DraftKings NBA DFS Picks for Today (Tuesday, 11/12/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Welcome back, Rotoballers! I hope everyone enjoyed the night off from DFS last Tuesday and, if you're American, you went and exercised your right to vote. Tonight we start the competition for the NBA's second most important piece of hardware with eight NBA Cup Group Play matchups. These articles focus on the best plays, typically more suited for cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate.

The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/12/24. For FanDuel picks, check out Zach Thompson's breakdown here. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!

DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks

This slate is loaded with good options from top to bottom tonight, largely due to some key injuries. Trae Young and Damian Lillard headline the additions to tonight's already hefty list of injuries, and since they were ruled out late in the day on Monday their teammates' pricing doesn't exactly reflect their absences. I expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to be extremely owned across formats tonight with his $11.3k pricing suddenly looking like a bargain.

Stephen Curry. pic.twitter.com/TRvfcCCZFK

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2024

Steph Curry's price looks a little light for a guy who's flirted with 60 fantasy points in his last two full appearances, and with the Mavericks @ Warriors game boasting the highest implied total on the slate (232.5) both he and Luka Doncic could be in for big nights.

This slate looks like it will lean more toward the stars-and-scrubs build path but with a sufficient number of options between $6k and $8k, a more balanced build is viable.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs TOR - PF/C ($11,300)
2. Steph Curry, GS vs DAL - PG ($8,300)
3. Luka Doncic, DAL @ MIN - PG ($11,000)

DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks

This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.

There are plenty of value options tonight, but Atlanta stands out from the rest from a team perspective.

Defensive leaders this season:

Deflections:
66 - Dyson Daniels
40 - Nikola Jokic
35 - Alex Caruso

Steals:
30 - Dyson Daniels
18 - Jalen Williams
18 - Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/EklaZOASmT

— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) November 10, 2024

Due to Young's absence and his positional flexibility, Dyson Daniels will likely be one of the highest-owned players on the entire slate. However, Daniels is not a traditional point guard, and Keaton Wallace ($3.2k) is listed as the next man up on the Hawk's depth chart. It's also worth noting that the Hawks are currently 15.5-point underdogs, and if the game gets ugly there will be ample opportunity in garbage time for the cheaper guys like Wallace.

Top Value Plays:

1. Dyson Daniels, ATL @ BOS - SG/SF ($6,000) 
2. Grayson Allen, PHX vs UTA - SG/SF ($3,700)
3. Goga Bitadze, ORL vs CHA - C ($5,300) 

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DraftKings NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard

I already touched on the head-to-head matchup between Steph and Luka, but PG has the highest number of elite options at the position as a whole. With all of the value spread across the slate tonight, I'm looking for a slate-breaker at PG.

Top PG Options:

1. Steph Curry, GS vs DAL, ($8,300 DK)
2. Luka Doncic, DAL @ MIN, ($11,000 DK)
3. Cade Cunningham, DET vs MIA, ($8,900 DK)

DraftKings NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard

On pretty much any other night, Anthony Edwards vs the 30th-ranked defense against SGs would be a lock for top plays. However, Portland seems to be on track for another lifeless season, and Minnesota's defense could control the game, ultimately limiting his upside.

Overall, the shooting guard position has a plethora of appealing low-priced options, which naturally pairs well with spending up at PG. One name I haven't mentioned yet is Jared McCain - McCain is starting to find a groove in his rookie year and will finally play next to a returning Joel Embiid tonight. The idea behind drafting McCain is that he would provide much-needed spacing for the former MVP, which we could see tonight.

Top SG Options:

1. Dyson Daniels, ATL @ BOS, ($6,000 DK) 
2. Anthony Edwards, MIN @ POR ($8,800)
3. Jared McCain, PHI vs NYK ($4,300 DK)

DraftKings NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward

With Jayson Tatum being the least appealing of the elite options, and the next highest player priced at $8.5k, SF looks to be another excellent spot for spending down. In cash games, I think it makes the most sense to pay down, but if you're looking to be a contrarian in a tournament I think there are a few excellent options at SF.

Brad Beal isn't cheap, but he did post 46 fantasy points in the Suns' first game after Kevin Durant's injury. Last year's 3-point % leader (and Beal's teammate) Grayson Allen played his most minutes of the season last game and is one of my favorite plays on the slate thanks to his smash matchup against the Jazz's weak perimeter defense. Covering both ends of the price spectrum, these Suns shine brighter than the rest of the field.

Top SF Options:

1. Grayson Allen, PHX @ UTA - SG/SF ($3,700)
2. Bradley Beal, PHX @ UTA ($7,000)
3. Zaccharie Risacher, ATL @ BOS ($5,500)

DraftKings NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward

PF is as straightforward as Giannis vs the field. With center being the deepest position on the slate, Giannis should be deployed at PF if you're playing him tonight. If you're not playing him, I lean towards going cheap yet again. This is a weak slate for the forward slots, and I'm looking to fill them with guards/centers where possible.

Top PF Options:

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs TOR, ($11,300)
2. Naji Marshall, DAL @ MIN ($4,600 DK) 
3. Taurean Prince, MIL vs TOR ($4,100 DK)

DraftKings NBA DFS Picks: Center

The place to start for center tonight is the CHA @ ORL game. Four of the top five listed centers are missing this game for their respective teams. Goga Bitadze has scored 30+ fantasy points in four straight games, registering a double-double in two of those four games, and missing by one rebound in the other two games.

At the top of pricing, Karl-Anthony Towns has only scored under 42 fantasy points once this year and seems to be fitting in well on his new team.

Two guys who appear to be trending in the wrong direction as of Monday night are Al Horford and Jusuf Nurkic. Should either miss time, they would open up even more value on this slate.

Top C Options:

1. Goga Bitadze, ORL vs CHA, ($5,300) 
2. Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK @ PHI ($8,700 DK)
3. Daniel Gafford, DAL @ GS ($5,200 DK) 

DraftKings Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

1. DAL @ GS (o/u 232.5)
2. PHX @ UTA (o/u 217.5)

DraftKings Top NBA DFS Avoids

As previously mentioned, Jayson Tatum is by far the least appealing superstar on the slate tonight. He's listed as questionable with an ankle injury, and his ceiling could be capped by a blowout game flow. Historically, the Celtics starters still perform well in these lopsided affairs, but when you're spending five figures on a roster spot having a limited ceiling can be the difference between a good play and a great one.

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: Giannis Antetokounmpo
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Dyson Daniels
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Bradley Beal
• My favorite value play: Grayson Allen

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis