Thursday, Nov. 18, brings a six-game main slate going up against Thursday Night Football. Let’s look at the player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Do not forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS home page for more great written daily fantasy basketball content.
NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Thursday, Nov. 18
Yahoo Play of the Day — Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 56.3 | DraftKings: 59.32
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 35.8% | FanDuel 29.9% | DraftKings 29.2%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $54 | FanDuel $11,600 | DraftKings $12,000
Even with Nikola Jokic rightfully at an apex salary level, he still warrants strong consideration as the top option on Thursday. Only Paul George and Stephen Curry project within 10 Yahoo points, which shows how top heavy the player pool is, even with a dozen teams in action. Curry (hip) is coming in with a questionable tag, and it would not be a surprise for he and Draymond Green to get a night off in a winnable game tonight against the Cavaliers or tomorrow when their road trip continues in Detroit.
In three of his last four games, Jokic has 60-plus Yahoo points. Jamal Murray is still out with the knee injury he suffered last year, and Michael Porter Jr. is sidelined as well. Will Barton is questionable with a back injury and has missed the last two games. That leaves Jokic with an even larger load than normal. On the season he leads Denver in points and he is pulling down 13.8 rebounds per game, which is more than Porter and Aaron Gordon combined. He also leads the team assists in assists per game with 6.3 and steals per game with 1.3.
Dejounte Murray: San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.84 | DraftKings: 45.21
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 26.8% | FanDuel 18% | DraftKings 12.3%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $39 | FanDuel $9,900 | DraftKings $9,800
There is still an attainable 15-20% of value with Dejounte Murray’s salary on Yahoo tonight. He is coming off a pair of 58-Yahoo-point games against the Clippers and Lakers in Los Angeles. Tonight he is facing a Timberwolves team that has fallen back into their old habits on defense, allowing 108.8 points per 100 possessions, which is in the bottom third of the league. Now that he is finally healthy and two full years removed from his torn ACL, Murray has been phenomenal. Currently he is posting career bests in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and effective field goal percentage. This is not an offer to refuse, so grab the cannoli and the great deal with Murray tonight.
Paul George: Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 47.3 | DraftKings: 49.94
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 21% | FanDuel 31.3% | DraftKings 16.7%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $47 | FanDuel $10,100 | DraftKings $11,000
It is another short slate, and here is Paul George again making the recommended plays section. Tonight Nicolas Batum is doubtful with an Achilles issue. He has been playing a key role with Marcus Morris (knee) not yet ready to return to action. Terance Mann is questionable with an ankle injury that kept him out of the last game as well. Justise Winslow (personal) is away from the team, and Keon Johnson and Serge Ibaka are also unavailable for tonight. That leaves ample opportunity for George to once again see 30-35% usage. Like Jokic, he is leading the Clippers in most statistical categories and approaching career highs across the board.
George is a favorite of fellow Awesemo NBA DFS expert Adam Scherer, as he is one of the headliners in Adan’s NBA DFS Deep Dive today.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Last night Ed Davis got the start for the Cavaliers, who were without Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen. That duo is out again tonight. Kevin Love returned after an eight-game absence and played 21.4 minutes. It would be a surprise if he reached that level again tonight, and it would not be a surprise if he is a late scratch. Either way, Davis is a solid option who should flirt with a double-double against the Warriors. If Curry or Green gets a night off, then Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins all would get a boost in opportunities.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS picks for the Thursday, Nov. 18 Slate
Washington, Miami, Cleveland and Minnesota are all on back-to-backs tonight, so a late-breaking scratch is not out of the question. Golden State, Toronto, Denver and the Clippers all play tomorrow, so gamers will want to be on their toes. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
