NBA DFS Picks Breakdown (Wednesday, Nov. 23): Ben Simmons is Officially Back

Wednesday features a 12-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. 

Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock. Use our FanDuel promo to get three months of free NBA League Pass. 

NBA DFS Point Guard Picks

Stud

The Hawks are not a team that has gotten a ton of DFS attention this season. There were some concerns about what Trae Young’s role would look like after the team acquired Dejounte Murray in the offseason, but so far, it has been business as usual. His usage rate has actually been slightly up compared to last season, while his assist rate has seen just a slight decrease. Overall, Young has averaged 27.2 points per game, despite shooting a subpar 30.4% from 3-point range.

Young’s price tag has come down to $9,800 on DraftKings, making him an outstanding buy-low target vs. the Pacers. They’ve been one of the best matchups in fantasy this season, ranking fifth in pace and 25th in defensive efficiency, and the Hawks’ implied team total of 123.25 ranks first on the slate.

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Value

The Clippers are going to be without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on Wednesday, which is basically the status quo at this point. However, this will surprisingly be just their second game of the year with both players sidelined.

Terance Mann is someone who should be asked to pick up the slack. He’s increased his production to 0.80 DraftKings points per minute with George and Leonard off the floor this season, and he should see plenty of minutes vs. the Warriors. He’s currently projected for just under 31 minutes at $3,400, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.40 (per the Trends tool). It’s tough to pass up on that kind of value.

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Fast Break

Reggie Jackson is another solid target for the Clippers. He’s a bit more expensive than Mann, but he’s turned things around after a dreadful start to the season. He’s scored at least 33.25 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he racked up 20 field goal attempts in their last contest.

Josh Giddey has posted back-to-back strong outings, finishing with at least 39.3 FanDuel points against the Knicks and Grizzlies. That said, his price has barely budged, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 82%. He stands out as one of the best per-dollar options at the position in our NBA Models.

NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks

Stud

The Raptors continue to deal with their fair share of injuries. They are going to get back Gary Trent Jr. and Chris Boucher on Wednesday, but Pascal Siakam, Precious Achiuwa, and Otto Porter remain out. Scottie Barnes and Dalano Banton are also listed as questionable, so the team could be pretty thin.

That means Fred VanVleet should be busy on Wednesday. Nick Nurse doesn’t typically need an excuse to play his best players big minutes, and VanVleet is coming off nearly 44.5 minutes in his last outing. His fantasy production has been down of late, but he’s shot just 11-39 from the field and 4-21 from 3-point range over his past two games. With some better shooting luck, he has the potential for a big game against the Nets, who are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back.

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Value

Speaking of injuries, no team has dealt with as many key injuries as the 76ers of late. They’re without Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey at the moment, so the team has plenty of minutes and shot attempts available.

Shake Milton has been able to pick up the slack in their absence. He’s logged at least 31.2 minutes in three straight games, including at least 36.4 in his past two. He’s scored at least 28.75 DraftKings points in all three contests, and he’s been one of the team’s top facilitators with Embiid, Harden, and Maxey off the floor. He remains underpriced for a strong matchup vs. the Hornets, who have been a subpar defensive team this season.

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Fast Break

Jordan Clarkson is coming off 41.8 FanDuel points in his last contest, and he should continue to see a boost in value sans Mike Conley. He’s seen a +1.4% usage bump with Conley off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.15 DraftKings points per minute. He’s significantly underpriced on FanDuel for a matchup vs. the Pistons, who rank dead last in defensive efficiency.

Norman Powell filled it up for the Clippers in their last game, racking up 41.0 DraftKings points in 28.2 minutes. There’s a chance that he moves into the starting lineup with George inactive, so he has the potential to earn a few additional minutes on Wednesday.

NBA DFS Small Forward Picks

Stud

Tobias Harris is one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a fellow Long Islander. He’s sacrificed a lot of his offensive game to accommodate the 76ers’ other stars, but he remains capable of scoring in bunches when he needs to.

Harris increased his usage rate to 31.8% in his last game, which was easily his top mark of the season. He responded with a season-high 24 points in an upset win over the Nets. Harris averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute in nine games without Embiid last season, and that was with Maxey playing in all nine games. He has the potential to increase his production even more given the 76ers’ current injury situation.

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Value

If you’re looking to go cheaper with the 76ers, Furkan Korkmaz stands out as an excellent punt play. He’s priced at the minimum on DraftKings, and he started and played 20.7 minutes on Tuesday. Korkmaz has shown the ability to rack up fantasy points in the past, and he’s averaged 0.82 DraftKings points per minute this season.

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Fast Break

The Pistons are currently playing without Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, so Bojan Bogdanovic is going to have to carry a large scoring load. He did that Tuesday vs. the Nuggets, racking up 22 points and 35.8 FanDuel points in 35.3 minutes. Bogdanovic leads all small forwards with nine Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $5,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has not had a typical Giannis performance in quite some time, and he shouldn’t carry much ownership on this slate. However, he continues to post a massive usage rate, and he did get to 59.4 FanDuel points on Monday. His $11,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 89%, so he’s worth some consideration vs. the Bulls.

NBA DFS Power Forward Picks

Stud

Ben Simmons dealt with a cavalcade of boos Tuesday in his return to Philadelphia, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He put together a prototypical Simmons stat line, stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. He finished with a season-high 48.25 DraftKings points, and he even earned the fans some free chicken nuggets thanks to a pair of missed free throws. The guy literally did it all.

With Simmons looking like the Simmons of old, it’s clear that $6,100 is simply too cheap of a price tag. He’s racked up at least 39.0 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’s back to being a nightly triple-double threat.

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Value

Marcus Morris also sat the last time both George and Leonard were sidelined, but he figures to be one of their focal points on Wednesday. He’s having one of the most efficient seasons of his career, shooting a career-best 48.9% from the field. He’s averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute, and he should see a significant spike in usage with George and Leonard sidelined. Morris is also expected to play around 36 minutes, so he has plenty of value in a pace-up spot vs. the Warriors.

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Fast Break

What does Bobby Portis have to do to get priced properly on FanDuel? The man continues to provide value every single night, posting a positive Plus/Minus in 14 of his past 15 games. He’s averaged 1.14 FanDuel points per minute, and his $6,000 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%.

Lauri Markkanen is another player to consider for the Jazz. He’s been priced up aggressively since the start of the season, but he’s been worth every penny of late. He’s scored at least 42.0 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’s averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute.

NBA DFS Center Picks

Stud

As usual, the Heat’s injury report is absolutely loaded for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Wizards. Jimmy Butler, Max Struss, and Duncan Robinson have already been ruled out, and three other players are listed as questionable. That includes Tyler Herro, who has missed the past eight games with an ankle injury.

If Herro is sidelined once again, Bam Adebayo is going to have to pick up the slack on offense. He’s done that in his past two games, posting a 28.9% usage rate and a 27.8% assist rate. He leads the team in both areas with Butler and Herro off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.27 DraftKings points per minute. Adebayo has also been playing well recently, logging at least 44.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five games. His salary has yet to reflect his increase in production, so he would be an outstanding pay-up option if Herro is ruled out.

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Value

Kelly Olynyk revenge game? He spent a very forgettable season in Detroit in 2021-22, averaging just 19.1 minutes across 40 games. The team chose to lean on their younger players at the position, and while that makes plenty of sense, it wouldn’t shock me if Olynyk was a little bit upset about his usage.

Regardless of whether or not you reside on narrative street, Olynyk is underpriced in this matchup. He’s racked up at least 24.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, including a game with 46.75 DraftKings points. He’s also racked up at least 31.6 minutes in back-to-back games, and Olynyk has always been an outstanding per-minute producer. He can do some damage vs. the Pistons.

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Fast Break

Paul Reed – aka BBall Paul – was instrumental in the 76ers’ win over the Nets on Tuesday. He played 31.2 minutes off the bench and racked up 42.0 DraftKings points with a double-double. Reed has averaged a respectable 0.95 DraftKings points per minute this season, and while I wouldn’t expect him to duplicate yesterday’s production, he can clearly pay off his $3,700 price tag.

Nikola Jokic has been priced down to just $10,500 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%. He also leads the position with 11 Pro Trends, and his matchup vs. the Thunder results in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.22. Jokic hasn’t been quite the same fantasy player this season with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the fold, but he still has one of the highest ceilings on a nightly basis.