It’s Friday, October 24th. The National Basketball Association (NBA) moves into the first official weekend of the new season, and there are 12 total games on today’s NBA DFS slate, beginning with a 6:30 p.m. ET game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, while wrapping up at 10:30 p.m. ET with the Phoenix Suns and L.A. Clippers.
We also get an Amazon Prime Video doubleheader, as the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks meet at 7:30 p.m. ET on the streaming service, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and L.A. Lakers meet at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Here are our top NBA DFS picks and advice for tonight’s slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,100
- FanDuel: $9,000
Last season, the Nets were poor defensively, allowing 112.2 points per game (PPG). It’s just one game, a 136-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but not much looks like it has changed. Make sure to grab a Cleveland stack for Friday’s slate.
Donovan Mitchell opened with 31 points in Wednesday’s 119-111 loss at New York. He hit 12-of-25 from the field, while hitting a pair of triples, and he was 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He added five assists, two steals and a block with a pair of boards, too.
- DraftKings: $9,000
- FanDuel: $9,600
When compiling your lineup, Anthony Edwards is a strong player to build around. Kevin Durant‘s sparring rival on the social media platform X, Edwards opened the season with a whopping 41 points, seven rebounds and five three-pointers across 39 minutes, while hitting 14-of-28 from the field.
Edwards posted solid numbers last season in four contests against the Lakers, averaging 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, three assists, one steal and 2.5 made three-pointers per game. He seems to really get up for games against the Lake Show, especially in L.A.
- DraftKings: $11,300
- FanDuel: $12,000
If you have the salary flexibility, rolling with the highest-priced DFS option is fine. We’ll find some decent low-end options to help get you afford Victor Wembanyama.
The 7-foot-4 center dominated the Dallas Mavericks in the season opener Wednesday, going 15-of-21 from the field, including 1-of-2 from downtown, while adding 9-of-11 from the free-throw line to finish with 40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. As long as the Frenchman can remain healthy, the sky is the limit for the Spurs big man.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,900
It’s just one game, but the Atlanta Hawks allowed 138 points in the opening game. Last season, Atlanta was a team we picked on rather frequently for stacks, but the jury is still out on whether the Hawks improved on defense, or if it will be poor like last season.
Paolo Banchero went for 24 points with 11 rebounds in 35 minutes in a win over the Miami Heat Wednesday night, adding an assist, a block, a steal and a three-pointer, while turning it over just twice.
- DraftKings: $7,500
- FanDuel: $6,600
Norman Powell made quite the debut for the Heat on Wednesday night in Orlando. The new addition went for a game-high 28 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while knocking down four three-pointers on eight attempts, and going 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also came up just one rebound short of a double-double, while adding a steal and a block with four assists.
Powell isn’t going to produce those types of numbers regularly, but if he routinely scores in the teens with a handful of rebounds and three-pointers, he’ll be a decent value at a mid-tier DFS price.
- DraftKings: $7,300
- FanDuel: $6,600
The big man for the Mystics managed just 10 points with 11 rebounds, three assists on 5-of-10 shooting in 26 minutes in a 133-120 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday night. It wasn’t the most impressive outing despite the double-double.
Alex Sarr’s marginal numbers in the opener dropped his DFS salary down a bit. His failure to reach projections in the opener was a problem for DFS players then, but it’s to your benefit today, as his production should now well exceed his salary expectations.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $6,900
- FanDuel: $7,200
Desmond Bane was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason, as Orlando wanted to improve its perimeter shooting. In its season-opening win on Wednesday against the Heat, it worked.
Bane finished with 23 points on Wednesday, just one shy of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and he knocked down a team-best three triples on six attempts, while also finishing with four boards, three assists and two blocks. He turned it over four times, which is a little concerning, but he is also learning the tendencies of his new teammates, so there might be a few more miscues than usual.
- DraftKings: $6,600
- FanDuel: $6,300
The 25-year-old Devin Vassell hit 6-of-14 from the field and 1-of-4 from behind the three-point line, while finishing with 13 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes in a 125-92 rout of the Dallas Mavericks. Vassell is a solid mid-level option with some upside against the defensively-challenged Pelicans.
- DraftKings: $5,800
- FanDuel: $6,400
Andrew Wiggins was instrumental in Miami’s success in Wednesday’s opener in Orlando. While the team eventually came up just short, it was within a single field goal late in the game, and it made Orlando sweat.
Wiggins finished with 18 points and four rebounds, while also adding an assist, a block and a steal with one 3-pointer. If he can do this on the regular, these low prices won’t last long.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $3,400
- FanDuel: $3,900
While we mentioned Desmond Bane earlier, a player added for help on perimeter shooting, Tristan da Silva is another player who could help in that department.
The No. 18 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, da Silva opened with 16 points in just 18 minutes off the bench, hitting three triples. If he can replicate those numbers, or anything close to it, he’ll more than exceed DFS salary expectations.
- DraftKings: $4,600
- FanDuel: $4,000
With several players missing, including All-Star Darius Garland (toe), Sam Merrill made the start on Wednesday in New York. He exceeded expectations, going for 19 points, including five three-pointers, while finishing with three rebounds and an assist in 28 minutes before fouling out.
- DraftKings: $3,400
- FanDuel: $3,700
With Ty Jerome (calf) unable to make his regular-season debut for Memphis, that means expanded roles for Cam Spencer and Javon Small. The latter was scoreless, while Spencer knocked down a pair of triples with seven points in 12 minutes off the bench.
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