed ($3,000), Terrence Ross ($4,000)
DraftKings Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Andre Drummond - C, PHI vs. POR ($4,400)
It's Drummond SZN as he can absolutely demolish this price tag tonight. Starting center Joel Embiid has been ruled out, which opens up a clear path for the veteran big man to see around 30 minutes tonight. Even though Drummond hasn't topped 19 minutes in any game this season, he has been extremely efficient as he's averaging 1.43 FPTS/min on the season and had a monster 37.75 DK point game to kick off the regular season. The Blazers have done a great job of limiting fantasy production from opposing centers so far, but the data is still very noisy with most teams only having played six or seven games. Take the value and move on.
Mo Bamba - C, ORL vs. MIN ($7,100)
As stated with WCJ, the Wolves are vulnerable against bigs as they're allowing the second-most DK points to both PF's and C's this season. Bamba sees around 30 minutes per game and has had some spike performances already, highlighted by a 51 DK point showing against the Raptors where he scored 14 points, snagged a career-high 18 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Drummond is the top play at the position, but you can certainly mix in Bamba or even play them both in lineups.
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN vs. MEM ($11,000)
If I'm paying up for anyone tonight, it's going to be Jokic. He has two games with over 67 DK points and he clearly has the highest potential ceiling on this slate. The Grizzlies are allowing the sixth-most DK PPG to opposing C's and the second-most DK PPG overall. Don't overthink this one and make Joker a core piece tonight.
Others to consider: Robert Williams ($6,100), Myles Turner ($5,900), Isaiah Hartenstein ($3,000)
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