Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 11/8/17

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our NBA optimizer, our NFL Optimizer, and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below.

First time with NBA or NFL? Be sure to read our free NBA and NFL Ebooks on building lineups, general strategy and more. We've got you completely covered.

Point guard

Goran Dragic FD - $7100 DK - $6800
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 37.06 DK - 38.23

Coming off a night with 10 very intriguing games, we're right back to a shorter slate with just 5 games on the docket. We'll start it off at point guard with Goran Dragic, who's been one of the more consistent options early in the season. He gets a match-up against a Suns squad that plays 2nd fastest in all of basketball and it will be a huge pace-up game for the Heat in general. There's also a lot of bad blood between these two teams, whether it be Len+Whiteside or how Dragic was sent out in 2015. It will remain competitive throughout and Dragic can be locked in for his nightly 32-35 minutes. In this fast-paced affair, I'd expect no less than 30. 

Kyrie Irving FD - $8900 DK - $8800
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 42.19 DK - 42.93

We were all over Irving against the Hawks on Monday and he went off with another 47 fantasy point performance. He's been between 40-50 in 6 of his last 7 starts and is turning into one of the more consistent high-end options out there. He certainly is against a Lakers team that doesn't play much defense. Lonzo Ball will eventually be a really good defender, but those days are a few years out. The Lakers have allowed the 3rd most FPPG to PG's so far at 51 and play at a top 10 PACE. Irving is a little more expensive than Dragic, but he's just as safe to get 45 as Dragic is to get 30. I have both of them locked into my cash games as we speak with no plans to change. However, there's always some tournament pivots, so let's touch on one that's a little too cheap.

Jeff Teague FD - $6900 DK - $6500
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 33.29 DK - 34.01

Jeff Teague isn't a guy that many thought would be playing like this. He's been over 35 fantasy points in 6 of his last 8 games and is as safe as any of the starters to see 35+ minutes. He's inevitably going to get hurt soon because he could barely sustain 30 in Indiana, but that's not the point. He's healthy for now and playing extremely well in a system that is great for PG's. This match-up between the Warriors and T-Wolves is one that can be targeted a ton in general. It holds the highest O/U on the slate at 230 and is expected to be somewhat close. Curry isn't a great defender, but it's not really what matters when facing the Warriors. It truly just depends on whether it stays close or not. If the T-Wolves keep it close and Teague sees his 35+ minutes, there's no way he misses value while all of the good defenders are worried about Butler, Wiggins, and Towns, leaving Curry 1-on-1 with Teague.

 

Shooting Guard

Marcus Smart FD - $5900 DK - $5300
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 29.94 DK - 29.71
Terry Rozier FD - $3700 DK - $3900
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 20.99 DK - 21.02

With only 5 games on the bill, shooting guard isn't all too great. Victor Oladipo is the priciest option out there and while he's a fine cash game option, he sees a pace-down matchup against the Pistons after a grind-it-out game just last night against the Pelicans. Instead, we'll go way cheaper and look at the Celtics duo of Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. Smart is the much better player and he is the guy you can play in cash games. He's 2b on this offense with Al Horford and he's going to be around 30 fantasy points on most nights. We just picked on this Lakers team at PG with Kyrie and I'm fine with 2 guards against the Lakers in cash games. Especially Marcus Smart, who's far from reliant on scoring. As for Terry Rozier, he's a bit riskier. He's only gotten around 20 minutes in the last couple games, but at just over $3.5k, it might not even matter. In tournaments, he will keep you alive at 20 minutes and give you a monster game if he sees 30+.

Klay Thompson FD - $6900 DK - $6800
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 33.11 DK - 34.15

We're right back to this late night hammer in Golden State between the T-Wolves and Warriors. Vegas only has the GSW favored by 11, which would put the starters in there for the entire game. If that's the case, there will be more than enough fantasy goodness to go around. While you won't see any bad defenders from the Timberwolves, they give up plenty of FP's to just about every single position. Wiggins has done quite an amazing job with the SG position number-wise, but take a look at his schedule. Victor Oladipo is the only guy he's covered all season long. Thompson has had his way with these T-Wolves plenty of times in the past and could very well be in for another big one. At the very least, he'll book you 30 fantasy points in 30 minutes. Shooting guard isn't all that great and this game is clearly the one to target. If you have the funds to get here, Thompson is safe in all formats.

Avery Bradley FD - $6300 DK - $5500
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 28.43 DK - 28.85

Avery Bradley is finally on track as the guy Stan Van Gundy can rely on for 34 minutes of stellar perimeter defense and good system offense. Bradley isn't going to be the most explosive option on any night, but he's consistent when given the minutes and they've been locked in recently. The Pacers play at a 102.5 PACE, which is only 10th fastest this year, but would have ranked 2nd in 2016. The bottom line is they play fast and the Pistons don't. We'll see the Pistons play quicker than usual and Bradley should benefit as a guard who plays big and rebounds as well. He's still way too cheap and a phenomenal option in all formats. Don't pay down elsewhere to get to Thompson. If you like the lineup how it is and have $6500 left, Bradley is optimal.

