FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Monday 11/13/23

Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. numberFire's projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news. numberFire also has player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

In addition to daily projections, numberFire also offers a matchup heat map and a lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

Here at FanDuel Research, we'll also come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

Donovan Mitchell ($10,000) -- It's really hard for me to keep Donovan Mitchell out of lineups when he's active. 'Spida comes with a steep salary, but he brings a unique combination of floor (zero games with fewer than 39 FanDuel points) and ceiling (season-high of 70.1). The Sacramento Kings have been surprisingly stingy against opposing guards, and this game has a slate-low 221-point total, but you won't find a more reliable guard to build around than Mitchell.

Coby White ($5,500) -- The Chicago Bulls play in the second half of a back-to-back tonight, so expect 23-year-old Coby White to see as much run as he can handle. White has been trending in the right direction of late with at least 31 FanDuel points in three straight games. I like him to extend that streak tonight considering the Milwaukee Bucks have surrendered the 10th-most FanDuel points per game to point guards (48.5), per FantasyPros. He's an excellent value to pair with Mitchell.

Keon Ellis ($3,500) -- Keon Ellis has been one of the main beneficiaries of De'Aaron Fox's absence. Ellis has started two straight games for the Kings and just played a career-high 31 minutes. Don't expect the world, but Ellis' minimum salary paired with solid playing time makes him a valuable addition to any DFS lineup tonight, especially considering the Cleveland Cavaliers have surrendered the most FanDuel points per game (56.9) to opposing point guards.

Others to Consider

Damian Lillard ($8,600) -- Damian Lillard is probable tonight after missing two games, but he faces a Bulls defense that's been stout against guards. While that could partially explain his uncharacteristically low salary, he's also just been wildly inconsistent. He has two games with 48 FanDuel points but also two with fewer than 25. Although that variance makes him tough to trust in single-entry formats, the upside he brings at this salary makes Dame a strong tournament option.

Malik Monk ($5,900) -- Malik Monk has posted a star-like 29.2% usage rate with De'Aaron Fox off the court this season, per CourtIQ. With Fox doubtful, Monk is in a nice spot to produce against a Cavaliers defense that's just 12th in defensive rating and has struggled to contain opposing guards. It helps that he's seen 30 and 29 minutes in his last two outings and that he's averaging a career-high 5.6 assists per game, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in Sactown.

Wings

Top Plays

Scottie Barnes ($9,400) -- Scottie Barnes' 44.3-point projection is numberFire's highest among sub-$10,000 players tonight. Though he's coming off his worst game of the season, Barnes has still eclipsed 40 FanDuel points in all but one game this season. His Toronto Raptors boast the highest implied team total (119.5) of the slate against a Washington Wizards defense in the bottom five in defensive rating (117.5) and FanDuel points allowed to small forwards (52.2). Expect a bounceback effort.

DeMar DeRozan ($7,900) -- DeMar DeRozan is straight cooking right now, having eclipsed 40 FanDuel points in three consecutive outings. His salary is still manageable, especially given the matchup. Milwaukee plays at the fourth-fastest pace (102.4) but ranks just 25th in defensive rating (116.5) and has allowed the sixth-most FanDuel points per game to small forwards (44.9). DeRozan is currently shooting a career-high 36.4% from three, so ride him while he's hot.

Max Strus ($5,400) -- Even if his minutes have dipped compared to the first three games of the season, Max Strus still deserves a look given his friendly salary. He's only hit 30 FanDuel points once in his last six games, but that hasn't stopped him from attempting over six threes per game. He's currently shooting just 34.3% from deep -- a mark that won't keep up forever and could easily turn around tonight against a Kings team surrendering the 11th-highest three-point percentage (36.1%).

Others to Consider

OG Anunoby ($6,700) -- OG Anunoby is a high-risk, high-reward play tonight against the Wizards. Like Barnes, Anunoby could fill up the box score against a putrid Washington defense, but it's his defensive prowess that really catches my eye here. Anunoby averages 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks per contest, while the Wizards allow 9.0 steals (23rd) and 5.3 blocks (17th). Still, his variance (five games with fewer than 25 FanDuel points) and health (questionable with a finger laceration) probably keep OG out of smaller contests.

Kevin Huerter ($5,800) -- Sensing a theme here? In a small slate light on quality values on the perimeter, the Kings' plethora of guards and wings make for excellent dart throws in larger tournaments. Kevin Huerter fits the bill. Though he's been inconsistent, he's coming off 32.0- and 51.8-point outings -- both of which came with four made threes. Still shooting just 30.8% from deep, the career 38.3% shooter could continue to heat up from distance against a Cavs defense allowing the sixth-highest three-point percentage (37.9%).

Bigs

Top Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400) -- It's hard not to build a lineup around Giannis Antetokounmpo, even with his slate-high $11,400 salary. The Greek Freak has been on a heater of late, eclipsing 60 FanDuel points thrice across his last four games. The Chicago Bulls have been relatively stingy against power forwards, but they've given up the third-most FanDuel points per game to centers (59.5) and Giannis has averaged 58.7 against them across their last seven full matchups. He's the clear No. 1 tonight.

Domantas Sabonis ($10,100) -- Domantas Sabonis has as many games with 50 FanDuel points (three) as he does with fewer than 40 (also three). Two of those 50-burgers have come in his last two games, so I'm doing everything I can to fit him into my lineup tonight. Cleveland has been a pretty average matchup for opposing centers overall, but they quietly rank 24th in rebound rate (47.5%) -- a good omen for the NBA's second-highest rebounder (12.9 per game).

Deni Avdija ($5,900) -- I'm really trying to get at least one of Giannis or Sabonis in my lineup tonight, so it makes sense to find some value in the frontcourt to pair alongside them. That leads us to Deni Avdija. The former lottery pick has quietly flashed in his first year as a full-time starter with 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. That's led to some consistent fantasy production, as he's scored at least 21 FanDuel points in every game this season. He's a safe value given his game's slate-leading total (229.5).

Others to Consider

Nikola Vucevic ($7,700) -- If you're looking for a contrarian play to counter the Giannis/Sabonis stacks tonight, Nikola Vucevic is your guy. 'Vuc has had some stinkers (three games with fewer than 30 FanDuel points) but is coming off 41.7- and 49.4-point outings. The Bucks are allowing the fourth-fewest FanDuel points (46.9) to opposing centers, but he cleared 37 points in three of four meetings with them last season and is projected for a healthy 38 tonight.

Brook Lopez ($5,600) -- Brook Lopez is no stranger to lighting up the Bulls, having averaged 43.2 FanDuel points across his last five matchups with them. Chicago boasts essentially the same frontcourt as in years past, so I'm not against leaning into matchup trends between division rivals. On top of that, they've surrendered the third-most FanDuel points (59.5) to centers this season. Lopez is a sneaky value if you want to load up on this game's 228-point total.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.