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NBA DFS Picks and Projections Today: Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice (Nov. 20)

Keith Eyster

Keith Eyster

Last updated: November 20, 2025

James Harden NBA

Looking for the best NBA DFS picks and projections today? Thursday’s slate is small, but it’s absolutely stacked, and if you’re grinding daily fantasy NBA on DraftKings or FanDuel, you’re in for a real treat. Identifying the actual DFS plays that separate winning lineups from losing ones requires more than just spotting the studs. That’s where smart NBA fantasy projections and DFS strategy come into play. Our NBA DFS picks for Thursday are always based on data, so you know you’re working with intel that actually matters. Whether you’re stacking a specific game or exploring other GPP strategies, we’ve got the top daily fantasy NBA projections and picks broken down and ready to go.

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Best NBA DFS Picks and Daily Fantasy Basketball Projections Today – Thursday, Nov. 20

Let’s first take a look at our NBA DFS projections for Thursday’s slate.

NBA DFS Projections Today For DraftKings

Player Team Position Salary Props Projection
James Harden LAC PG/G/UTIL $10,000 49.6
Tyrese Maxey PHI PG/G/UTIL $10,300 49.3
Jalen Johnson ATL PF/F/UTIL $9,800 44.9
De’Aaron Fox SAS PG/G/UTIL $9,300 42.3
Franz Wagner ORL SF/F/UTIL $8,800 41.7
Ryan Rollins MIL PG/G/UTIL $7,500 38.9
Ivica Zubac LAC C/UTIL $7,400 37.0
Desmond Bane ORL SG/G/UTIL $7,500 36.7
Russell Westbrook SAC PG/G/UTIL $7,900 36.1
Myles Turner MIL C/UTIL $6,700 34.9
Santi Aldama MEM PF/C/F/UTIL $5,800 34.8
Andre Drummond PHI C/UTIL $6,400 33.8
Vince Williams N/A N/A N/A 33.6
Domantas Sabonis SAC C/UTIL $8,600 33.4
Kyle Kuzma MIL SF/F/UTIL $6,900 32.8
Dyson Daniels ATL PG/G/UTIL $7,300 32.6
Cedric Coward MEM SF/F/UTIL $6,300 32.5
Onyeka Okongwu ATL C/UTIL $7,600 32.2
VJ Edgecombe PHI SG/G/UTIL $6,000 31.8
DeMar DeRozan SAC SF/F/UTIL $7,300 30.9
Bobby Portis MIL PF/C/F/UTIL $6,500 30.9
Jalen Suggs ORL PG/G/UTIL $6,000 30.7
Quentin Grimes PHI PG/SG/G/UTIL $6,100 30.6
Devin Vassell SAS PG/SF/F/G/UTIL $6,600 30.4
Zach LaVine SAC SG/G/UTIL $6,900 30.0

NBA Live Odds

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Alexandre Sarr
PF LAL @ WAS
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Austin Reaves
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Bilal Coulibaly
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Bub Carrington
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Deandre Ayton
C LAL @ WAS
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Jake LaRavia
PF LAL @ WAS
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Justin Champagnie
SG LAL @ WAS
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SF LAL @ WAS
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LeBron James
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Luka Dončić
PG LAL @ WAS
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DeMar DeRozan
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C MEM @ NO
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SG SAC @ BOS
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C POR @ NY
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GG Jackson II
PF MEM @ NO
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Jamal Shead
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PF MEM @ NO
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Jaylen Wells
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Jose Alvarado
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Josh Hart
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Jrue Holiday
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SG MEM @ NO
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Landry Shamet
SG POR @ NY
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Mikal Bridges
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Mitchell Robinson
C POR @ NY
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Payton Pritchard
PG SAC @ BOS
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Precious Achiuwa
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RJ Barrett
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Russell Westbrook
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PF MEM @ NO
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Sam Hauser
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Sandro Mamukelashvili
PF TOR @ ORL
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Scottie Barnes
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Shaedon Sharpe
SG POR @ NY
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Toumani Camara
SF POR @ NY
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Trey Murphy III
SF MEM @ NO
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Tristan da Silva
PF TOR @ ORL
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Vince Williams Jr.
SG MEM @ NO
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Wendell Carter Jr.
C TOR @ ORL
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Yves Missi
C MEM @ NO
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Zion Williamson
PF MEM @ NO
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C LAC @ DEN
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SG LAC @ DEN
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Collin Gillespie
Collin Gillespie
PHO PG CLE @ PHO
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Craig Porter Jr.
PG CLE @ PHO
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De'Andre Hunter
SF CLE @ PHO
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Dean Wade
PF CLE @ PHO
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Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks
PHO SF CLE @ PHO
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Donovan Mitchell
SG CLE @ PHO
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Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen
PHO SF CLE @ PHO
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Ivica Zubac
C LAC @ DEN
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Jalen Pickett
SG LAC @ DEN
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Jamal Murray
PG LAC @ DEN
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James Harden
SG LAC @ DEN
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Jarrett Allen
C CLE @ PHO
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Jaylon Tyson
SF CLE @ PHO
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John Collins
PF LAC @ DEN
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Jonas Valančiūnas
C LAC @ DEN
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Jordan Goodwin
Jordan Goodwin
PHO PG CLE @ PHO
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Kawhi Leonard
SF LAC @ DEN
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Kris Dunn
PG LAC @ DEN
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Mark Williams
Mark Williams
PHO C CLE @ PHO
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Nae'Qwan Tomlin
PF CLE @ PHO
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Oso Ighodaro
Oso Ighodaro
PHO PF CLE @ PHO
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Peyton Watson
SF LAC @ DEN
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Royce O'Neale
Royce O'Neale
PHO PF CLE @ PHO
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Ryan Dunn
Ryan Dunn
PHO SF CLE @ PHO
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Sam Merrill
SG CLE @ PHO
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Spencer Jones
PF LAC @ DEN
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Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF LAC @ DEN
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Ace Bailey
SF BKN @ UTA
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Danny Wolf
C BKN @ UTA
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Egor Demin
PG BKN @ UTA
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Jusuf Nurkić
C BKN @ UTA
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Keyonte George
SG BKN @ UTA
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Michael Porter Jr.
SF BKN @ UTA
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Nicolas Claxton
C BKN @ UTA
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Terance Mann
PG BKN @ UTA
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Al Horford
C DET @ GS
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Ausar Thompson
SG DET @ GS
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Brandin Podziemski
SG DET @ GS
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Buddy Hield
SF DET @ GS
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Cade Cunningham
PG DET @ GS
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De'Anthony Melton
SG DET @ GS
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Draymond Green
PF DET @ GS
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Duncan Robinson
SG DET @ GS
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Gui Santos
SF DET @ GS
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Isaiah Stewart
PF DET @ GS
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Jalen Duren
C DET @ GS
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Moses Moody
SG DET @ GS
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Quinten Post
C DET @ GS
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Ron Holland II
SF DET @ GS
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Stephen Curry
PG DET @ GS
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Tobias Harris
SF DET @ GS
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Will Richard
SG DET @ GS
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Top NBA DFS Picks Today 

