NBA DFS Core Plays LIVE: Monday, November 20th

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career, and Noto will mix it up in all different types of contests. So, who better to walk you through the madness of an NBA DFS slate? Core Plays LIVE will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best NBA DFS picks, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, you’ve come to the right place.

We have made it to another Monday and this is a special one indeed. Thanksgiving is only three days away. Whether you are traveling, preparing to host, or just grinding a bunch of sports like myself, it’s going to be a busy week. We have a fairly packed NBA schedule early in the week since there aren’t any games on Thanksgiving. We have 8 games on Monday, 5 games on Tuesday, and 14 games on Wednesday.

In terms of the Core Plays schedule, I am going to be covering for Taylor Smith this weekend, and he’s going to be covering for me on Tuesday. This is going to be a fun week and one that is full of opportunities in both DFS and betting. As always, we’ll start with the team previews, we’ll update the positional ranking tables, and we’ll cover all of the important injuries on the slate. Let’s get to it.

NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Monday, November 20th

Slate Overview

• 8-game slate
  • 7:00 PM ET – Denver Nuggets at Detroit Pistons
  • 7:00 PM ET – Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets
  • 7:00 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards
  • 8:00 PM ET – New York Knicks at Minnesota Timberwolves
  • 8:00 PM ET – Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans
  • 8:00 PM ET – Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls
  • 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
  • 10:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
• Teams on the front end of a back-to-back: None
• Teams on the back end of a back-to-back: Celtics, Nuggets, Pistons, Kings, Rockets
• NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

6:35 PM ET – Killian Hayes and Quentin Grimes will both play tonight. The only key injury that we are still waiting on is Alperen Sengun and we aren’t going to get that news for a few hours.

5:20 PM ET – Jalen Duren has been ruled out. Alperen Sengun has been downgraded to questionable.

3:50 PM ET – Quick life update. I finally tried Shake Shack and it did not disappoint. I wasn’t expecting it to be $28 for two cheeseburgers and fries, but it was well worth it. In-N-Out has some serious competition now. Also, Kevin Huerter is listed as questionable.

1:35 PM ET – Jalen Duren is now listed as questionable. Killian Hayes has been upgraded to probable.

1:25 PM ET – The timing on injury news is always impeccable. Right as I finished my first set of rankings, Derrick White, Al Horford, and Devin Vassell have all been ruled out. The Celtics will have Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis active tonight.

Team Previews

Denver Nuggets (at DET): The Nuggets are coming off of back-to-back losses and are still without Jamal Murray. Tonight they travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons, who are ranked 11th in pace and 24th in defensive rating. The Pistons do rebound well, but that’s not going to stop Nikola Jokic from having another big fantasy outing. In games that Murray has missed this season, Michael Porter has averaged 33.6 fantasy points, Aaron Gordon has averaged 35.0 fantasy points, and Reggie Jackson has averaged 21.8 fantasy points.

Detroit Pistons (vs.. DEN): The Pistons have been more competitive than their 2-11 record might lead you to believe. Unfortunately, they have lost 11 games in a row and have dropped to last place in the Eastern Conference standings. Tonight’s matchup against the Nuggets is a difficult one, as Denver is ranked 27th in pace and 7th in defensive rating. The Pistons do not project well, but will be short-handed again tonight. Monte Morris, Jalen Duren, and Isaiah Livers are all listed as doubtful. Killian Hayes is questionable.

Boston Celtics (at CHA): The Celtics looked like the best team on paper before the season started and through the first month, that has come to fruition. They have the best record (11-2) and the best point differential (+13.7) in the NBA. They square off against the Hornets, who are ranked 10th in pace and dead last in defensive rating. Boston’s implied total is the 2nd highest of the 16 teams in action. Al Horford could rest in the second half of the back-to-back, and both Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are listed as questionable. We will likely want exposure to the Celtics tonight, but we’ll have to wait and see with these injuries.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. BOS): The Hornets have one of the worst point differentials (-9.3) in the league and draw one of the worst matchups on the slate. The Celtics are ranked 26th in pace and top three in rebounding rate, defensive rating, and points allowed per game. Terry Rozier and Nick Richards are still out for the Hornets, so perhaps we can look to LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams in tournaments. There is risk here though, as the Hornets are 9-point underdogs.

Milwaukee Bucks (at WAS): The Bucks are somehow 9-4 on the season despite having point differential of +2.4 per game. They have not been good defensively, but the Wizards have been much worse. On the season, Washington is ranked 2nd in pace and 25th in defensive rating. The Bucks have an implied total of 127.3 points, which is the highest on the board and 8.3 points above their season average. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are both strong options here.

