Monday, Nov. 1, brings a nifty nine-game main slate with a host of pending injury news, which will create value options throughout the day. 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.
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Monday, Nov. 1
Yahoo Play of the Day — Paul George: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.28 | DraftKings: 46.79
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 11.8% | FanDuel 17.8% | DraftKings 10.5%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $47 | FanDuel $10,100 | DraftKings $10,700
While it is not quite yet the time for the Clippers to panic, that moment is not far off either. Los Angeles has just one victory through their first five games, and that is not going to cut it. Tonight Paul George and company are double-digit home favorites against Oklahoma City, which does not put a priority on defense, allowing an eye-popping 110.5 points per 100 possessions. George should thrive in this matchup, and he is averaging a career-high 1.52 Yahoo points per minute. If the Clippers fall tonight, expect a dreaded players-only meeting before their next game.
Dejounte Murray: San Antonio Spurs at Indiana Pacers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 41.48 | DraftKings: 42.09
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 28.8% | FanDuel 12.9% | DraftKings 6.5%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $35 | FanDuel $8,900 | DraftKings $9,200
The Yahoo salary algorithm is taking a wait-and-see approach with Dejounte Murray, who is having a breakout campaign. Through six games he is averaging career highs across the board, with 35.5 minutes and 17.8 field goal attempts leading to 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 2.5 combined blocks/steals. The Pacers defense is going to improve with the return of Caris LeVert, but he is not ready for a full minutes workload, and Malcom Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb are also dinged up. That should serve to make this a close and competitive game.
Tobias Harris: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 38.84 | DraftKings: 39.83
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 39.4% | FanDuel 42.0% | DraftKings 7.5%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $31 | FanDuel $7,400 | DraftKings $9,100
Joel Embiid has been ruled out tonight for rest, and Ben Simmons is nowhere close to a return. That means Tobias Harris will be the focal point of the offense against a Portland team that eschews defense and is on the second leg of a back-to-back and a third game in four nights. Since the beginning of last season, when both Embiid and Simmons are off the court Harris sees a 10% increase in his fantasy production to 1.25 Yahoo points per minute. Harris should see 35 to 37 minutes tonight, and he has a realistic chance for his first 50-fantasy-point performance of the season.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
Andre Drummond: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 42.16 | DraftKings: 43.25
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 43.2% | FanDuel 21.4% | DraftKings 51.3%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $16 | FanDuel $5,400 | DraftKings $4,400
The big winner tonight should be Andre Drummond, who should move into the starting lineup in place of Embiid. Philadelphia will need someone to battle Jusuf Nurkic in the paint, so why not one of the best interior rebounders in the game? Keep in mind that Drummond is by no means a bad player or washed up; the style of today’s NBA has just moved beyond him.
On the season Drummond is averaging 1.45 Yahoo points per minute, and while that number will go down with increased minutes, he should be in line for 40-plus fantasy points tonight. Drummond led the league in rebounds per game four times from 2015 to 2020 and finished second once. One final data point: Drummond is still only 28, which means he is just over five months older than Embiid.
Nicolas Batum: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 23.68 | DraftKings: 23.67
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 17% | FanDuel 7.9% | DraftKings 10.9%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $11 | FanDuel $4,600 | DraftKings $4,100
Nicolas Batum continues to be one of the better bargain options on Yahoo at only a dollar over the minimum salary. While he does not take nearly enough shots to make his backers happy, he does contribute across all the other categories, giving him a nice fantasy baseline. Generally he will be right around 20 fantasy points, though he has achievable access to 30 on the nights he attempts more than half a dozen field goals.
Patrick Beverley: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 17.98 | DraftKings: 18.08
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 0.1% | FanDuel 0.1% | DraftKings 0.1%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $10 | FanDuel $4,800 | DraftKings $4,000
Keep an eye on Patrick Beverley’s status, as he is dealing with a sore calf. Otherwise, Beverley is in the midst of a nice resurgence with his new team and has four straight games of 22-plus Yahoo points off the bench at the literal rock-bottom salary.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS picks for the Monday, Nov. 1 Slate
Tonight there are 18 teams in action and a lot of moving parts, particularly with Monday Night Football kicking off in the middle of the slate. Be cognizant of any late-breaking injury news, which could prove to be a dramatic advantage with the masses distracted. 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.
