This season has been aggravating. What's really annoying are the late scratches, which was on full display on Thursday when Tyler Herro was scratched at 7:05 ET. It's hard enough to formulate a lineup with all injuries and COVID protocols, but this stuff makes it even harder. The good news here is that we have most of the injury information ready to go, but you still need to keep your eyes and ears on the news until the tip and even a little bit after.
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Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 44.55 DK - 45.44
How amazing is this kid? I wasn't quite sure what to think of him when I saw him pulling halfcourt shots in high school, but he's the real deal. Since being inserted into the starting lineup last week, Ball is averaging 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.6 steals over his last eight games played. That equates to a 41-point average in that span, which is a ridiculous total from an $8K player. The reason we really love him here is this matchup, though, with Minnesota ranked 26th in points allowed, 25th in defensive efficiency, and sixth in pace.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 32.5 DK - 33.17
Payton has been all over the map this season, but recent results indicate that he shouldn't be this cheap. In fact, Elf has at least 20 DraftKings points in four-straight fixtures, averaging 31 fantasy points per game in that span. That might look flukey, but he had a similar 10-game stretch after the opening week. A 31-point average from a $5K player is hard to overlook, and Thibs will ride this guy if he keeps playing well. The matchup really adds to his intrigue, with Washington owning the NBA's worst defense while playing at the fastest pace in the league.
If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out again, look for Hamidou Diallo to be productive yet again.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 31.66 DK - 32.09
With De'Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Brandon Clarke all out of the lineup, Brooks should be asked to play a ton of minutes at the wing. That's big news for a guy who's already playing 29 minutes a night, with 35 looking like the floor here. He's been a lot better recently, too, scoring 69.3 combined fantasy points over his last two games. That gives him a 27-point average for the season, and that's really all you can ask for from a player in the mid $5,000s. Facing Los Angeles looks tough, but their wing positions happen to be one of their few weaknesses.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 27.87 DK - 28.12
With Jrue Holiday out, DiVincenzo has been handling the ball a lot. In the two games without him, DD is averaging 31 fantasy points per game. That extends the best stretch of his season, scoring at least 26 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. If you get 26 fantasy points from someone in this price range, you're way ahead of the pack. That's exactly what our projections say, and facing Utah should force him into extra minutes with somebody needed to guard a guy like Donovan Mitchell.
Grayson Allen could stumble into more minutes for Memphis with the aforementioned injuries.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 50.23 DK - 49.96
Strangely, Kawhi hasn't gotten a price bump with Paul George sidelined. With PG13 off the floor this season, Leonard has a 33.2 percent usage rate while averaging 1.4 DK points per minute. That's an absurd rate, equating to 56 fantasy points if he plays 40 minutes. That's right on par with what we've been seeing recently, with Kawhi dropping a 60-spot in his most recent game, en route to a 47-point average for the season. The matchup against Chicago is the icing on the cake, with the Bulls ranked 27th in total defense and third in pace.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 30.53 DK - 31.89
Barrett has been slumping a bit recently, but the price drop is too hard to overlook. The reason we really want to use him is his usage. Barrett is playing about 35 minutes a night while averaging 15 shots per game. That's on par with many of the $8K players, and it makes him a relative bargain in the $6K range. That monster role has led to a 31-point average for the season, and that looks very enticing in a matchup like this. Washington currently ranks 29th in defensive efficiency while surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.
If Orlando is missing half of their roster again, look at James Ennis as a GPP option.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 44.03 DK - 47.52
We already have a Knicks stack going, so it'd be silly to fade their best player. Much like Barrett, this dude's workload is off the chart. Randle is playing 36.4 minutes a night while posting a 27.4 percent usage rate and averaging 17 shots a game. That is a crazy role, and it's led to a career year, averaging 47 fantasy points per game. His floor has been equally impressive, scoring at least 38 fantasy points in 24 of his 26 games this season. It seems very likely that those 38 DK points are the floor yet again when you consider that Washington is the most fantasy-friendly team in the NBA.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 22.47 DK - 21.33
With Mason Plumlee sitting on Thursday and seeming likely to sit here, we love Stewart as the best cheap option of the day. He actually got the start on Thursday, leading the starters with 17 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and one block in the best performance of his career. That's really no surprise when you see his per-minute production, averaging 14.9 DK points per game in 17 minutes a night. That means if he gets the 31 minutes we saw on Thursday, 30 DraftKings points should well in play. That's below what he finished with in that Thursday gem, making him the bargain of the day below $4,000 on both sites.
Davis Bertans' price has dropped a ton, and he could be an excellent value if his long-range shooting is on point.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 61.06 DK - 63.35
We've provided a ton of value plays up to this point, so let's give you some big dogs. This might be the first time we've had two Nikolas, so let's thank Eastern Europe before we begin! Jokic is simply the best option in fantasy right now, averaging over 59 DraftKings points per game. He's the only player in league with that total, scoring at least 40 DraftKings points in all but one game this season. That's a truly incredible floor, and he's actually surpassed 61 fantasy points in four of his last six games. We obviously don't mind that Oklahoma City is pretty small and ranks 24th in total defense, either.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 53.05 DK - 55.83
These guys have been two of the best centers in the NBA, and much like Jokic; it's the floor that makes Vooch such a good option. He's actually reached at least 33 DraftKings points in all but one game this season, averaging 48 fantasy points per game. That makes him attractive, but Orlando could be without Markelle Fultz, Aaron Gordon, Cole Anthony, and Evan Fournier, too, leaving Vooch to feast. He's been doing just that recently, averaging over 55 DK points per game across his last four fixtures. We haven't even discussed the superb matchup, with Sacramento ranked dead-last in defensive efficiency while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Al Horford remains below $7K on both sites and it makes no sense why.
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