NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (10/19)

After an amazing opening night, we’re looking at our first full card of the year. We have almost every team in action, and it will be a chaotic DFS slate. We love that because it gives us plenty of players to pick between. With that said, this is one of the most challenging days of the year. We know less about these teams than at any point in the season, and it can make DFS a demanding endeavor. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the schedule and odds!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

Schedule and Odds

• ORL at DET (DET -3) O/U: 217.5
• WAS at IND (WAS -2.5) O/U: 227
• HOU at ATL (ATL -9.5) O/U: 233.5
• CHI at MIA (MIA -5.5) O/U: 217.5
• NOP at BKN (BKN -3.5) O/U: 230
• CLE at TOR (TOR -3) O/U: 214.5
• NYK at MEM MEM -6.5) O/U: 226.5
• OKC at MIN (MIN -10) O/U: 227
• CHA at SAS (CHA -2.5) O/U: 226.5
• DEN at UTA (DEN -8) O/U: 218
• DAL at PHX (PHX -4.5) O/U: 216.5
• POR at SAC (SAC -1.5) O/U: 225

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• LaMelo Ball (ankle) OUT
• Lonzo Ball (knee) OUT
• Jaren Jackson (knee) OUT
• Miles Bridges (personal) OUT
• Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) OUT
• Seth Curry (ankle) OUT
• Khris Middleton (wrist) OUT
• Chet Holmgren (knee) OUT
• Dillon Brooks (thigh) OUT
• Joe Harris (ankle) OUT
• Keegan Murray (COVID) OUT

Core Plays

Dejounte Murray (PG/SG – ATL): $9,200 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
Many people are worried about Murray’s usage in Atlanta, but they forget what makes this guy so good. Dejounte is one of the best stat-stuffers in the sport, averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game last year. Even 80 percent of that would make Murray a great pick in this price range. We anticipate him flirting with a triple-double against a Rockets team that ranked dead-last in defense last season while playing at the fastest pace in the league.

Ja Morant (PG – MEM): $9,900 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Ja developed into one of the best players in the NBA last season, and we expect him to get better this year. The 23-year-old had at least 36 DraftKings points in his final 37 games, generating a 49-point average in that span. A home matchup with the Knicks should have Ja hyped as well, dropping 61 DK points on them in their most recent matchup back in March.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $8,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
Fox can be volatile, but the Kings have given the keys to the car to Fox after the Tyrese Haliburton trade. That led to De’Aaron’s best stretch of his career, averaging 28.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists across the final 17 games of last year. Getting to face Portland is the best part of this, though, with the Trail Blazers sitting 29th in defensive efficiency last year.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $10,300 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
We’re just going to reserve this spot for Jokic all season. The reigning two-time MVP is simply the best cash game player on every slate, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in every game last season. He also led the league with 60 DK points per game and will obliterate a tanking Utah team that just traded away the best defensive center in the NBA.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
Dame missed most of last season due to core surgery, but this guy is a monster when he’s healthy. All indications are that he is and should be asked to do a ton in the absence of C.J. McCollum. Lillard flirted with a 40 percent usage rate with McCollum off the floor, averaging 1.6 DK points per minute in those stretches. Sacramento has also been one of the worst defenses over the last five years, with Lillard averaging 59 DK points per game in their last four meetings.

Terry Rozier (PG/SG – CHA): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Scary Terry had a career year in 2021, and he should be in for a gigantic workload with LaMelo Ball expected to miss this game. With Ball off the floor last season, Rozier led the team with a 27 percent usage rate while averaging 1.1 DK points per minute. Those usage numbers make him an easy sell at this salary, especially since he squares off with a Spurs defense that sat 23rd in points allowed last year.

GPP Targets

Myles Turner (C – IND): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Turner is too good to be a GPP player, but he struggles to stay healthy and posts more duds than he should. In any case, Myles is expected to take on an expanded role this year without Domantas Sabonis. That should skyrocket his usage, shot attempts, and rebounds, making him an All-Star candidate. The Wizards are a wonderful matchup, too, ranked 25th in defensive ratings last year.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG/SG – OKC): $8,700 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
I was surprised to hear that SGA would be ready to play in the opener, but that’s going to earn him a spot in here. He’s the leader of this lackluster OKC roster, averaging 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game last year. He simply does everything for this team and shouldn’t have any troubles against a 24th-ranked T’Wolves defense.

P.J. Washington (PF/C – CHA): $7,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
It sounds like Washington will be Charlotte’s starting power forward this year. He was a stud when playing in that role last year, averaging 30 fantasy points per game. We love that since he’s expected to see an expanded role in the absence of Ball, and it’ll be tough to keep this talented youngster off the floor with Miles Bridges out of the picture as well. We already discussed how sensational San Antonio can be as an opponent.

Value Plays

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
The Spurs are in the middle of a rebuild, but Jones looks like the Dejounte fill-in. He was terrific when starting at point guard last year, averaging 33.2 DK points per game across 33 minutes in his 11 starts. If he duplicates that in this augmented role, Tre should be $1,500 more! Facing Charlotte is spectacular, too, with the Hornets ranked fifth in pace and 25th in total defense last year.

Aleksej Pokusevski (SF/PF – OKC): $5,200 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
It’s unclear what OKC will do with their rotation, but we have to assume they’ll carry over what they did last season. Poku was actually the primary playmaker over the final month, averaging 31 DK points per game across his final 17 games of last year. He also dropped a triple-double in his final outing, and we could be looking at a Giannis-like rise if the Thunder allow him to run the show.

Kelly Olynyk (PF/C – UTA): $5,000 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Someone in Utah has to do something. We’re guessing that Olynyk will start at center for them and play 30 minutes a game. If that’s the case, Kelly needs to be $7K on both sites next month. He’s proven to be a $7K player in a 30-minute role in the past, and he could stuff the stat sheet for this underwhelming offense. With very little depth behind him, Utah simply can’t keep this guy off the floor.

Advantageous Pricing

• Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $10,300 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
• Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
• P.J. Washington (PF/C – CHA): $7,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN): $7,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
• Josh Giddey (PG/SG – OKC): $7,300 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
• Devin Vassell (SG/SF – SAS): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $6,400 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
• Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $5,900 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
• Alperen Sengun (PF/C – HOU): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $6,400 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel

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