NBA DFS: DraftKings Main Slate Best Plays, GPP and Value | November 4, 2026
Sengun and Dosunmu lead our November 4 NBA DFS core. Murray is the GPP guard, with value plays, injury decisions and a $49,700 DraftKings lineup.
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11 games · 7 p.m. ET lock · DraftKings Classic
Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Injury report updated: 5:45 p.m. ET.Alperen Sengun and Ayo Dosunmu are where we want to start tonight. Sengun gives us a high-end centerpiece below $9,000, and Dosunmu’s recent workload makes him more than a cheap way to fill shooting guard. Jamal Murray is our favorite tournament alternative to the five-figure guards. We would rather build around that group than force Nikola Jokic into a lineup with four uncomfortable punts.
Favorite players at a glance
Preferred centerpiece
Core guard/wing
Flexible core alternative
Favorite GPP guard
Premium tournament ceiling
Salary relief with workload risk
This is the 11-game main-slate pool: ATL–WAS and PHI–DET at 7 p.m.; CHA–BKN, CHI–NYK and MIL–BOS at 7:30; CLE–OKC, IND–MEM and UTA–NOP at 8; MIN–HOU at 8:30; POR–PHX and TOR–DEN at 9. All times Eastern.
Dallas–San Antonio, Lakers–Sacramento and Miami–Clippers are outside this player pool.
Core plays
Alperen Sengun $8,900
Sengun’s latest two games brought 19 assists in 71 minutes. Monday against Boston, he added 26 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. That combination gives us several ways to score without needing him to lead the slate in real points. NBA game log.
The price and PF/C eligibility are the bigger reasons to begin here. Compared with Jokic, Sengun leaves $3,400 for the rest of the lineup, enough to turn a speculative minimum-price slot into a player we actually want. The caution is shooting: 12-for-15 on Monday is not a reasonable expectation every night. His passing is the part of that performance we want to buy.
Ayo Dosunmu $6,400
Dosunmu played 37 minutes Monday after 38 on Saturday. His latest line included 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and he attempted 18 shots. That is a much stronger starting point than assuming an injured teammate automatically creates a good DFS play. NBA game log.
We like him at either wing position in balanced builds. He also works opposite Sengun if you want both sides of the same game. The rebounding and assist totals can come back down sharply, so the case rests on sustained involvement rather than another near triple-double.
Deni Avdija $8,800
Avdija scored 28 points with five assists in 35 minutes Monday. NBA game log.
His unusual PG/SF eligibility is useful on this slate: he can be the second expensive creator without forcing the rest of the roster toward guards. Portland’s backcourt absences keep him high on our list. We prefer him when a build needs forward eligibility; Murray gets the nod when we have a straightforward point-guard opening. Neither needs to be paired with Jokic.
GPP plays and premium pivots
Jamal Murray $8,700
Murray has scored 35 and 39 points in his last two games, with 39 and 37 minutes. He attempted nine threes in each. His recent workload gives us a more convincing reason to pay this price than simply chasing the last box score. NBA game log.
He is our preferred GPP guard in a balanced lineup. The warning is obvious: 11 made threes over those two games will be difficult to repeat. We are paying for the opportunity to keep shooting, not treating that conversion rate as his new baseline. Murray plus Sengun costs $17,600, leaving $5,400 per remaining player.
Nikola Jokic $12,300
Jokic supplied 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and five combined steals and blocks against Portland. His previous five games include two triple-doubles. He remains the premium option when we want one roster spot capable of driving the entire lineup. NBA game log.
We prefer him in tournaments because the roster cost is substantial. Jokic plus Sengun leaves $4,800 per remaining spot. That construction becomes more appealing if a real starting value emerges, especially at guard. Until then, Murray is the easier Denver piece to fit. Toronto’s center news is worth following, but a questionable opponent is not the same as an opponent already ruled out.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander $10,300
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points with eight assists on 35 shots against Cleveland Monday. NBA game log.
The rematch makes him an obvious alternative to Jokic at $2,000 less. We like the salary structure more when a lineup already has its centers. He is still $1,600 above Murray, so choose the premium guard deliberately rather than sacrificing two preferred supporting pieces. These are ceiling choices, not claims about who will be low-owned.
Midrange plays
Onyeka Okongwu $6,400
Okongwu had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes Monday. NBA game log.
At the same price as Dosunmu, he is our preferred midrange center. Atlanta’s thin frontcourt supports the idea, while Jalen Johnson’s status is an additional decision rather than a condition we are assuming. He fits especially well with Sengun in PF or UTIL. The early tip matters: make this center decision before chasing later news.
OG Anunoby $6,200
Anunoby has played at least 31 minutes in each of his last five games, including 38 on Monday. That latest outing produced 18 points and three combined steals and blocks. He also scored 23 against Chicago last week. NBA game log.
We like the workload for a balanced lineup that needs a forward. His DraftKings eligibility is PF only, so do not assume he can fill SF. The scoring can be uneven, and he is a supporting piece rather than the player we expect to carry a tournament roster.
Paul Reed $6,500
Reed’s last three games brought 28, 31 and 38 minutes. Monday he collected four combined steals and blocks alongside 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. NBA game log.
He is the $100 pivot from Okongwu when you prefer Detroit’s center opportunity. We lean Okongwu, but Reed gives a tournament roster another route without changing its salary structure. Defensive events are volatile, and this price already requires a meaningful contribution. He should not be treated like a minimum-salary injury replacement.
Value plays
Aaron Nesmith $4,400
Nesmith is off the injury report after resting Monday. His most recent appearance was 30 minutes, but the four before it were 21, 27, 21 and 19. NBA game log.
He is our preferred inexpensive small forward for this example, with the understanding that the workload is not settled at 30-plus minutes. Indiana’s final available wing group will matter. We would rather accept this specific risk than fill the slot with a player who has no clear rotation path.
Kenrich Williams $4,500
Williams played 31 minutes Monday, up from 21 and 17 in his previous two games. He scored 12 points but added only three rebounds and one assist. NBA game log.
That is useful salary relief, not a new offensive centerpiece. Alex Caruso’s return and Jaylin Williams’ availability can change the supporting rotation. We like Kenrich as one inexpensive forward, but would avoid building as though every available Thunder reserve inherits a star’s production.
Sam Merrill $4,200
Merrill attempted eight threes in 26 minutes Monday and made two. NBA game log.
He is a shooting bet that can fill SG, SF or G. That flexibility is valuable when the core is expensive. We want him in tournament builds with enough creation elsewhere; we do not want an entire lineup full of players whose result depends on their jump shot.
Alex Caruso $4,600
Caruso is off the report following an ankle injury. He has not played since October 26, when his outing ended after nine minutes. NBA game log.
He is a tournament alternative to Kenrich for $100 more, not a safer automatic upgrade. His ability to contribute outside scoring is attractive, but returning to the active roster does not establish his minutes. On DraftKings he is a forward here, despite the guard label on his NBA profile.
Conditional value: Jay Huff, $4,000. Huff had 22 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 40 minutes Monday. NBA game log. We would consider him if Indiana’s final center rotation supports another expanded role. Ivica Zubac is questionable, so Huff is a watch-list option rather than a core play before that decision.
Injury news and what to watch
The NBA’s 5:45 p.m. ET injury report is the reference for the designations below. Starters and final workloads still need confirmation before lock.
- Boston: Jayson Tatum is out for rest; Payton Pritchard remains questionable and Devin Carter is out. Paul George ($7,200) and Derrick White ($6,700) remain options to reassess with Tatum unavailable, but this report does not establish their minutes or usage.
- Atlanta and Washington: Jalen Johnson, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly are questionable; Jock Landale is out. Reassess the frontcourt and wing options once those decisions arrive.
- Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out; Jaylin Williams is questionable. Recheck the value forwards.
- Indiana: Haliburton and McConnell are out. Zubac, Toppin and Oubre are questionable. Do not carry Monday’s depleted rotation forward unchanged.
- Minnesota and Houston: Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., Steven Adams and Clint Capela are out. Dosunmu and Sengun remain in our example build; these absences alone do not establish a specific workload or numerical boost.
- Portland and Toronto: Morant, Sharpe and Leonard are out; Poeltl is questionable.
- Chicago: Nic Claxton is now out and Jalen Smith is available. Smith ($5,200) joins the center-value shortlist with Claxton unavailable; confirm his starting role before making a swap.
- Other decisions: Josh Hart is out. Mo Bamba, Jordan Goodwin and Trey Murphy III remain questionable. Kon Knueppel is available; Coby White, Jordan Poole and Cameron Johnson remain probable.
5:45 p.m. ET update: Claxton has been ruled out and Jalen Smith is available. The $49,700 example lineup remains unchanged. None of its eight players is listed on this report; confirm final availability and starters before entry.
Lineup construction
Our first build is balanced. Sengun, Murray and Dosunmu cost $24,000 together, leaving $26,000 for five players. That is enough to stay in the middle tiers at center and power forward without relying on a $3,000 player whose minutes are uncertain.
The Jokic route needs a stronger value answer. Swapping Murray for a minimum-priced guard just to afford Jokic can erase the advantage of the spend-up. If late news makes Huff or a Boston guard a credible salary saver, reconsider the whole eight-player build rather than forcing a one-for-one change.
Use the later slots deliberately. In contests with late swap, leave flexible later players in G, F and UTIL where possible. Our example keeps Sengun in UTIL. Murray is PG-only; Avdija is a $100 more expensive PG-eligible alternative in the same 9 p.m. window, and the example’s $300 cushion covers that change.
Example lineup: $49,700
This tournament construction uses the exact salaries and eligible positions in the November 4 DraftKings player pool. It leaves $300 and does not require any questionable player to be cleared. The biggest risks are the supporting minutes for Nesmith and Williams, plus Merrill’s shooting.
| Slot | Player | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Jamal Murray DEN | $8,700 |
| SG | Ayo Dosunmu MIN | $6,400 |
| SF | Aaron Nesmith IND | $4,400 |
| PF | OG Anunoby NYK | $6,200 |
| C | Onyeka Okongwu ATL | $6,400 |
| G | Sam Merrill CLE | $4,200 |
| F | Kenrich Williams OKC | $4,500 |
| UTIL | Alperen Sengun HOU | $8,900 |
| Total | $49,700 | |
| Remaining | $300 | |
Reed can replace Okongwu for $100 more, taking the lineup to $49,800. Caruso can replace Kenrich for $100 more as a separate tournament choice. Both changes together total $49,900. Make those decisions because you prefer the roles, not just to use more of the cap.
Final thoughts
Sengun is our first click, Dosunmu is our favorite mid-priced building block, and Murray is the guard we want in the balanced tournament lineup. Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander offer the premium alternatives. The last few roster spots should stay open to actual rotation news, especially in Boston, Indiana and Oklahoma City.
Start with the core you believe in, then judge the full lineup. If the cheap pieces are uncomfortable, the more expensive star is not automatically the better construction.
For more slate coverage, visit our NBA DFS hub. Confirm availability in DraftKings before entry. This example is a construction guide, not a guaranteed result.