NBA DFS Picks Today: 6 DraftKings Plays for Friday, Nov. 13, 2026

Friday’s DraftKings main slate has six games, and these are our six favorite NBA DFS picks today: two core plays, two mid-tier plays and two valueValueValue is the fantasy production you expect from a player relative to his salary. A value play offers more production or upside than his price suggests, whether he is cheap or expensive. It is often measured in points per dollar, written as fantasy points per $1,000 of salary: a $5,000 player projected for 20 points is a 4x value, also called the salary multiplier.Identify why the salary looks wrong: workload, matchup, scoring ability or a pricing error. Then check whether that reason still holds when you submit your lineup. picks. Knicks-Pacers and Bucks-Magic tip at 7 p.m. ET, three more games start at 8 and Jazz-Rockets closes the main slate at 8:30. The three late games (Warriors-Spurs, Blazers-Kings and Thunder-Clippers) are not part of this slate. All information is as of 2:15pm ET on Friday, November 13, 2026.

The injury newsInjury NewsInjury news is information about a player's health that can change whether they compete, how much they play or how effectively they perform. In DFS, it also affects opportunities for teammates and opponents.Before an uncertain player's game locks, identify an alternative you can afford at each affected position. Check whether making that change would require another player whose game starts earlier. points us at three games. Cleveland is without Evan Mobley, Memphis is without Zach Edey and Quinten Post, and Chicago and New Orleans are both thin in the frontcourt. Those absences drive most of our Usage Bump tool bumps tonight.

Salaries, projections, ownershipOwnershipOwnership is the percentage of lineups in a contest that include a given player. Projected ownership is an estimate made before lock; actual ownership is posted once the contest locks.Ownership isn't something to avoid; it's something to build around. The goal is understanding how the field is likely to build, then finding your edge relative to that., spreads and team totalsTeam TotalA team total is a betting-market estimate of how many points, runs or goals one team will score. In DFS, it usually means an implied team total calculated from betting odds, rather than a projection of fantasy points.Recheck team totals after major news, then ask which players actually benefit. If your projections already reflect the change, avoid adding another automatic boost. all come from our NBA Stone 2.0.

What are our favorite NBA DFS picks today?

Our six DraftKings picks for the Nov. 13 main slate, grouped by salary tier, with Stone 2.0 projections and projected ownership.

Core plays are $8,000 and up, mid-tier plays run $6,000 to $7,999, and value picks are anything under $6,000. All six together cost $41,500, which leaves $8,500 for your last two roster spots.

Which games matter on the main slate?

All six picks come from three games, two from each. The spread and totals below come from the NBA Stone 2.0. When we cite a defense-vs-positionDefense vs Position (DvP)Defense vs Position (DvP) measures how much fantasy production a defense allows to players at a particular position. You use its stats or rankings to compare matchups, with scoring rules and adjustment methods varying by source.Before comparing ranks, check which end means the easiest matchup and whether the table reports totals, points per game or production per opportunity. rank, 30th means that defense gives up the most DraftKings points in the league at the position.

The six games on the main slate, with the spread, game total and each team’s implied total from the NBA Stone 2.0.

Hawks-Bulls has the highest total on the slate by 10 points, and Atlanta’s 126.5 implied total is the biggest number on the board. Memphis-New Orleans and Cleveland-Miami are tied for the next-highest total at 235.5, with spreads of 3.5 and 2.5, so the starters should play full minutes. Utah-Houston is the game to avoid with a 15.5-point spread.

Which core plays are worth paying up for?

Jalen Johnson (PF, ATL)

DraftKings: $9,300 | Projection: 48.69 | Ceiling: 63.78 | Projected ownership: 36.6%

Johnson is averaging 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, and he showed no sign of the ankle sprain that cost him three games when he scored 30 points in his return against Brooklyn on Nov. 7. He also has a 26-point, 16-assist game against Houston on his log, and that kind of all-around line is what pays off in DraftKings NBA scoring.

He plays in the best game environment on the slate. Atlanta has a 126.5-point implied total, and Johnson projects for 5.24 points per $1,000, the best mark among main-slate players priced at $8,000 or more. Chicago only ranks 22nd against power forwards, so the matchup is fine and the pace does the rest. At 36.6% projected ownership he is the slate’s most popular expensive play, and we are fine eating that chalk.

