Friday wraps up the week with a wild NBA DFS slate locking at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays like Myles Turner, Scotty Pippen Jr., Jaren Jackson Jr. and some Wizards value.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Friday, Nov. 8
The NBA Lineup Generator is a powerful yet user-friendly tool that makes building your DFS lineups easy. Simply choose your DFS platform and slate, set your preferred ownership level (chalky, contrarian, balanced, or all), and lock in any specific players you want. Once your settings are ready, the Lineup Generator will create high-ROI lineups and provide valuable insights to guide your decisions.
Take a look at the screenshot for an example of a slightly contrarian lineup we crafted for today’s DraftKings main slate — where we locked in Myles Turner — and check out our NBA Lineup Generator guide for more tips!
NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks
Myles Turner: Pacers at Hornets
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 40.91 | FanDuel: 42.51
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 47.6% | FanDuel: 20.5%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,200 | FanDuel: $6,700
Tonight should be a real barnburner with some truly wonderful matchups between up-tempo squads that eschew defense of any kind.
First up, literally with a 7 p.m. ET tipoff, are the Indiana Pacers, who are 6.5-point favorites against the Hornets in Charlotte.
Since 2021, Charlotte has had a systemic issue with teamwide rebounding, spanning multiple coaching staffs and rosters. That season the Hornets had the fourth-worst rebounding efficiency, then the seventh worst and last year bottoming out at the second worst. Do not be overly concerned with the top-10 rate this season because, looking at the last four games, they are back in the bottom third of the league.
Nick Richards has been out forever, but Mark Williams is now out as well, as is Miles Bridges. That means the best rebounder on the roster is Moussa Diabate who has averaged 4.5 per game off the bench in 11.3 minutes per tilt. Good Gawd, is that … is that Taj Gibson music, what is he still doing in the league?!?! Yes, Gibson and his 39-year-old bones have started two of the last three games for the Hornets, which is just wild.
Myles Turner projects as the most popular player on DraftKings ($6,200) while slotting just inside the top 10 on FanDuel ($6,700). Turner has never overwhelmed with his rebounding, averaging around nine per 36 minutes over the last three seasons and change, but he definitely has double-double upside tonight.
Pascal Siakam should also be able to operate with impunity in the paint, making him a solid secondary option who brings excellent differentiation. Benedict Mathurin will be on close to one-quarter of all tournament lineups across the main DFS sites. The 22-year-old is healthy and looks like he could be leveling up and may even stick in the starting lineup, having been with the first five each of the last three games.
Tyrese Haliburton is a neutral option on DraftKings ($8,100), though on the blue site with dual-guard eligibility, he rivals the popularity of Mathurin. His assists are down as is his scoring, but he should work his way out of the doldrums soon and this is a cherry matchup. Over his last five games, he is averaging 36.1 minutes, 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 combined blocks and steals.
Cody Martin is a punt option across the DFS sites, while Grant Williams stands out on DraftKings. LaMelo Ball is always a tournament target, though far from a priority tonight. Through eight games, he has put up some excellent numbers, with his 28.1 points per game a full 4 points higher than what he managed in the two prior seasons. Fingers crossed he stays healthy this season, as he is a highlight just waiting to happen.
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Jaren Jackson Jr.: Grizzlies vs. Wizards
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 39.17 | FanDuel: 40.82
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 37.9% | FanDuel: 33.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,200 | FanDuel: $7,700
Once again, Memphis has been gobsmacked by the injury bug, with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane all out. Plus last year’s replacements Vince Williams Jr. and G.G. Jackson have been hurt since last season.
Jackson should be in line for 12 to 15 field goal attempts, and his blocks and steals opportunities should be high against the Wizards.
Scotty Pippen Jr. is likely to push for 28 or so minutes, with a chance to reach 30, though he has cleared that barrier only once this season. The NBA legacy is currently projected to be the most popular player on FanDuel and in the top 5 on DraftKings. Santi Aldama always feels like a trap, and with the expansive player pool, letting other gamers assume the risk of a dud game is a savvy strategy. Though not a direct pivot or leverage option, Jake LaRavia is available at a discount compared to Aldama.
Turning towards the Wizards, Kyle Kuzma is still out and Malcolm Brogdon is unlikely to debut before December. The first five all have merit in this matchup, with Carlton “Bub” Carrington an intriguing punt option. Over his last three games, Carrington is averaging 34.3 minutes per game and showing flashes of being a steady scorer and a decent facilitator. There will be plenty of bumps in the road for the rookie, but early returns are surprisingly solid for a franchise that has struggled with identifying talent in their lottery picks.
Jordan Poole looks to be off to a much better start than the debacle that was his inaugural season in Washington. He has no real competition for offensive opportunities, and he is leading the league with 2.8 steals per game. Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert are options for the evening sub-slate, though not needed for the featured tournaments.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Cameron Johnson is an enigma who is capable of great games then disappearing for a week at a time.
Tonight the under on Johnson’s 14.5 points prop is worthy of our attention. By using Portfolio EV to do the heavy lifting when researching favorable bets, we can quickly spot inefficient lines like this one, and having accounts at multiple sportsbooks allows us to pivot to the best number quickly.
This pits the books against each other, which shows that BetMGM has posted a +100 line that is well above the rest of the major operators. Odds are constantly shifting and moving, so when you find a good number, pounce on it. That is the beauty and power of Portfolio EV to find the best odds at any point in the day.
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Johnson projected for 33.7 minutes and 15.01 points. That is a tick above the threshold for this under, but the 54% win rate is a good measurement of the range of outcomes.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Get all the latest news and updates for NBA DFS picks today on the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube, breaking down all of the key elements for today’s slate.