Small forward

Kevin Durant FD - $10400 DK - $9700
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 51.04 DK - 50.84

This is the last Warrior we'll touch on, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. This is a game you can stack from head to toe because if it stays close, we're looking at a gold mine. Both starting lineups play 35-38 minutes in close games and there is limitless upside. Durant is the most expensive guy on the board at just $10K and he's going to be very popular in all formats. The Timberwolves obviously have plenty of solid perimeter defenders, but nobody in the world can cover KD. He hasn't been as explosive this season as he was in 2016, but he's been a lot more consistent. He's been over 40 fantasy points in every single game besides 1 ts year and typically sits around 55.

Josh Richardson FD - $4700 DK - $4600
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 24.93 DK - 24.87
Justise Winslow FD - $3300 DK - $3900
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 21.92 DK - 21.84

Power forward

Kyle Kuzma FD - $6300 DK - $6100
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 33.82 DK - 34.53

His price is almost there at this point, but the match-up is great and Kuzma is still a bit underpriced. The Celtics have a weak interior on defense and Jayson Tatum has struggled so far on defense. The DvP numbers don't look bad for the Celtics, but it has a lot to do with the competition they've faced at PF. Kuzma is an insanely talented youngster that is going to stick around for a while. You can count on him for 30 minutes and 25 fantasy points with the upside for WAY more. Power forward is pretty deep, so nobody is a must, but this is a great game to target and Kuzma is your safest bet from the Lakers. Kuzma being over $6k should scare a bunch of people away and keep him under 20 or 25% owned. Personally, you won't find a lineup of mine without him unless some crazy late news goes down.

Kristaps Porzingis FD - $9800 DK - $9500
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 47.94 DK - 47.81

The Knicks played it smart last night and held Porzingis to 28 minutes, knowing they had a game tonight against the Magic. He's played big minutes in back to backs the last 2 years, so I'd expect at least 34 tonight if it stays close. It certainly should with just a 5 point spread and a 214 projected total. Both of these teams play slightly fast and have no problems running the floor. A lot of it has to do with the versatility that these teams have at the 4. We'll get to Gordon in a minute, but as for Porzingis, people are mentioning him for MVP early. I think that's a bit foolish myself, but hey, opinions. He's been pretty insane (50+) in good match-ups and this is definitely one. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic can light up the numbers, but they don't play defense. The Magic rank 9th against PF's and allow the 3rd most 3 -pointers to big men. Porzingis is getting more expensive, but there's a good chance he pays his salary off once again like it's no big deal.

Aaron Gordon FD - $7800 DK - $7200
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 36.82 DK - 36.56

We go right to the other side of things with Aaron Gordon. While Gordon isn't a great defender, neither is Porzingis. Sure, he makes a lot of flashy blocks and what not,  but he struggles staying with guys off of screens and isn't a skilled rebounder. He gets plenty because of his size, but good rebounders can have success without much work. Gordon is a different player this year than he has ever been and is a guy I think is over $8k very soon. My hot take is that Aaron Gordon will be the same price and rightfully so at some point this year. He's added a few pivotal pieces to his game including a 3-point shot and a brand new post game. If you're looking at the mid-range at PF, it's easily Gordon for me. I have no problem penciling in 35 fantasy points if it stays close with the upside for 50. This is also a game that you can stack. With just 5 on the schedule, it has a high total and won't be all that popular.

Center

Hassan Whiteside FD - $9000 DK - $7400
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 37.52 DK - 37.75

Against the Warriors, Hassan Whiteside was atrocious. It wasn't necessarily "expected", but Whiteside wasn't a guy many people were on because of the pace issues. There was just no way that Whiteside could run with the Warriors, who don't have a center that stays near the paint. This match-up with the Suns is FAR better, and maybe the best match-up he can have. Alex Len and Tyson Chandler are both big bodies that will allow Whiteside to get out there for 30-35 minutes in a fast-paced, stat-heavy game. Whiteside is a lot cheaper than he should be on DK and he's a lock for my cash games over there. Everywhere else, he's a solid option in all formats. Pencil in 45+ fantasy points with the upside for 70.

Al Horford FD - $7300 DK - $7300
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 40.18 DK - 40.01

Brook Lopez FD - $6900 DK - $6100
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 35.83 DK - 35.61

These two face off in what should be a pretty electric match-up. Neither of them play defense at all and both of them are in play in all formats. These two teams DVP hasn't been bad against centers, so hopefully that keeps people off of these guys. They are both priced down a little bit and should sit around the 30-40 FP mark tonight. Horford is a bit safer, as Lopez has gotten his minutes whipped around a little bit early in the season. He's been locked in there with Nance out, but the Lakers rotation is weird in the first place. Al Horford has been around 30-35 minutes all year long and has been playing great with Kyrie. Neither of these guys are considered good rebounders, but Horford is better than Lopez. A double-double is hard to lock down with either of these guys, but surely one of them will have 1 tonight. This game should be close and I don't mind a game stack in tournaments. In cash games, pick a couple that correlate.

GRAB A FREE TRIAL OF OUR PROJECTION SYSTEM, AND CHECK OUT DFSR PRO!