FREE 11/14 NBA Cheat Sheet: Top DFS Plays

Tonight’s 8 game slate kicks off at 7:00 PM ET with Miami at New York and wraps up at 8:30 PM ET, giving us a solid window to build lineups without too much overlap. The mix of paces here should create some clear edges in DFS, especially with a few games pushing higher totals that could drive usage and minutes. I’m eyeing how the field approaches the variance, but the structure feels workable for stacking value plays.

The standout environments are Miami at New York at 240.5 and Charlotte at Milwaukee at 239.5—both tip at 7:00 and 8:00 PM ET, respectively, and feature teams that can ramp up the tempo. These matchups stand out for their implied scoring, so they’ll likely pull in the chalk, but there’s room to differentiate with secondary options if you want to fade the obvious.

Game Environment Analysis

MIA @ NYK (O/U: 240.5, Spread: -6.5)

• Pace: MIA (1st) vs NYK (22nd) 🏃 (Pace mismatch)
• Off Eff: MIA (12th) vs NYK (4th)
• Def Eff: MIA (8th) vs NYK (15th)

BKN @ ORL (O/U: 224.5, Spread: -14.5)

• Pace: BKN (26th) vs ORL (11th)
• Off Eff: BKN (26th) vs ORL (19th)
• Def Eff: BKN (30th) 🎯 vs ORL (9th)

PHI @ DET (O/U: 228.5, Spread: -3.5)

• Pace: PHI (17th) vs DET (12th)
• Off Eff: PHI (9th) vs DET (17th)
• Def Eff: PHI (17th) vs DET (2nd)

LAL @ NOP (O/U: 227.5, Spread: 9.5)

• Pace: LAL (20th) vs NOP (28th)
• Off Eff: LAL (16th) vs NOP (25th)
• Def Eff: LAL (21st) vs NOP (28th) 🎯

POR @ HOU (O/U: 236.5, Spread: -7.5)

• Pace: POR (2nd) vs HOU (27th) 🏃 (Pace mismatch)
• Off Eff: POR (18th) vs HOU (2nd) 🔥
• Def Eff: POR (18th) vs HOU (10th)

CHA @ MIL (O/U: 239.5, Spread: -9.5)

• Pace: CHA (19th) vs MIL (15th)
• Off Eff: CHA (13th) vs MIL (10th) 🔥
• Def Eff: CHA (25th) 🎯 vs MIL (19th)

SAC @ MIN (O/U: 239.5, Spread: -11.5)

• Pace: SAC (6th) vs MIN (18th) 🏃 (Pace mismatch)
• Off Eff: SAC (24th) vs MIN (3rd) 🔥
• Def Eff: SAC (27th) 🎯 vs MIN (14th)

LAC @ DAL (O/U: 219.5, Spread: 2.5)

• Pace: LAC (30th) vs DAL (4th) 🏃 (Pace mismatch)
• Off Eff: LAC (21st) vs DAL (29th)
• Def Eff: LAC (26th) 🎯 vs DAL (5th)

Legend:

🏃 = Significant pace mismatch

🔥 = Strong offense vs weak defense

🎯 = Poor defensive team

⚠️ = Blowout risk

Bold = Favored team

PG - Jalen Suggs ($5,100)

Jalen Suggs continues to anchor Orlando’s backcourt with steady production, averaging 28.6 DK points over his last five games while shooting 55.2% from the field and 42.1% from three. His 22.23% usage rate and 20.04 PER highlight his efficiency in a role that sees him logging 27.5 projected minutes tonight against Brooklyn. Suggs thrives in this matchup, where the Nets struggle to contain perimeter players, allowing him to rack up 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on average while boosting his 1.15 fantasy points per minute.

This salary of $5,100 offers tremendous value at 6.2x, especially with his 34.0% boom rate and 21.4% optimal lineup inclusion that outpace the field. Suggs posts 30.6 DK points in his last three outings, positioning him as the top PG option on the slate despite 31.3% projected ownership. His consistent form and favorable defensive vulnerabilities make him a lock for high-floor production in this spot.

More PG Plays:

• Luka Doncic ($12,000)
• James Harden ($9,600)

SG - Austin Reaves ($8,000)

Austin Reaves faces a Pelicans defense that ranks in the bottom half against combo guards, setting up his 30.94% usage for another explosive night in Los Angeles’ high-octane offense. He averages 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season, with recent surges hitting 50.5 DK points over his last seven games and a 24.63 PER underscoring his all-around impact. Projected for 36.0 minutes, Reaves converts at 1.21 fantasy points per minute, capitalizing on New Orleans’ perimeter lapses to extend his hot streak of 42.2 points across five games.

At $8,000, Reaves delivers 5.5x value with a 31.0% boom rate and Hero Rank of 9, making him the premier PG/SG choice amid 24.8% ownership. His season-long 50.4 DK points average aligns perfectly with this matchup’s pace, where he handles secondary creation duties without sharing the ball too heavily. Reaves consistently exceeds projections in these environments, solidifying his status as a must-build around for optimal lineups.

More SG Plays:

• Anthony Edwards ($8,900)
• Desmond Bane ($7,000)

SF - Saddiq Bey ($4,800)

Saddiq Bey delivers outsized value from the forward positions, consistently producing 29.8 DK points in his last three games at just a $4,800 salary that undervalues his 32.0 projected minutes. He shoots 45.5% from the field and 40.4% from three, averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while providing steady wing defense that earns him extended run in New Orleans’ rotation. Bey’s 0.91 fantasy points per minute climbs in favorable spots like this Lakers matchup, where Los Angeles concedes open looks to forwards, boosting his 18.29% usage effectively.

This pricing yields 6.0x return potential with a 31.0% boom rate and 21.7% optimal inclusion, far surpassing his 22.6 season average and earning him top SF/PF billing at 28.1% ownership. Bey maintains 29.8 points over five games, leveraging his 15.25 PER to exploit mismatches without needing high volume. His reliable output in this defensive context cements him as the value anchor every lineup needs.

More SF Plays:

• Franz Wagner ($8,500)
• OG Anunoby ($6,900)

PF - Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,400)

Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 48.6 DK points across his last seven games, dominating as New York’s primary scoring big with 20.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 42.9% shooting. His 25.65% usage and 20.35 PER shine in 33.0 projected minutes, where he exploits Miami’s interior weaknesses that rank poorly against rebounding forwards. Towns sustains 48.9 points over five outings, blending efficiency from beyond the arc at 32.7% with paint dominance to fuel his consistent explosions.

Priced at $9,400 for 5.5x value, Towns boasts a 33.0% boom rate and Hero Rank of 7, making him the elite PF target at 24.4% ownership against a Heat team vulnerable to versatile centers. His 1.57 fantasy points per minute elevates entire builds, as seen in his 45.7 season average that thrives in paced-up games like this. Towns powers through with double-doubles routinely, locking in top production for any contending lineup.

More PF Plays:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700)
• Julius Randle ($8,300)

C - Moussa Diabate ($4,200)

Moussa Diabate operates in Charlotte’s up-tempo system against a Milwaukee frontcourt depleted by injuries, projecting 28.0 minutes to showcase his 65.0% field goal efficiency and rebounding prowess. He averages 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds this season, with a 23.28 PER reflecting his impact as a mobile big who cleans glass effectively in 15.39% usage scenarios. Diabate’s recent 28.0 DK points over five games align with this road matchup’s high implied total, where the Bucks allow second-chance opportunities to athletic centers.

At $4,200, Diabate crushes value at 7.0x with a slate-leading 44.0% boom rate and 24.7% optimal rate, outshining peers at 37.3% ownership for the top C spot. His 1.06 fantasy points per minute surges in rotations like this, building on 27.9 points from the last three to deliver multi-category lines. Diabate maximizes every possession in fast environments, providing the floor and ceiling that defines a cornerstone pick.

More C Plays:

• Andre Drummond ($5,700)
• Ivica Zubac ($7,100)

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