FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday 11/1/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

It's only been a week, but the injuries are piling up across the association with the latest casualty being Paolo Banchero who is going to miss at least a month or two (sorry Magic fans). The Magic got that news on the eve before they play the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that bounced them from the first round of the playoffs last season.

With so many other players listed as questionable, it's difficult to know exactly what our lineups will look like by lock tonight, but we can certainly take a closer look at the guys who we do know are playing who have good matchups. I try to recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs, while also highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks. If you are looking for advice on the 7-game DraftKings slate, then give my friend Zach Thompson's article a read!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 11/1/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EST on FanDuel. 

FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks

Anthony Edwards, MIN – SG/SF ($9,100)

Edwards stands out to me tonight as an underpriced superstar in a better spot than we might normally think. While Denver has traditionally been a good defensive team, this year they are not so far - ranking 21st in the NBA in defensive rating.

And while we haven't seen a true ceiling game from Ant yet this year, you know it's coming sooner or later. He has a 32% usage rate so far this season and is averaging 30 actual points per night. He has some big spike games in his game log from last year's playoff series against this team and I like his chances of doing it again tonight.

Dennis Schroder, BKN – PG  ($6,900)

It sounds as crazy to me as I type this as it probably does to you while you are reading it, but I am happy to pay nearly 7k for Dennis Schroder and he might still be underpriced for tonight's slate.

The German journeyman has been fantastic so far this year leading a scrappy bunch of young Nets players. He has the green light to shoot as much as he wants and is the primary playmaker on offense as well, averaging over eight assists per game this year.

The Bulls are playing the fastest of any team in the league right now, so I can't help but love D-Schro in this spot. Leave your preconceived notions about how good Schroder is at the door - the dude can get buckets and is simply playing at a very high level right now.

Jalen Johnson, ATL – SF/PF ($8,400)

Johnson has posted 50+ FanDuel points in back-to-back games while playing 39 minutes a night. What's not to love about this guy and his game? He runs the floor, can knock down perimeter shots, and can finish at the rim while being a plus rebounder, too.

Jalen Johnson : 21 points (9-21 shooting, 1-5 from 3 & 2-5 from the FT line), career-high 17 rebounds, 4 assists & 3 steals in 40 minutes pic.twitter.com/NtNeItFx72

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) October 31, 2024

DeAndre Hunter, Dyson Daniels, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are out again for Atlanta, so we should expect to see Johnson continue to play big minutes and have a major role in this offense. This game tonight against the Kings has the highest total on the board, so getting some exposure to Atlanta and Sacramento is something that I would recommend.

FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Cade Cunningham, DET – PG ($8,500)

Detroit finally got a win on Wednesday against the Sixers and it was behind another strong scoring performance from Cunningham who has 20 or more points in all five of Detroit's games this season.

Looks like Cade Cunningham has that lift and confidence in his 3 again 🔥 he’s shooting 40% from deep so far this season #Pistons pic.twitter.com/DxLkFfxGQq

— Eric Vincent (@IAmEricVincent) October 31, 2024

Cade is not only scoring the rock but has picked up where he left off late last season in terms of his assist numbers. He's averaging 7.4 dimes per game and has been solid defensively, too, with a block and steal per game. The turnovers are an issue, but for DFS, he's doing enough of everything else to make up for it.

Jalen Williams, OKC – SF/PF ($8,100)

The Thunder have rolled through their first four opponents without breaking much of a sweat. But Jalen Williams has still posted three straight performances of 44 or more FD points, despite not playing more than 32 minutes in any of those games.

He's doing a little of everything, but his ability to rack up steals gives him some major upside. He had four swipes (and a block) against the Spurs on Tuesday while flirting with a triple-double (12-7-8) in only 26 minutes.

At some point, a team is going to push OKC to play their core guys until the final minutes, and maybe a scrappy Portland team can do it tonight.

Jayson Tatum, BOS - SF/PF ($10,200)

Tatum was featured in this piece on Wednesday and bounced back in a major way - just as we had anticipated - with a 61.6 FanDuel point outing against the Pacers. He needed overtime to get there, but was still effective nonetheless, pouring in 37 actual points to take him to 30.2 points per game on the season. Charlotte presents an excellent matchup for Tatum, let's just hope the Hornets can hang with Boston long enough for Tatum to hit his ceiling.

