DraftKings NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday, 11/22/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

On Friday night, the NBA Emirates Cup continues with eight games on the schedule, all of which are included in the main slate of DraftKings contests. The action begins at 7:00 p.m. ET with games in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia and shifts gradually to the West before wrapping up with a 10:30 p.m. ET start in Los Angeles, where the Clippers host the Kings. All 16 teams playing had Thursday off, but the Bulls, Bucks, Rockets, Warriors, Nuggets, and Blazers are each starting a back-to-back that finishes on Saturday.

There will be a few key availability situations to watch on Friday. We already know the Mavs will be without Luka Doncic (wrist), and Nikola Jokic ($12,200; personal) is questionable. Paul George (knee) will also be sidelined again, and Brandon Ingram ($9,000; ankles) is questionable. Those high-usage stars being available or out will have a big impact on players' usage, so be sure to check back and finalize your lineup with the latest news just before tipoff. Let's look at all of these matchups from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/22/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings. 

DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks

Alperen Sengun, HOU - C ($8,400)

The Rockets host the Trail Blazers after each team won their first NBA Cup game. The Rockets are 11-5 to start the season and have gotten excellent production from Sengun, who is averaging 44.9 DraftKings points per game and 1.53 DraftKings points per minute.

He has been even better over his last seven games, averaging 1.63 DraftKings points per minute, and he is coming off a monster game on Wednesday when he scored a season-high 31 points to go with 12 rebounds on his way to 52.5 DraftKings points.

Alperen Sengun vs Indiana Pacers

31 PTS | 12 REB | 2 AST

Al-P dropped 30+ in just 28 minutes! All-Star season loading? 🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/9yJHvpAavc

— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) November 21, 2024

He gets a great matchup on Friday against the Blazers, who will likely be without Deandre Ayton ($6,600; finger, doubtful). Sengun's defense and non-scoring contributions have dramatically improved this year, and he's a great way to get a high ceiling and also a good floor for under $9,000 on Friday.

Zach LaVine, CHI – SG/SF ($7,400)

The Bulls are also in a very favorable matchup on Friday in the game with the highest over/under of the night as they host the Hawks. The teams rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA in pace and are also in the bottom 10 of defensive efficiency. LaVine leads the Bulls with a 25.0% usage rate and has produced 37.5 DraftKings points per game and 1.10 DraftKings points per minute on the season. In his last six games, he has picked up that pace to 39.9 DraftKings points per game and 1.18 DraftKings points per minute.

At the half, Zach LaVine is looking hot — 20 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast (6-8 FG). pic.twitter.com/UpJAgA45Rm

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) November 21, 2024

LaVine has scored 25+ points in four of his last six games and started the week with strong games against the Pistons and Bucks. When he's healthy, he has a very high ceiling and should be in a great position for a big game against the Hawks on Friday.

Jared McCain, PHI – PG/SG ($6,500)

The Sixers got Tyrese Maxey ($8,400) back from his hamstring injury on Wednesday after a six-game absence, but they lost Paul George (knee) for at least the next two games to a left knee bone bruise. While Maxey was out, rookie Jared McCain emerged as a huge contributor, and he should be able to stay involved now that PG's absence opens more usage.

Over his last seven games, McCain has produced 1.07 DraftKings points per minute with a 27.9% usage rate that ranks fourth on the team behind the three big stars. With Maxey and Joel Embiid ($10,100) expected to play against the Nets, he won't have to carry a huge workload but should be productive at this price point.

Jared McCain over his last 6 games:

20 PTS - 2 REB - 5 AST
20 PTS - 4 REB - 4 AST
29 PTS - 1 REB - 4 AST
34 PTS - 10 AST - 6 3PM
23 PTS - 3 REB - 2 AST
27 PTS - 3 REB - 2 AST

(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/tlXYSqSQyk

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2024

Figuring out how he fits alongside Maxey will be key for the Sixers, and they'll make their second start side-by-side on Friday in a favorable spot at home against the Nets.

Others Under Consideration: Jayson Tatum - SF/PF ($10,400), Joel Embiid - C ($10,100), Kyrie Irving - PG/SG ($9,800), Damian Lillard - PG ($8,900), Jamal Murray - PG/SG ($8,600)

DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL - PF/C ($12,100)

Giannis is the most expensive player on the slate, but he has been posting dominant numbers, so if you can find enough value in other spots, he makes sense as a pay-up play. He had 41 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists on Wednesday, producing 65.75 DraftKings points and falling just short of a massive triple-double.

Giannis Antetokounmpo so far this season :

32.1 PPG
12.1 RPG
6.1 APG
1.4 BPG
61.0% FG

He is on track to be the 1st Player to average these stats in NBA History. pic.twitter.com/1hsk0zECgX

— Bucks Muse (@BucksMuse) November 21, 2024

The Bucks host the Pacers on Friday night, and Giannis has crushed them over the past two seasons, averaging 39.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game in eight head-to-head matchups.

Fred VanVleet, HOU – PG ($7,200)

You can build a very nice Rockets stack with Sengun and VanVleet. In his last eight games, FVV has produced 1.27 DraftKings points per minute and 40.8 DraftKings points per game.

On Wednesday, he had 18 points, six assists, and four steals against the Pacers for 39 DraftKings points, but he had been even better with over 45 DraftKings points in each of his previous three games. He is always a threat for a double-double as Houston's primary point guard and has multiple steals in seven of his last nine games as well.

Jalen Johnson, ATL – PF ($8,300)

After a one-game absence due to a lower leg issue, Johnson returned on Wednesday to continue his breakout season starring alongside Trae Young ($9,200). Johnson had a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double in his return, earning 45.0 DraftKings points in a loss to the Warriors.

PB & J This Season 🍞

Trae Young Jalen Johnson
21.9 PPG 19.1 PPG
11.6 APG 10.2 RPG
3.9 RPG 5.3 APG pic.twitter.com/n2z8k33972

— HawksMuse (@MuseHawk) November 21, 2024

Johnson and Young are both solid options against the Bulls, and Johnson is especially attractive at this price point.

Myles Turner, IND – C ($6,500)

Turner is a boom-or-bust producer with a high ceiling, but he is very volatile, so I usually prefer to use him in tournament play. He showed his upside with 52.75 DraftKings points against the Heat on Sunday, but he was forced to sit out Monday's game with calf soreness.

He returned on Wednesday against Sengun and the Rockets, totaling 32.25 DraftKings points in 29 minutes. While he hasn't been able to do much to slow down Giannis in the Bucks-Pacers games in the past two years, he has averaged 20.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in those eight head-to-head contests.

Others Under Consideration: De'Aaron Fox - PG ($9,400), Stephen Curry - PG ($9,100), Josh Giddey - PG/SG ($6,000), Shaedon Sharpe - POR (SG/SF), Ivica Zubac - C ($7,200)

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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks

Trayce Jackson-Davis, GS – C ($3,700)

Jackson-Davis is an excellent value as the Warriors starting center and has been in the lineup for nine straight games. His production has been hit-or-miss, but he had his first double-double of the season on Wednesday with 14 points, 11 boards, and 36.25 DraftKings points against the Hawks.

Trayce Jackson-Davis LIVES above the rim 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dCjLb9qnOC

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 21, 2024

He has been trending in the right direction with at least eight points in four straight games and over 22 DraftKings points in three of those contests. With the Pelicans short-handed up front, he's a great bargain option on Friday with his salary under $4,000.

Robert Williams III, POR – PF/C ($4,800)

Williams is still ramping up after missing the first nine games of the season, but he has played at least 24 minutes in each of his last three games while helping to fill in for Ayton. Time Lord has produced over 25 DraftKings points in three of his five games this season, highlighted by 46.25 DraftKings points against the Timberwolves last Tuesday in the Blazers' first NBA Cup matchup.

Man, it's so good to see Robert Williams III back on the basketball court.

19 PTS | 9 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 3 BLK

One of one. pic.twitter.com/eKhhlS4cVL

— Jake Issenberg (@jakeissenberg) November 13, 2024

Quentin Grimes, DAL – SG/SF ($4,200)

Grimes will likely slot back into the starting five for the next few games without Luka. Kyrie Irving ($9,800) will take most of Luka's usage but has been priced up accordingly while Grimes is still extremely cheap.

Grimes is averaging 0.72 DraftKings points per minute on the year and 0.80 DraftKings points per minute with Luka off the court. He finished with 29.5 DraftKings points on Tuesday against the Pelicans and has scored double-digit points in three of his last four games.

Julian Strawther, DEN – SG/SF ($3,600)

On the other side of that matchup in the Mile High City, Strawther has helped the Nuggets get through the last few weeks without Aaron Gordon (calf). The second-year forward has played 19+ minutes in eight straight games, averaging 0.91 DraftKings points per minute and 21.0 DraftKings points per game.

That's a very solid return at this price point, especially when he brings a high ceiling like he showed with 34.5 DraftKings points last Sunday in Memphis.

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

Hawks at Bulls (244.5 total)

The Bulls-Hawks game should be very high-scoring and bring plenty of fantasy potential. Coby White ($6,800; neck) is probable but has been a little inconsistent over the last few games while LaVine and Nikola Vucevic ($7,800) have carried the workload. Ayo Dosunmu ($5,000) and Jalen Smith ($3,400) can help round out the stack from their affordable salaries.

While the tandem of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson have been excellent as pay-up plays, Clint Capela ($5,300) and De'Andre Hunter ($5,100) are strong mid-range values to consider as well. Dyson Daniels ($6,800) has been excellent as well, but his salary has caught up to his production lately.

Pacers at Bucks (237.5 total)

The Pacers and Bucks are both 6-9 coming into this matchup, and the Pacers lost their first NBA Cup game. Along with Turner, Bennedict Mathurin ($6,400) makes sense as a part of the Pacers stack while T.J. McConnell ($4,800) has also been very good in the Pacers' backcourt this season.

I highlighted Giannis above, and you can pair him with Damian Lillard ($8,900) as a great pay-up tandem to build around. AJ Green ($4,100) has impressed lately and veteran Gary Trent Jr. ($4,000) has started to find his footing with double-digit points in four straight contests.

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Zach LaVine
• My favorite VALUE play: Quentin Grimes

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis