NBA DFS Picks Today (11/29): DraftKings & FanDuel Top Plays, Sleepers
We’ve got 7 NBA games on the board for tonight, which seems tame for a Wednesday. We’re back to regular-season action after the group stage of the NBA Cup finished last night, so rotations should be back to normal this evening. A few teams are playing for the second time in as many nights, There are also quite a few key players carrying questionable tags, including Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and Jamal Murray.
Below, you’ll find a few NBA DFS picks that stand out on DraftKings and FanDuel as of the early afternoon hours. If you’re looking for more in-depth analysis, sign up for RG Premium.
Top NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup Optimizer Value
PF/C Jaren Jackson ($7,400)
I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with the Grizzlies, but this isn’t the same team we saw a season ago. Memphis is just 3-13, though they find themselves in a decent spot against the Jazz tonight. Utah’s defense likely won’t be quite as porous now that Walker Kessler is back from injury, but the Jazz are still just 28th in the NBA in D-rating so far this term.
Jaren Jackson predictably ranks among the Grizzlies’ usage leaders (28%) with Ja Morant still suspended. He’s still contributing a decent 1.09 FP/min on the year, though that pales in comparison to the 1.3 FP/min rate he posted a season ago. Jackson’s shooting percentages have tanked across the board, and he’s blocking about half as many shots per game as he did last year when he won Defensive Player of the Year.
We haven’t seen a ceiling outing from JJJ in quite some time, but his salary has come down enough on DK ($7,400) to make him pop as one of the best point-per-dollar values on the slate. The Grizz are actually favored in this game, and he’s still consistently logging around 37 minutes in competitive games.
Top NBA DFS FanDuel Lineup Optimizer Value
SF/PF Paolo Banchero ($7,700)
Are the Magic good? It sure seems like they might just be. After years of toiling near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Orlando is off to a hot 12-5 start ahead of tonight’s clash against the Wizards. The Magic have reeled off 7 straight wins, and they’re 10-point home favorites over a Washington team that just snapped a 9-game losing streak on Monday.
Paolo Banchero has been solid early in his second pro campaign. He’s leading the starters with a tidy 1.14 FP/min rate on a team-best 26.4% usage rate. Banchero has been particularly impressive of late, with 5 straight games of at least 23 real points. His 21.3% assist rate is considerably higher than the 17% rate he posted last year as a rookie.
Banchero is likely still underpriced around the industry, and you couldn’t dream up a better matchup than this one. Only Charlotte has a worse defensive rating than Washington, while they’re also running at the league’s second-fastest pace.
NBA DFS Sleepers
C Bismack Biyombo ($5,200 DK, $5,600 FD)
The Grizzlies are popping in projections, so that will be fun. While Santi Aldama has quickly played his way into a bigger role of late, Memphis is still trotting Bismack Biyombo out there for significant minutes on a nightly basis. Biz has logged at least 29 minutes in 4 of the last 5 games, though his overall output has been less than stellar.
On the season, though, the veteran is averaging 0.85 FP/min, and we’ve seen a few big outings along the way. The minutes have still been there for Biyombo even with Aldama now a part of this jumbo starting frontcourt, and the Grizzlies will need size against Utah’s big frontline.
Biyombo admittedly isn’t the most fun way to fill a center slot, but his salaries have dipped around the industry. He’s also projected to be around 5% owned on both sites, which makes him a decent enough way to get different if you’re shopping in the midrange.
PF Jonathan Isaac ($4,100 DK, $4,600 FD)
Jonathan Isaac emerged as one of Orlando’s many young promising prospects a few years ago, but injuries have derailed him in recent years. He’s finally healthy this season, but the Magic are bringing him along slowly. Isaac has cracked 20 minutes in a game just once all season. Needless to say, a guy capped at around 20 minutes off the bench doesn’t typically make for an enthralling DFS play.
That said, I mentioned how favorable Orlando’s matchup against the Wizards is. Isaac is also making the most of those limited minutes. The Florida State product is actually the most prolific per-minute producer of anyone on the roster this season, contributing a stellar 1.23 FP/min across his first 188 minutes.
He won’t get a ton of usage, but he’s happy to do the dirty work. If this game gets out of hand in Orlando’s favor, perhaps Isaac gets a few extra minutes of garbage time, too. We’re a bit thin on value options as of this writing, so I don’t mind making this dive in some GPP builds.