Donovan Mitchell (SG, CLE)

DraftKings: $8,100 | Projection: 42.25 | Ceiling: 56.04 | Projected ownership: 28.0%

Mitchell is averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds through 12 games, with a 37-point night against the Knicks on Nov. 7. His 5.22 points per $1,000 is second only to Johnson among main-slate players priced at $8,000 or more.

Cleveland is missing Mobley, which puts more of the offense in Mitchell’s hands. Miami ranks 24th against shooting guards in DraftKings points allowed, and the 2.5-point spread should keep him on the floor late. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) is on the other side of this game with the top projection on the slate, so a Mitchell-Giannis pairing is a reasonable tournament build.

Which mid-tier plays fit best?

Cameron Boozer (PF, MEM)

DraftKings: $7,900 | Projection: 39.02 | Ceiling: 52.15 | Projected ownership: 18.6%

The rookie is averaging 15.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 32 minutes a game. That rebound and assist volume gives him a high floor on DraftKings even on nights when his shot is off.

New Orleans gives up the most DraftKings points in the league to power forwards (56.9 a game). Memphis-New Orleans is tied for the second-highest total on the slate at 235.5, and Edey and Post being out leaves more rebounds for Boozer. At 18.6% projected ownership, he is the lowest-owned of our six picks.

Dyson Daniels (PG/SF, ATL)

DraftKings: $6,600 | Projection: 33.75 | Ceiling: 45.82 | Projected ownership: 27.3%

Daniels gets you into Hawks-Bulls at a mid-tier price. He is averaging 9.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.0 steals in 12 games, and the steals carry a lot of weight in DraftKings scoring. He does not need to score much to return value.

Chicago is the best matchup on the slate for him. The Bulls allow 60.9 DraftKings points a game to small forwards, the most in the league, and they rank 29th against point guards. Daniels qualifies at both spots. Stacking him with Johnson gets you two pieces of the highest-total game for $15,900.

Which value picks free up salary?

Jarrett Allen (C, CLE)

DraftKings: $5,700 | Projection: 31.60 | Ceiling: 43.21 | Projected ownership: 31.0%

Mobley’s absence is the reason Allen is here. The two usually split Cleveland’s frontcourt minutes and rebounds, and with Mobley out, our Usage Bump tool moves Allen from 23.4 to 29 projected minutes and from 25.5 to 31.6 projected points. That is one of the biggest bumps among players confirmed in, and it works out to 5.54 points per $1,000.

He is averaging 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds this season while sharing the paint, so the extra six minutes are what you are paying for. Miami ranks 19th against centers, which makes the matchup neutral. He has been working back from a right knee contusion, so check his status before lock.

Isaiah Stewart (PF/C, MEM)

DraftKings: $3,900 | Projection: 23.30 | Ceiling: 33.21 | Projected ownership: 33.9%

Stewart is the best value on the slate at 5.97 points per $1,000. With Edey and Post out, our Usage Bump tool moves him from 18.3 to 25 projected minutes and from 17.1 to 23.3 projected points. He was questionable earlier this week with a right knee bone bruise, so make sure he is active.

New Orleans gives up the most DraftKings points in the league to centers, 62.5 a game. Stewart at $3,900 is the cheapest way to get a piece of that matchup, and his salary is what makes the Johnson and Mitchell pairing fit.

What news should you check before lock?

Allen and Stewart are the two to watch. Both are coming back from knee issues, and both projections assume they play their full bump in minutes. If Allen is out, Jaylon Tyson ($4,200) is the Cleveland value pivot. If Stewart sits, Taylor Hendricks ($3,400) picks up the Memphis center minutes.

Dejounte Murray is out for New Orleans with a left ankle sprain, and our Usage Bump tool moves Jeremiah Fears ($6,800) from 32.9 to 38.3 projected points. Karlo Matkovic ($4,600) and Herb Jones ($4,500) each pick up 7.7 points. Pelle Larsson was downgraded to doubtful for Miami, and if he sits, Giannis goes from 54.3 to 57.7.

Johnson missed three games with an ankle sprain earlier this month, so confirm he is off the injury report. Check the final reports about 30 minutes before each game. The 8 and 8:30 p.m. tips give you room to swap late.

Want to talk through the slate before lock? Our NBA DFS Process show goes live on YouTube at 4:30 p.m. ET, and past episodes are on our Shows page. Our NBA DFS hub has the rest of the tools, and the full Stone 2.0 breakdown comes with a Ship It Nation membership.

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