Washington Wizards (vs. MIL): The Wizards are never an easy team to predict, but they are at home and draw one of the top matchups on the board. On the season, the Bucks are ranked 6th in pace and 21st in defensive rating. This game should be the fastest-paced on the slate, and both defenses are bottom-10 in the NBA. This is a tremendous game environment. If you don’t mind a little risk, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford (DK), and Deni Avdija are all worth a look in tournaments.

New York Knicks (at MIN): The Knicks are looking for their fourth win in a row tonight, as they travel to Minnesota to take on the Wolves. This is a much tougher matchup than you might expect, as Minnesota is ranked 5th or better in three-point percentage allowed, defensive rating, and points allowed per game. With RJ Barrett back, I don’t expect to have any exposure to the Knicks on this slate.

Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. NYK): The Wolves are a difficult matchup for fantasy production, but the Knicks are the absolute worst matchup for fantasy production. On the season, New York is 30th in pace and 1st in defensive rating. The Wolves have an implied total that is 4.4 points below their season average. This game should be slow-paced and features two of the best defensive teams in the NBA. I’m not going out of my way to target anyone on either team.

Sacramento Kings (at NOP): The Kings got off to a shaky start this season, but have won 6 games in a row. They travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans, who have been an above-average matchup for fantasy production. Ever since De’Aaron Fox returned from injury, it has been a two-man show for the Kings. Fox and Domantas Sabonis are both strong targets tonight, but they are both priced at a premium.

New Orleans Pelicans (vs. SAC): The Pelicans have struggled to stay healthy and currently sit at a game below .500 on the season. They host the Kings, who are ranked close to league average in pace and defensive rating. With CJ McCollum out of the lineup this season, Brandon Ingram has averaged 40.2 fantasy points, Zion Williamson has averaged 38.6 fantasy points, Jonas Valanciunas has averaged 32.6 fantasy points, and Dyson Daniels has averaged 28.2 fantasy points.

Miami Heat (at CHI): I always love it when numbers align perfectly and the Heat have scored the exact same number of points as their opponents this season. They travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls, who seem to have more drama by the day. This game projects to be played at a snail’s pace and both teams are in the top 13 in defensive rating. I’m not too interested in Miami here, but Bam Adebayo has topped 44 fantasy points in 6 of his last 7 games.

Chicago Bulls (vs. MIA): It was always my dream to make it to the NBA, but not even the kid version of myself would want to play for the Bulls. The team seems to be imploding left and right. To make matters worse, they are facing a Heat team that is ranked 22nd in pace and 9th in defensive rating. Perhaps you have more conviction in this team than I do, but they are a full fade for me in this matchup.

Los Angeles Clippers (at SAS): The Clippers are now up to four wins on the season and are looking for another tonight against the Spurs. This is an elite matchup for DFS, as San Antonio is ranked 4th in pace and in the bottom six in rebounding rate, three-point percentage allowed, defensive rating, and points allowed per game. With such a high total, this might be the first slate I look to actively target the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden all project as positive RG Values.

San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAC): The Spurs are 3-10 on the season with the worst point differential (-13.0) in the NBA. They host the Clippers, who have been a mediocre matchup for fantasy production this season. Victor Wembanyama is really the only player that deserves consideration here. His range of outcomes is wide, but he has topped 55 fantasy points in 3 of his last 9 games.

Houston Rockets (at GSW): The Rockets are 6-1 at home this season, but have yet to pick up a win on the road. They will look to change that tonight against the Warriors, who are ranked 13th in pace and 16th in defensive rating. Tari Eason will be out for Houston, but the Rockets are otherwise healthy. Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet both project well at their respective positions.

Golden State Warriors (vs. HOU): The Warriors have lost six games in a row and are still without Draymond Green. They’ll look to get back on track tonight against the Rockets, who are ranked 29th in pace and 4th in defensive rating. Believe it or not, Houston has become one of the worst possible matchups. The Warriors do not project well, but perhaps they are a decent bet given Houston’s struggles on the road.

NOTE: The closer it gets to the slate locking, the less likely it is that I will have the necessary time to update the tables below. For the most up-to-date information, make sure you are watching Crunch Time and monitoring LineupHQ for my Core Play tags and updates to our Premium NBA Projections.

NBA DFS Rankings & Core Plays

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