Single-Game NBA DFS Picks: Mavericks at Jazz (11/14/24)

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. Our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- update throughout the day to reflect current news. You can also turn to numberFire for player news updates as well as a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's single-game slate on FanDuel.

NBA Single-Game DFS Picks for Mavericks-Jazz

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All NBA odds are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

• Spread: Mavericks -9.0
• Total: 231.5
• Pace Rankings: Dallas 12th, Utah 7th.

Mavericks-Jazz Studs to Target

Luka Doncic ($17,000) -- Luka Doncic is the obvious MVP pick on this single-game slate. He's averaging 52.3 FanDuel points per game -- no one else on the slate is above 41.4 -- and he can torch a Utah Jazz team that is 7th in pace and 27th in defensive rating. Our NBA DFS projections peg Luka to score 56.1 FanDuel points, 14.2 clear of the field. Game theory is the only reason to consider someone else at MVP as Luka will likely be a very chalky MVP pick.

Kyrie Irving ($14,500) -- Kyrie Irving is one of the few options on the slate who can match Luka's ceiling. He went for 61.5 FanDuel points two games ago, and Utah is permitting the most FanDuel points per game to SGs (50.1). If Kyrie leads the slate in FanDuel points and you use him at MVP, it'll give you a big leg up on the field. Our model has him scoring 41.9 FanDuel points.

Lauri Markkanen ($13,500) -- The last player worth some MVP consideration is Lauri Markkanen. It's a stretch as he's averaging just 29.1 FanDuel points per night for the season. We project him for 35.0 FanDuel points. For Lauri to top the slate in FanDuel points, he'd probably need to rack up several stocks (steals plus blocks) in addition to Doncic having a down game. At a minimum, Markkanen is a solid flex play.

Mavericks-Jazz Mid-Range Options

John Collins ($13,000) -- Walker Kessler is out, which puts a little more on the plate of John Collins. Collins blew up for 57.0 FanDuel points sans Kessler last time out, so there's plenty of upside. However, he'd scored 12.1 and 34.0 FanDuel points the two games prior, so he's a wild card. The Dallas Mavericks are 10th in defensive rating but have surrendered the 10th-most FanDuel points per game to centers (56.6).

Collin Sexton ($11,000) -- The arrow is pointing up on Collin Sexton. He's played at least 27 minutes in four straight and is averaging 31.0 FanDuel points per game in that time. Kyrie and Luka aren't known for their defensive prowess. Earlier this season, Sexton posted 31.8 FanDuel points versus the Mavs. We project him for 29.4 today.

Mavericks-Jazz Value Plays

Daniel Gafford ($8,500) -- Dereck Lively ($10,500) is back, which dings Daniel Gafford's upside, but I much prefer Gafford at his salary over Lively at his. Gafford kept his starting spot in Lively's return and put up 24.2 FanDuel points in 23 minutes. Utah is giving up the second-most FanDuel points per game to centers (67.4) and will be without Kessler, their main rim protector.

Naji Marshall ($8,000) -- As of Thursday morning, Naji Marshall looks like the lowest-salaried starter in this game. He's played at least 20 minutes in seven consecutive outings -- including three games of 29-plus minutes -- and that gives him value at this salary. He can help you roster the slate's studs.

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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.