NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some of the key players for Wednesday’s massive 13-game slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out our Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

NBA DFS Picks & Optimal Lineup Construction | Nov. 24

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic

Cole Anthony has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Hornets, which means Suggs should take on another increased workload. He struggled in his last game, finishing with just 11.5 DraftKings points over 16.8 minutes, but he dealt with foul trouble before the game turned into a blowout. He should return to his usual workload if tonight’s game against the Hornets is more competitive.

Suggs has increased his usage rate by a team-high +8.1% in games without Anthony, and he leads the team with a 34.4% usage rate in those contests. He’s averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute in those games despite an effective field goal percentage of 30.4%, so he has room for improvement moving forward. Perhaps that will happen against the Hornets, who rank merely 22nd in defensive efficiency.

Suggs’ price tag has dipped to just $4,800 on DraftKings, and he’s an elite option at that salary. Expect him to own an excellent value rating in our NBA Projections.

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Josh Giddey, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder will be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second straight game, which means Giddey will get the opportunity to serve more as a traditional point guard. Giddey hasn’t seen much of a usage bump with SGA off the court this season, but he has increased his assist rate by +6.8% and his rebound rate by +2.7%. He thrived in his first game with Gilgeous-Alexander, racking up 40.25 DraftKings points over 31.1 minutes.

Unfortunately, the Thunder have a tough matchup Wednesday against the Jazz, but that could result in lower ownership for Giddey. He’s particularly intriguing at just $6,000 on FanDuel. If he’s not garnering a ton of ownership, he’ll likely be an appealing leverage option in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Cedi Osman, SG/F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Things continue to go from bad to worse for the Cavaliers from an injury perspective. They’re already without Collin Sexton, who will miss the rest of the year with a knee injury, and Evan Mobley, who is out for another one to three weeks with an elbow sprain. Now, Darius Garland is questionable with a neck injury. He’s taken on a massive role for the Cavs since losing Sexton, so his absence would open up a ton of minutes and opportunities for the rest of the lineup.

Osman would be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.23 DraftKings points per minute with Sexton, Mobley, and Garland off the court, and he’s second on the team in usage in that situation.

Ricky Rubio would also see a boost in value. He has increased his usage rate to 33.3% with all three players off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.20 DraftKings points per minute. Both players would be elite DFS options if Garland is ruled out, and both players would also be worth exploring in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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