NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (10/26)

After a tiny Tuesday card, we’re back to normal here. We actually have a massive slate to look forward to, with 20 teams taking the floor. Getting such a massive player pool makes things interesting from a DFS perspective, particularly since we have so many big-name players already injured. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the schedule and injury report!

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

Schedule and Odds

• ORL at CLE (CLE -8) O/U: 219
• ATL at DET (ATL -7) O/U: 229.5
• BKN at MIL (MIL -4) O/U: 233.5
• CHA at NYK (NYK -8) O/U: NA
• PHI at TOR (TOR -1) O/U: NA
• IND at CHI (CHI -8) O/U: 233
• SAS at MIN (MIN -9) O/U: 231
• HOU at UTA (UTA -5.5) O/U: 232.5
• LAL at DEN (DEN -6) O/U: 227
• MIA at POR (POR -1.5) O/U: 222

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

Injury Report

• LaMelo Ball (ankle) OUT
• Terry Rozier (ankle) Questionable
• Miles Bridges (personal) OUT
• Darius Garland (eye) OUT
• Khris Middleton (knee) OUT
• Scottie Barnes (ankle) Questionable
• Devin Vassell (knee) Questionable
• Russell Westbrook (hamstring) Doubtful
• Myles Turner (ankle) Questionable
• Michael Porter (back) Questionable
• Alperen Sengun (illness) OUT

Core Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/PF – MIL): $11,200 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
Giannis has been the best player in fantasy this season, and it’s not relatively close. He’s the only guy with an average north of 60 DraftKings points, scoring at least 59 fantasy points in both outings. You know he’ll be motivated against a contender like the Nets, especially since they sit 27th in defensive efficiency ratings. Antetokounmpo averaged nearly 62 DK points per game in their four meetings last year.

Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI): $7,900 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
The Bulls have gotten off to a slow start, but it’s certainly no fault of Vooch. The big man has scored at least 32 DK points in all four outings, collecting 18 points, 23 rebounds, and five assists in their most recent game. That’s absurd from an $8K player, and he should keep it going against an Indiana team surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Dennis Smith Jr.(PG – CHA): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Having Smith in the core plays section shows how crazy this opening week has been. This guy was out of the league two years ago, but he’s been one of Charlotte’s best players this year. The absences of LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Miles Bridges are the reason why, with DSJ dropping 37 DraftKings points across 34 minutes on Sunday. As long as this guy is starting at point guard and playing 30-plus minutes, he should be well above $6K.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $10,900 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
Jokic has been the top-scoring player in fantasy for the last two years, averaging over 60 fantasy points per game. That makes him the safest play on every slate, scoring at least 39 fantasy points in all but one game last season. That sort of floor makes him impossible to fade against the Lakers, with LA playing at the second-fastest pace in the NBA. In his two games against LA last season, Jokic collected 55 points, 30 rebounds, and 19 assists.

James Harden (PG – PHI): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
What is DraftKings thinking? It’s clear that Harden is back to his MVP form, ranked second on this slate with 57 DK points per game. He’s also got at least 48 fantasy points in all four fixtures, making it hard to believe that he’s still below $10K. It’s not like facing Toronto is terrible either, ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
Dame is back and better than ever. He has Portland off to a 4-0 start, averaging 51 DraftKings points per game. That’s the MVP candidate we know and love, posting an absurd 33 percent usage rate as well. As long as he’s playing 35 minutes, taking 20 shots, and posting a 33 percent usage rate, Dame needs to be above $10,000 on both sites. Miami’s defense is a shell of itself right now, too, ranked 21st in defensive ratings.

GPP Targets

Lauri Markkanen (PF/C – UTA): $6,500 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Many people thought Collin Sexton was the foundational piece in the Donovan Mitchell trade, but Markkanen looks like the man in Utah. He’s averaging 41 DraftKings points per game so far this season, attempting nearly 20 shots a night. He’s simply the go-to player on this offense, and he should go off against a Houston team that ranked dead-last in total defense last year.

Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $6,400 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Poeltl has been disrespected in DFS for years, and I don’t understand why. He broke out last season with over 30 DK points per game and has gotten off to a 36-point average so far this year. He’s done that damage with limited scoring, and Poeltl should be asked to play monster minutes to oppose Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. When they played last week, Poeltl provided 40 DK points.

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
Many people forget this, but Lopez was an All-Star player in the past. He’s recaptured some of that form in the opening week, scoring at least 30 fantasy points in both outings. That’s all you can ask for from a player in this price range, and it’s clear he’s comfortable doing more in the absence of Khris Middleton. We already discussed how bad Brooklyn’s defense has been, and it’s a revenge game for the big man as well.

Value Plays

Jordan Clarkson (PG – UTA): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Sexton being relegated to bench duties has made some of these Utah players the best values in DFS. We’ve always known that Clarkson is a microwave off the bench, but seeing him start at shooting guard has been massive for his fantasy value. JC is averaging over 32 fantasy points per game this season, averaging 17 shots per game across the last three outings. Getting 35 minutes and 15-20 shots out of this guy is enormous, particularly since he faces the worst defense from last season.

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
San Antonio has been undervalued all season, and it’s just a matter of time before Jones is $7K on both sites. He’s taken over starting point guard duties in the absence of Dejounte Murray, maintaining a 30-point average this season. He averaged 33 fantasy points per game in his limited time as a starter last year, and he could be asked to do even more here with Vassell missing this game. We also don’t mind that Minnesota owns a 27th OPRK against opposing point guards.

KJ Martin (PF – HOU): $4,500 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
With Sengun and Bruno Fernando out for the Rockets, KJ is being forced into the starting lineup. That’s allowed him to play at least 30 minutes in back-to-back games, and this guy needs to be closer to $6K in that sort of role. Utah used to be a scary matchup, but this looks like one of the worst defenses after the Rudy Gobert trade.

Advantageous Pricing

• James Harden (PG – PHI): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
• Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,700 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
• Saddiq Bey (SF – DET): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Onyeka Okongwu (C – ATL): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
• Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
• LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $9,900 DraftKings, $10,700 FanDuel
• Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN): $6,700 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
• Aaron Gordon (SF/PF – DEN): $6,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel

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