Sean Barnard makes his DraftKings Pick6 selections for the November 1st slate of NBA games.
Buckle up for one of the busiest days of the entire NBA season. All 30 NBA teams are set to face off with each game beginning in 15-minute increments.
The night will kick off at 7:00 PM EST with the second consecutive game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers as the Cavs look to remain undefeated. Every 15 minutes a new game will tip off with the final game beginning at 10:30 PM EST between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.
This notable number of games provides many options for what to watch and even more options for how 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 November 4th. 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.
The San Antonio Spurs are set to face off with the Los Angeles Clippers in the final game on tonight’s loaded NBA slate. While there still should be extremely lofty expectations moving forward for Wembanyama, he is hitting a bit of a sophomore slump to start the season as he sits at the center of all Spurs scouting reports.
Through the opening six games, Wembanyama is averaging 18.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. Looking at his scoring production, Wembanyama has been held to less than 23.5 points in four of the six games including being limited to just six points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. NBA teams have made some defensive adjustments and have been guarding Wembanyama with a more perimeter-oriented player and allowing a big man to roam behind as a second layer of defense. The Thunder perfected this with Chet Holmgren as the roamer and the Clippers have the personnel they should be able to employ a similar strategy with Ivica Zubac filling these shoes.
Wembanyama is too talented to be held fully in check, but the 23.5-point total feels too lofty for this matchup. Expect Wembayama to still have his moments but for him to record less than 23.5 points in his first game in the Intuit Dome.
The Philadelphia 76ers are set to face off with the Phoenix Suns at 10:15 PM EST. This will mark the debut of Paul George for the Sixers as the start to his season was pushed back due to a bone bruise sustained in the preseason. This will be a welcomed addition for the Sixers who are off to a 1-4 start and are desperately missing the 57.3 points per game missing from George and Joel Embiid.
So far this season Tyrese Maxey is leading all NBA players with 26.0 field goal attempts per game. Kelly Oubre Jr is the only other player on the roster shooting more than 10 field goal attempts per game and both Oubre and Maxey are shooting 40.2% or worse from the field. The Sixers rank 26th in the NBA in scoring and are in desperate need of some offensive creation.
Expect George to fill these shoes the way he has throughout his entire career. The nine-time All-Star has averaged 21.5 points per game or greater every season since 2015-16 and recorded more than 17.5 points in 56 of the 74 games he played last season with the Clippers. He will provide some welcomed relief to the Sixers’ offense and have more than enough shooting opportunities to record more than 17.5 points. While he likely will see fewer minutes than when he fully settles in, the 17.5-point margin is too low for his talent level and role in the offense.
The Atlanta Hawks will face off with the Boston Celtics tonight who are off to an impressive start to their title defense. Through the opening seven games, Young has averaged 27.0 points, 11.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game.
While Young has looked impressive to start the year, this is a difficult matchup for the three-time All-Star. The Celtics are loaded with lengthy, athletic players who will each provide difficult matchups for Young. Expect Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Jayson Tatum to each spend some time guarding the Hawks star and for Young to struggle to create separation against these All-NBA quality defenders.
Young has been held to less than 28.5 points in four of the seven games this year. Expect this trend to continue and for Young to fail to reach this number for the third consecutive game.
The Phoenix Suns will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers and are looking to move to 6-1 on the season. They have played much more team-oriented basketball than was seen last season and the early results have been incredibly encouraging for the team.
Kevin Durant has been at the heart of this and is averaging 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. While George will change the complexion of the Sixers greatly, they have struggled to defend on the perimeter so far this season. While Durant does not produce quite the same statistical output, Giannis Antetkounpo tallied 46 combined points, rebounds, and assists against the Sixers in the Bucks’ lone win. Durant will have the inside edge on plenty of rebounds as the Sixers are 26th in total rebounds per game.
Durant has recorded more than 34.5 combined points, assists, and rebounds in three of the six games thus far. He also has not had as much success as a playmaker as will likely be the case throughout the season. He has not tallied more than six assists in a game and has been held to four or fewer in all other games. Expect him to have success against the Sixers in all areas and for Durant to record more than 34.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists.
The New York Knicks are beginning to find their stride with their new-look roster. They have moved to 3-2 and will now be facing the Houston Rockets. Karl-Anthony Towns has been the most significant change to the New York roster. Through the opening five games, he has averaged 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
While the Towns trade caught the NBA world mostly off-guard, the logic behind it is clearly for the four-time All-Star to provide more spacing for the offense. The self-proclaimed ‘best big man shooter of all time’ was unable to assert himself in the early games, attempting just two three-point attempts in each of the first three games. In game four, Towns shot 4-5 on three-pointers and was 3-6 in the Knicks’ most recent game.
This should only be the tip of the iceberg for Towns’ three-point production on the season. Expect New York to continue leaning on him from behind the arc and for his three-point volume to further grow moving forward. Expect him to have no problem knocking down more than 1.5 three-pointers in this game and expect this number to increase moving forward.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to face off with the Orlando Magic tonight. OKC is one of two remaining undefeated teams and has looked like the Western Conference favorites they entered the season as. One of the primary reasons for the team’s success has been the strong play of Chet Holmgren. Through the opening six games, he has averaged 17.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and a league-leading 3.3 blocks. He has tallied double-digit rebounds in three of the six games thus far.
Heading into this matchup, Holmgren has a great chance of having another strong rebounding output. Orlando ranks 13th in rebounding thus far but is battling injuries in tonight’s matchup. The Magic will be without their two leading rebounders as both Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr are each averaging 8.8 boards per game. Banchero suffered a torn oblique and will be out for the extended future while Carter has officially been ruled out due to a left foot plantar fascia strain.
Holmgren has been at the forefront of the rebounding output for the Thunder all season and will continue to be in this matchup. Jalen Suggs will enter this game as the team’s leading rebounder at 5.0 per game and Orlando does not have the physical big men that will bother Holmgren (with all due respect to Goga Bitadze). Expect the former second-overall pick to tally his fourth performance this season with 10+ rebounds.
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 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.
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
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.
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.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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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.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.Must be at least 18 years or older. Higher age limits may apply in some states. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid only in states where DraftKings Pick6 operates. Void where prohibited. For entertainment purposes only. Winning a contest on DraftKings depends on knowledge and exercise of skill. See terms at pick6.draftkings.com.
