Sean Barnard makes his DraftKings Pick6 selections for the November 20th slate of NBA games.
We are now over 15% through the NBA season and some notable takeaways for the season are beginning to be established.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were officially knocked off their undefeated pedestal losing to the Celtics last night. They will be looking to bounce back tonight as they take on the deeply injured New Orleans Pelicans. The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to dig out of their 2-11 start to the season against the Memphis Grizzlies in what could be the first time Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey share the floor. In addition, the Indiana Pacers will play the Houston Rockers, the New York Knicks are facing the Phoenix Suns, the Milwaukee Bucks will square off with the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Clippers will play the Orlando Magic to headline the eight-game slate.
There are plenty of options for what to watch and even more opportunities to get involved in the action. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for Nov. 20. We simply choose whether a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for Monday night’s action.
Donovan Mitchell More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
Donovan Mitchell has headlined the Cavaliers’ impressive start to the season. He has averaged 25.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game and has been the driving force of the 15-0 start to the season. With Cleveland coming off their first loss of the season, expect Mitchell to come out hungry and be in attack mode. This should especially be the case with an injury-ridden Pelicans team in front of him with Mitchell set to be the best player on the floor by a comfortable margin.
Looking at his three-point production, Mitchell is averaging 3.7 made three-pointers per game and is shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc this season. He is attempting 9.1 three-point attempts per game which is about on par with his typical output. Mitchell has made four or more three-pointers in seven of the 15 games already this year. He also has made at least one shot from beyond the arc in every game and has not attempted fewer than five three-point attempts in any game this season.
Mitchell is coming off a 35-point performance last night but shot just 3-11 from beyond the arc. He will have even more on his plate offensively in this game as Darius Garland has been ruled out due to an ankle injury. Cleveland has a chance to turn this game into a full blowout and expect Mitchell to smell the blood in the water. Look for him to get up plenty of perimeter shots and record more than 3.5 made three-pointers for the eighth time this season.
James Harden Less Than 22.5 Points
The final game on tonight’s slate will be taking place between the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. So far this season Orlando is holding opponents to the fewest points per game and ranks fifth in opponents’ field goal percentage. Jalen Suggs headlines the stingy defense and will likely get the first matchup with James Harden in this game.
While Harden has been solid this season, he has regressed in recent games. Through the opening 15 games, he has averaged 20.1 points, 9.0 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. However, he is shooting just 37.2% from the floor and 31.1% from beyond the three-point arc. Harden has been held to less than 22.5 points in 10 of the 15 games he has played this season including being held below 20 points in seven games. The former MVP has leaned more on his playmaking in recent games, which includes recording 27 assists over the past two games, but has not been in attack mode as often.
Both the Clippers and Magic rank in the bottom 10 in pace on the season, so don’t expect there to be additional offensive opportunities on the floor. Harden has only recorded more than 21 points in two of the past 10 games with the Magic being the toughest defense he has faced during this time. Expect Harden to be bothered by the Orlando defense and produce fewer than 22.5 points again tonight.
Alperen Şengün Less Than 11.5 Rebounds
Alperen Şengün has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start to this season. Fresh off his off-season extension, Şengün is recording fewer minutes, points, and assists compared to last year. Rebounding has been the biggest area where he has stood out; Şengün is recording a career-high 11.0 rebounds per game. Even still, the Turkish product has been held to fewer than 11.5 rebounds in nine of the 15 games he has played this season.
Looking at this matchup, don’t be surprised if Şengün sees his minutes even further reduced. The Pacers play an up-tempo style of play and Houston has leaned into a similar style of attack in recent games. Şengün has been limited to as few as 20.5 minutes in a game this season and recorded 26 or fewer minutes in five separate games.
There will not be an abundance of opportunities for Alperen Şengün on the floor in this game due to the stylistic clash. While Indiana is not a great overall rebounding team, 11.5 rebounds is a lofty total for Şengün to reach. Look for him to fall short of this number for the 10th time this year.
Tyus Jones More Than 20.5 Points, Assists, & Rebounds
The Phoenix Suns are set to face off with the New York Knicks tonight in one of the more noteworthy matchups of the night. Both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal remain out for this matchup due to their calf injuries. This has forced Tyus Jones into a larger role than initially expected. The 28-year-old is making the most of the opportunity. So far this season, Jones has averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game and is playing 32.5 minutes per game which ranks fourth on the team.
In the six games that Durant has missed, Jones has averaged 13.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. He has recorded more than 20.5 points, assists, and rebounds in seven of the 15 games he has played on the season overall.
Heading into this matchup, Jones will continue to be called upon for a more elevated offensive role. The Duke product has shot the ball well, knocking down 37% of his three-point attempts this season, and is attempting a career-high 5.4 long-range shots per game. New York has a tough defense, but Jalen Brunson is not a bad defensive matchup for Jones specifically. Look for him to continue to be heavily involved and record more than 20.5 combined points, assists, and rebounds in this game.
Karl-Anthony Towns More Than 25.5 Points
The New York Knicks have worked through some early growing pains and seem to be back on track. Karl-Anthony Towns has been at the heart of the team’s production and averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He has eclipsed 25.5 points in five of the past seven games and the offense has found where Towns fits in.
This is a great matchup for KAT to capitalize on as they face the Phoenix Suns. They have allowed 112.9 points per game on the season which ranks 17th in the NBA. Jusuf Nurkic is also listed as questionable for this matchup due to an ankle injury. Nurkic will get the primary match-up with Towns if he is healthy, but his ability to create from the perimeter will cause issues. This will especially be the case if Nurkic is unable to go which will only magnify the Suns’ issues.
Look for Karl-Anthony Towns to pick up where he has left off in recent games and remain in attack mode. His offensive abilities have shined on this Knicks team and the offense has continued to be catered to properly reflect this. Expect his scoring numbers to continue and for Towns to record more than 25.5 points once again as he has a great opportunity against this Phoenix defense.
Evan Mobley More Than 1.5 Blocks
The Cleveland Cavaliers officially dropped their first loss of the season, but have a great chance to get back in the win column tonight. They will face a New Orleans Pelicans team that’s missing all five of their expected starters due to injury. The Pelicans have no idea what their team is even set to fully look like and will continue to attempt to tread water with their young talent.
Look for Evan Mobley to take advantage of this opportunity and establish his rim-protecting presence against a group of young players who have not learned their lesson for trying him at the rim. So far this season, Mobley has averaged 1.5 blocks per game and has averaged 1.4 or better in every season of his career. Mobley has tallied two or more blocks in seven of the 15 games this season.
Expect Mobley’s 7-foot-4 wingspan to make an impact in this game and be especially bothersome to the Pelicans. He is one of the premier shot blockers in the league and will show as such in this matchup.
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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