Who’s going to smash tonight? We’ll dive into our favorite NBA DFS picks this morning. There could be a ton of news that breaks later, but we’ll check out the best early plays on the board.

Top NBA DFS Stud: James Harden

With just four games on the Thursday NBA DFS slate, high ceiling options may be hard to come by. However, one option stands above the rest, and that is James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden has been a one-man show for the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal out of the lineup. Beal is out for the season, and Leonard is not yet ready to return from his ankle injury, with both already ruled out for Thursday night’s matchup with the Orlando Magic. Derrick Jones Jr. and Jordan Miller have also been ruled out by the Clippers, which puts even more of the load on the shoulders of Harden.

In six games this season with Leonard and Beal inactive, Harden has posted an elite 33.6% usage rate, and he is averaging nearly 60 fantasy points per game. He has averaged 31.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists during those contests.

Harden proved just what his ceiling can look like in this setup last week when he dropped a 41-point triple-double on the Mavericks and finished with 87 fantasy points.

Tonight’s matchup against the Magic does not look great on paper, with Orlando playing at only the 22nd fastest pace in the league.

However, their number two-ranked defense from a season ago has slipped to 14th this year, and they will be without Paolo Banchero in this game. Harden brings triple-double upside and massive fantasy appeal into any matchup, and that is even more true when his team is shorthanded without a star like Kawhi Leonard.

Expert Mid-Tier Pick: Santi Aldama

The Memphis Grizzlies are going to be a very popular target on Thursday, as they have already ruled out Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is listed as doubtful on the injury report. Without their two highest usage players, Memphis will be forced to lean heavily on several players who are under-priced for their expanded roles.

Morant has missed three games so far this season, and in those contests, Santi Aldama has seen a meaningful bump in opportunity, including a 2 percent increase in usage up to 23.3%, which ranks second on the team behind Jackson, who is unlikely to suit up.

Aldama should step into the starting lineup for Jackson and has a legitimate chance to lead the team in usage. For the season, he is averaging 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. The 24-year-old was already beginning to see an expanded role with Morant out, and now he has a clear path to serve as the focal point of the Memphis offense with Jackson also sidelined.

Tonight’s matchup also adds to his appeal. The Sacramento Kings play at the fifth-fastest pace in the league and rank just 27th in defensive efficiency. That environment should boost both possessions and scoring opportunities for Aldama.

He looks locked into a starting role with a very realistic path to 30 minutes or more, and the role he is stepping into suggests he can easily outperform his mid-range price tag. With both volume and matchup working in his favor, Aldama profiles as one of the strongest value plays on the slate.

Top NBA DFS Value Play: Vince Williams

We’re sticking with another Memphis player as our early pick for top value on Thursday. Vince Williams started at point guard in place of Ja Morant in the last game and came incredibly close to posting a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in nearly 30 minutes of action. With Jaren Jackson also expected to miss this game, Williams could be even more involved in the offense.

Tonight’s matchup is even more favorable. The Kings rank 27th in defensive efficiency, and both Memphis and Sacramento play at a top‑10 pace, contributing to a massive 234.5-point total for the game.

Williams should see the ball in his hands constantly, acting as both a scorer and playmaker. This combination gives him high usage, plenty of scoring opportunities, and a chance to rack up assists, making him an extremely attractive fantasy option.

The role Williams is stepping into is far too good for his current price tag. With his expanded minutes, ball-handling responsibilities, and the favorable matchup, he should be a core piece in DFS lineups on Thursday and has the potential to easily outperform expectations.

Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com/web/PlayandGetTerms_DFS_.html for details. Offer not valid in MD, MI, OH, and PA. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org; NY: Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369)

Editor’s Note: This article was published in the morning. These core picks could change based on more daily news and injuries.

Looking for more NBA DFS News and Picks? We’ve got you covered all season:

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