Others Under Consideration: Anthony Davis - PF/C ($11,00), Tyrese Haliburton - PG ($8,600), Nikola Vucevic - C ($7,800), Karl-Anthony Towns (Questionable) - C ($8,300)

Want more NBA DFS tools and exclusive content? Check out our premium daily content from proven winner Will Priester! Grab an NBA season pass and get access to our daily projections, optimizer, Will's personal picks, props, advice, and VIP chat rooms. Use promo code THUNDERDAN at checkout to save 10%

FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks

Jonathan Mogbo, TOR – PF ($4,200)

No Scottie Barnes tonight again for the Raptors as it's been announced that he's out for at least three weeks. Immanuel Quickley is doubtful, too, leaving the Raptors shorthanded once again and without two of their top three players.

Per 36 minutes, Jonathan Mogbo is TOP 5 in the league at deflections because of his length, lateral quickness, instincts and motor

He averages 3.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per 36 😮‍💨

With Barnes hurt, he could be in line for a big role in the coming weeks 👀 pic.twitter.com/V1tYfNFiRH

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 30, 2024

Mogbo drew the start on Wednesday and put up 26.8 FD points in 25 minutes. His defensive production has been impressive as he's averaging 2.2 "stocks" per game despite playing less than 20 minutes a game. With steals and blocks being worth three points each on FD, he has the potential to rack up a big score anytime he plays big minutes and I think he sees at least 25 again tonight against the Lakers.

Jose Alvarado, NOP – PG ($4,400)

Alvarado should draw another start for the Pelicans as C.J. McCollum is out again tonight and Dejounte Murray is out for an extended period. He managed 36 FD points in 34 minutes on Tuesday against the Warriors and is still badly underpriced for his starting gig tonight.

Anthony Black, ORL – PG/SG ($4,600)

The entire Orlando team is going to have to attempt to pick up the slack with Paolo Banchero hurt, and Black is a player who could see more minutes and be asked to score the ball more going forward.

David Roddy, ATL – SF ($4,300)

Roddy could get another spot start tonight with Atlanta down three members of their regular rotation. He was solid in his first start of the year on Wednesday, posting 17 points, four rebounds, and two steals which was good for 25.3 FD points.

Jordan Hawkins, NOP - SG ($5,100)

Hawkins is currently questionable, but poured in 23 points against the Warriors on Tuesday, playing 38 minutes. He is a gunner who can get hot shooting and is far too cheap for his role tonight with the Pelicans being undermanned.

Others Under Consideration: Chris Boucher - PF/C ($4,700), Bennedict Mathurin - SG/SF ($4,900), Davion Mitchell - PG ($4,800)

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

Atlanta Hawks vs. Sacramento Kings (239.5 total, 6.5-point spread)

There's so much to like here! I already highlighted Jalen Johnson and David Roddy (for value), but we can also consider rookie Zach Risacher ($4,600) at small forward for Atlanta and we can always play Trae Young ($10,000) in tournaments.

The Sacramento side is pretty easy as three players suck up most of the usage on offense - Domantas Sabonis ($9,600), DeMar DeRozan ($8,200), and De'Aaron Fox ($8,800). So far we haven't really seen much of a ceiling from Fox and I think DDR's scoring is cutting into Fox's output more than Sabo's.

I'd probably run Johnson with either Roddy or Risacher for Atlanta and bring it back with DDR or Sabonis.

Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets (226.5 total, 1.5-point spread)

I mentioned already how fast the Bulls are playing and also that the Nets are playing teams close and not getting blown out nightly like a lot of people thought they would. We would need to know Zach LaVine's ($7,600) status before we can know how we approach the Chicago side of things, but LaVine would be a top option if healthy. If he's out, then Coby White ($6,500) and Josh Giddey ($6,700) would both be more appealing, as would center Nikola Vucevic ($7,800).

The Nets side is tricky after you plug in Schroder. Nic Claxton is back tonight and would be my first choice - but has had his minutes limited so far. Cam Thomas is too expensive for my liking and one dimensional. And the rest of the squad is really hard to project in terms of their minutes and production.

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: Jalen Johnson
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Dennis Schroder
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jalen Williams
• My favorite VALUE play: Jose Alvarado

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis