We have a nine-game slate to kick off our NBA week and we should be in for a good one tonight. As the season goes on, we will get into more stats and usage rates, but with the season being so young, we don't have a ton to go on.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/5/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings.
You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks and our Premium DFS Cheat Sheet. And don't forget to check out our brand new NBA DFS Matchup Ratings tool with daily player projections. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Give me a follow on Twitter @DFS_Tom with questions or comments. Good luck everyone.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Ricky Rubio - PG, UTA vs TOR (DK - $6,000)
With Donovan Mitchell already being ruled out, we should see Rubio get another usage boost, as he did the other night. This makes him a bit of a value play since he is underpriced compared to what his role in the offense. Rubio's usage rate is 27.3% this season when Mitchell is off the court, along with averaging 1.06 fantasy points per minute. This game doesn't have an over-under set as of now, but we should be looking at a decently high scoring game, meaning plenty of fantasy points to go around.
Damyean Dotson - SG, NY vs CHI (DK - $4,900)
Some of you might be asking, who is Damyean Dotson? Well, this is his second season with the Knicks and playing some solid minutes right now and not that expensive. He has played 30 minutes or more in three of his last four games while posting 21 DraftKings points or more in three of those games. He is producing 0.86 fantasy points per minute right now, which is very solid for a player at his price point. Love the matchup for him against the Bulls, who are giving up 42 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Aaron Gordon - PF, ORL vs CLE (DK - $6,500)
Gordon is coming off his worst game of the season, where he posted only 9.25 DraftKings points. Yikes, that is bad, but with that performance, we have seen his price drop down to $6,500. This is way too cheap for the level of play we have seen from Gordon over the past two seasons and this should make him one of the chalkiest players on the slate. He still has a usage rate sitting at 23% this season, while averaging 0.98 fantasy points per minute this season. I'm expecting a bounce-back game for him, as he is up against the Cavaliers in a game where the over-under is set at 213 points, with a spread of only three points.
Stanley Johnson - SF, DET vs MIA (DK - $3,700)
Johnson could be one of the more popular salary savers on the slate tonight since he could be getting the start for the injured Reggie Bullock. Right now, Bullock is listed as questionable for this game, so we have a good chance he will miss. Johnson won't be a big usage monster on the Pistons since he will give that to Griffin and Drummond, but at his price, he doesn't need to do a whole lot to reach value.
DraftKings DFS Center
Myles Turner - C, IND vs HOU (DK - $5,100)
Turner and the Pacers are at home and in a game that the spread set as a pick'em. This means we are in for a very close game against a struggling Rockets' team, which is great since we shouldn't be at risk for a blowout. Turner has played 27 minutes or more in four straight games and has posted 20 DraftKings points in those four games. He is up against the Rockets, who are giving up 62 DraftKings points per game to centers this season, which fifth worst in the league. He truly isn't that expensive and the savings can help you get up to the higher priced playesr on the slate.