Pacers–Heat carries the slate's highest total at 237.5, and the Heat's 123.0 implied total is the second highest on the board as 8.5-point favorites. Bulls–Celtics sits right behind at 235.0, with the Celtics favored by 15 and holding the top implied total at 125.0. All eight games are NBA Cup group play, and the slate locks Friday at 7:00 PM ET. Hornets–Wizards is a pick'em with the lowest total at 219.6, and it still holds three of the picks below because of who is missing for the Hornets.
The injury report thins rotations across the slate. Kawhi Leonard is out for the Raptors, Kon Knueppel and Coby White are out for the Hornets, and the Pacers play without Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell and Ivica Zubac. Anthony Edwards sits for the Timberwolves, and Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs are out for the Magic. Alperen Sengun (DK $8,200) is questionable for the Rockets, and Jaylen Brown (DK $7,900) is questionable for the 76ers.
Injury Watch
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves, out)
- Paolo Banchero (Magic, out)
- Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers, out)
- Kawhi Leonard (Raptors, out)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets, out)
- Coby White (Hornets, out)
- Alperen Sengun (DK $8,200) (Rockets, questionable)
- Jaylen Brown (DK $7,900) (76ers, questionable)
Point Guard
Immanuel Quickley (DK $6,500)
Kawhi Leonard is out, and Quickley starts at point guard for the Raptors against the Magic with a 12.4% optimal rate. He projects for 29 minutes at a 23.7% usage rate, and the Raptors' 116.3 implied total is third highest on the slate.
Books set Quickley at 17.1 points and 5.9 assists. He scored 35.8 DraftKings points against the same opponent on October 28, with a 28.6 average over his last three. The field has found him at this price.
Amen Thompson (DK $7,300)
The 5-0 Rockets are 6.5-point favorites against the Mavericks, and Thompson starts in their backcourt with Reed Sheppard out. His props line sits at 7.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists, and his 11.6% optimal rate is third best at point guard.
Andrew Nembhard (DK $6,800)
The Pacers are down Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell and Ivica Zubac, and Nembhard runs the point against the Heat with an 11.4% optimal rate. He handed out 14 assists for 42.8 DraftKings points against the 76ers on October 28, and he averages 31.0 over his last three. Books have him at 8.6 assists.
Shooting Guard
RJ Barrett (DK $7,000)
Barrett put up 48.8 DraftKings points against the Magic on October 28, and he averages 40.8 over his last three. He draws them on Friday for a Raptors team with a 66% win chance.
His 33 projected minutes come at a 25.3% usage rate, and his props line sits at 22.2 points. His 14.6% optimal rate is the best at shooting guard, and the crowd is all over him.
Grayson Allen (DK $5,100)
Allen's 29 projected minutes on the Hornets' wing come with Kon Knueppel and Coby White out against the Wizards. He is 13.2% owned with a 13.7% optimal rate, second best at shooting guard. His props line sits at 2.8 threes.
Paul George (DK $6,800)
The Celtics carry the slate's highest implied total against the Bulls, and George's optimal rate sits at 12.8%. George plays 33 projected minutes at a 28.0% usage rate in that offense. He scored 42.3 DraftKings points against the Nets on October 27.
Small Forward
Brandon Miller (DK $7,800)
Miller handles a 35.5% usage rate over 35 projected minutes for the Hornets against the Wizards. Books set him at 26.5 points and 3.6 threes.
He scored 59.5 DraftKings points against the Wizards on October 26, then 56.0 against the Pistons on October 28. His 17.4% optimal rate is the best at small forward, and he is the popular build-around at the position.
Jayson Tatum (DK $9,800)
Tatum averages 55.9 DraftKings points over his last three and carries a 13.5% optimal rate. His 76.2 ceiling is the top mark at small forward. He faces the Bulls in a 235.0-total game.
Desmond Bane (DK $6,800)
Bane is the Magic guard to play against the Raptors with Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs out, at an 11.8% optimal rate over 34 projected minutes. He scored 32.3 DraftKings points against the same team on October 28. His props line sits at 19.4 points and 2.8 threes.
Power Forward
Alperen Sengun (DK $8,200)
Sengun anchors the Rockets' frontcourt against the Mavericks with Steven Adams out, at a 28.0% usage rate. His props line sits at 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
He scored 65.3 DraftKings points against the Hawks on October 26, before he missed the Rockets' last game, and he averages 52.5 over his last three. His 20.4% optimal rate is the best at power forward. He is questionable, and Rockets–Mavericks tips after the slate locks, so he is a late-swap check: late swap re-solves the open roster spots if he sits.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (DK $10,500)
Antetokounmpo plays in the slate's highest-total game against the Pacers, with a props line of 30.7 points and an 18.2% optimal rate. He scored 55.5 DraftKings points against the Hawks on October 28 and averages 50.0 over his last three. He is the field's favorite spend at forward.
Bobby Portis (DK $4,600)
Portis comes off the Heat bench for 24 projected minutes against the Pacers with a 16.5% optimal rate. He scored 34.3 DraftKings points against the Hawks on October 28 and averages 31.8 over his last three. His 5.91 value is the best at power forward.
Center
Moussa Diabate (DK $5,300)
Diabate faces the Wizards, the team he hit for 45.8 DraftKings points and 17 rebounds on October 26. He then posted 22.8 against the Pistons on October 28, and he projects for 31 minutes at center for the Hornets.
His props line sits at 10 rebounds and 1.2 steals. His 5.75 value is the second best at center, with a 12.9% optimal rate. He is a crowd pick at the position.
Bam Adebayo (DK $7,500)
The Heat carry the slate's second-highest implied total against the Pacers, and Adebayo projects for 31 minutes with a 10.4% optimal rate. He scored 44.3 DraftKings points against the Hawks on October 28 and averages 37.8 over his last three. Books have him at 9.3 rebounds.
Rudy Gobert (DK $5,500)
Anthony Edwards is out for the Timberwolves, and Gobert carries a 10.2% optimal rate against the Clippers with a props line of 11 rebounds. He projects for 30 minutes and averages 23.9 over his last three. The Timberwolves are 7-point favorites.
What The Market Is Saying
The market builds around Brandon Miller (DK $7,800) in Hornets–Wizards and pairs him with Moussa Diabate (DK $5,300) for a rebounding matchup it likes. It leans on Pascal Siakam (DK $8,000) and Cade Cunningham (DK $9,600) as its core forward and guard. It splits on Knicks–76ers, where Tyrese Maxey (DK $8,400) and Karl-Anthony Towns (DK $8,500) draw stud treatment, and it is split on Alperen Sengun (DK $8,200) while it watches his questionable tag and the Pacers' guard news. DFS Hero has Sengun at a 20.4% optimal rate. Miller's 17.4% optimal rate is the best at small forward, and a minority of the market takes Towns as a tournament ceiling play, which a leverage of 2.9 backs.
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The content in our articles is based on data available at the time of publishing. Always double-check your lineups before locking in your players.
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