Monday brings a new week, with the NBA action tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. The player pool is packed with intriguing options, making it a great slate to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks today. Let’s break down the day’s core plays, including Franz Wagner and Jaden Ivey.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Monday, Nov. 25
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Franz Wagner: Magic at Hornets
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 48.81 | FanDuel: 47.78
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 9.4% | FanDuel: 16.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $9,600 | FanDuel: $9,600
Tonight should have plenty of injury news, along with players being rested, that there will be ample discount dandies unveiled between now and first tip.
Franz Wagner is just below the 50-fantasy point threshold for his median projection, which is likely to keep some gamers away from him as they look to work Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into lineups.
The absence of Paolo Banchero has put more responsibilities onto Wagner, which in turn has led to career highs in most statistical categories. In the 13 games since Banchero was lost, Wagner has averaged 33.9 minutes and 20.5 field goal attempts with a 46.4% conversion rate. This has culminated in 25.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and nearly two combined blocks and steals per game.
Charlotte has once again fallen into bad habits, and over the last five games, the Hornets are allowing 119.8 points per 100 possessions, which is the fourth worst mark in the league. Jalen Suggs is questionable with a hamstring issue that he suffered in the second quarter of the last game. If he is out, then more offensive opportunities should open up for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Black and Jonathan Isaac.
Wendell Carter Jr. is getting close to a return, and his availability will impact the fantasy prospects of Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have been excellent fantasy options this season, and even against the tough defense of Orlando, this duo is live for tournaments. Grant Williams is out for the rest of the season, plus Nick Richards and Miles Bridges are out as well. That means rookie Tidjane Salaun is likely to gain some traction today as a discount dandy. The 19-year-old was the sixth overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft after playing with the Cholet Basket in the French League (LNB Elite/Pro A). In his two spot starts at the beginning of November, he averaged 20.4 minutes, eight rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2 points. Keep in mind he is very raw, and anything more than 20 fantasy points would be a surprise.
Jaden Ivey: Pistons vs. Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 35.5 | FanDuel: 34.05
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 29.8% | FanDuel: 33.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,800 | FanDuel: $6,800
Cade Cunningham is likely to be out through Thanksgiving, which means there are 36.4 minutes, 20.0 field goal attempts and 23.5 points that the Pistons will need to replace.
Jaden Ivey continues to improve this season, and while the third-year guard is still not quite up to his rookie-year levels, he is more efficient and also with a far improved group of teammates.
Malik Beasley will also be in line for more minutes and field goal opportunities, giving him a strong path towards fantasy success with his reasonable salary on DraftKings ($5,400) and FanDuel ($5,300). Tobias Harris also looks like a strong play as he helps stabilize the young rotation with his veteran presence.
Toronto is running thin as well with Gradey Dick joining Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown Jr. and Kelly Olynyk on the injury list. Fortunately, Scottie Barnes has returned from his orbital bone injury, and he has increased from 27.3 minutes to 34.1 minutes in his two games back. Barnes’ absence forced allowed RJ Barrett to assume a more integral role as both a scorer and, when Quickley was lost, a facilitator.
The Pistons have been much improved on defense and actually have been league average over the last 10 games. This season they already have seven victories, which is half of the 14 that they won last year. Still, this is a team to pick on with opposing offenses, but the improved squad has done a decent job of keeping games competitive, which in turn keeps key players on the court for longer than in prior years.
Jakob Poeltl is one of many center options tonight, but it is important to note that he is averaging career highs with 32.7 minutes, 16.7 points and 12.3 rebounds. Do not lose sight of him when the inevitable last-minute scramble occurs closer to lock.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
LaMelo Ball is a desirable DFS option for his salary and situation, though we can look to the under on his 5.5 rebounds prop, which is rather enticing.
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Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Ball projected for 36.9 minutes and 5.79 rebounds, which are below the six needed for the under on the 5.5 threshold to fail. The “True Odds” of -102 and a 50% win rate show that there is a 6.8% expected ROI.
In his last seven games, Ball is averaging 34.8 minutes and 4.7 rebounds, falling below tonight’s threshold in three of these games. Orlando is one of the better rebounding teams in the league, which is one more factor working against Ball. This, of course, is already in the projections and calculations but good to call out, nonetheless.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Stay up to date on all the latest NBA DFS picks and insights by tuning into the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show today at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube. We’ll break down everything you need to know about tonight’s slate.
