Wednesday keeps the week rolling with an enticing eight-game featured-slate locking at 7:30 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. Let’s break down today’s core plays, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and several Cavaliers and Pelicans as point per dollar plays, with each squad running thin.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Wednesday, Nov. 20
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Bucks vs. Bulls
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 62.48 | FanDuel: 61.62
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 48.9% | FanDuel: 56.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $11,500 | FanDuel: $11,700
Milwaukee enjoyed the return of Damian Lillard on Monday as the diminutive scoring maestro had the game winning layup with 3.9 seconds left in the contest.
That gave the Bucks their third win in the last four games, with the only loss being a one-point 115-114 heartbreaker in Charlotte.
Despite the feel good moments, Milwaukee is sitting with a 5-9 record and while that is “only” half a game out of the Play-In Tournament and 1.5 games from a playoff spot – the team ranks 12th out of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.
Long story short, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard are going to have to do some heavy lifting to keep this team within hailing distance of a postseason opportunity. Khris Middleton (ankle) is likely out through Thanksgiving and Brook Lopez is going to be 37-years-old in April, which makes it concerning that he is averaging 32.4 minutes per game, which is his highest workload since the 2015-16 season. BroLo has been forced into this predicament, since head coach Glenn Rivers needs him on the court for both offense to help space the floor and on defense to protect the paint. Former Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer pushed his creaky veterans too hard in Phoenix, and now 60% of his first five is out with injuries.
Does that mean we shy away from Antetokounmpo (who is not old, but does have creaky knees), Lillard and Lopez? No, but it does increase the probability of in-game rest late in lopsided affairs. The Bucks play again on Friday and Saturday, but considering they are 8.5-point favorites against Chicago, this is a winnable game to go after. The Bulls did beat the Bucks in Milwaukee at the end of October, so they are not going to fear the deer tonight.
Antetokounmpo leads the league with 31.4 points per game and the rest of his stat-line is similar to his two MVP campaigns. Even with Lillard back in the mix, Giannis is still the first and second option on offense. Lillard is a secondary tournament target on FanDuel ($8,400), though on DraftKings ($8,700) he is merely a neutral option.
Donovan Mitchell: Cavs vs. Pelicans
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 44.07 | FanDuel: 42.77
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 3.4% | FanDuel: 3.6%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,800 | FanDuel: $9,100
Last night the Cavaliers saw their winning streak end at 15 games, in a 120-117 road loss to the Boston Celtics.
Donovan Mitchell and Company should not be ashamed at all, losing to the defending World Champions. It would not be a complete surprise to see Mitchell get the night off, but with Cleveland being so shorthanded, that may not be a viable luxury.
Darius Garland (groin) has been ruled out along with Sam Merrill (ankle) after each was in the starting lineup. Isaac Okoro will be missing a second consecutive game and Max Struss, Caris Levert and Dean Wade are already on the shelf.
In an development so absurd it feels made up, New Orleans is missing more players than Cleveland. In fact, the Pelicans are without their entire opening night lineup with Brandon Ingram now joining CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones on the injured list. Okay, technically Daniel Theis is healthy, but he started the first game in place of Zion Williamson, who is once again hurt. Reserve guards Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins are out, Trey Murphy III is getting injury management rest and Yves Missi is questionable.
Jaylen Nowell was released by the team and replaced by Eflrid Payton, just in time to have the Elf on the Shelf for the holiday season!
Finishing up with New Orleans, Brandon Boston Jr. is the last above average offensive option who remains ambulatory, with Missi likely to play. That means deep reserves such as Jamal Cain, Jeremaiah Robinson-Earl, Antonio Reaves and Trey Jemison are going to see 20-plus minutes. Theis is still hard to trust, unless he gets a spot start.
Back to Cleveland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Mitchell should be able to operate with impunity and Cleveland is currently listed as 14-point favorites. This trio also could see limited minutes in the final frame, but each is live for 40-plus fantasy points.
Discount dandies Ty Jerome, Craig Porter Jr. and Georges Niang will see significantly increased roles, with the first two rating out among the five most popular players across the main DFS sites.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Bennedict Mathurin has seen an increased workload this season, however, the under on his 20.5 points prop is one to consider.
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This approach effectively pits the sportsbooks against each other, revealing that BetMGM has posted -110 odds that are well above those offered by other major operators.
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Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Mathurin projected for 33.6 minutes and 20.02 points, which is just below the 20.5 threshold. The “True Odds” of -110 and a 54% win rate show that there is a 3.7% expected ROI.
Mathurin has 21 or more points in five of his last six games, but he also has been shooting a torrid 54.5% from the field and 55.6% from 3-point range in that stretch. For his career, he is a 44.8% shooter from the field and 35.5% from long-range. Houston is actually the third best defensive team this season, allowing just 105.2 points per 100 possessions.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Catch all the latest news and updates for NBA DFS picks on the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show today at 5:30 p.m. ET on YouTube, where we’ll dive into all the key elements of tonight’s slate.
