DraftKings NBA Picks for October 27
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for October 27
There are four games in the NBA today, starting with afternoon games in Atlanta and Chicago. With only four teams in play, it can be hard to pick a lineup that separates you from the pack. Let’s see what look like good picks!
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DraftKings is making one very important change for the 2016-2017 season. For some strange reason, they gave up their only advantage over FanDuel for NBA games. DraftKings decided to lock ALL games when the contest starts just as FanDuel does. They say it is so you don’t spend all your time checking status updates for night games, and that this is so you can “enjoy the whole tournament” instead of checking status updates. For me, this kind of ruins DraftKings. If one of you can help me understand why it is a good thing, I will gladly listen.
My picks may be adjusted accordingly this year. Playing someone with a questionable tag in a night game is a good way to lose money now. If DraftKings does this for baseball, I am seriously done with it. They never have all of the lineups finalized before 7pm eastern. That is the risk we are running by playing on DraftKings as well.
Okay, the rant is over. For those of you that still enjoy DraftKings, I’m still going to provide picks. The big difference now between FanDuel and DraftKings is the lineups. FanDuel has one more slot, but you are confined to two of every position except center, where you get one. On DraftKings, you get a starting five plus a G, F, and UTIL. This is still an advantage over FanDuel because we can play two centers even though the roster is smaller!
Sound like fun? If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for a free entry into the Fantasy Football Millionaire contest. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that free entry into a solid bankroll!
Point Guards:
Best Bets:
Damian Lillard ($9,200): Lillard torched the Jazz in the opener, going for 39 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 35 minutes. Lillard will again play a ton of minutes. He may have a harder time lighting up the Clippers’ backcourt, but Lillard gets to the line enough to give him a high floor.
Isaiah Thomas ($7,200): Thomas abused the Nets last night, going for a team high 25 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. The Bulls figured to provide a little more resistance with Rondo manning the point, but he should still produce nicely with a mid-range salary.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Paul ($8,800): Paul’s thumb didn’t seem to slow him in the last preseason game, so it should be all systems go for him tonight. The Blazers are about in the middle as far as fantasy points allowed to guards, but Paul is an elite passer to go with his shooting skills so he always has a chance to turn in a good night.
Dennis Schroder ($6,500): The Hawks treated Schroder with kid gloves during the preseason. Now they are off against the Wizards and John Wall who is coming off of procedures on both knees. Schroder played very well when Jeff Teague was rested or hurt last year. He could give you fantastic value at this price.
Dark Horses:
Rajon Rondo ($6,200): Rondo is one of the best passers around, and he showed a great ability to score in preseason. We all know that preseason means very little, but so far, Rondo seems like a great fit for the Bulls. He could be on your fantasy squad as well.
Patty Mills ($3,900): Darren Collison is still out, so the Kings are thin at the guard spot. A spot they didn’t defend very well last year. Mills outplayed Tony Parker by a rather large margin in the opener despite playing eight less minutes. The changing of the guard will be a gradual process over the course of the season, but Mills is far from a punt play right now. He will play around 20 minutes a night.
My pick: Schroder(PG)
Shooting Guards:
Best Bets:
Avery Bradley (4,900): Bradley turned in 17 points and nine assists last night against the Nets. He can be inconsistent from game to game because of the depth in the Celtics’ backcourt, but as long as Marcus Smart is sidelined or limited, Bradley could be a great play.
Dwyane Wade ($6,300): Wade is a streaky scorer who is prone to poor shooting nights. He usually does enough without the ball to make sure you aren’t totally ruined if you draft him, but this is a warning that Wade was mostly cold in the preseason. He also will have to contend for shots with Jimmy Butler, who is the unquestioned scorer of the offense. Still, Wade’s return home could be a great reason to play him, even against a stout Boston defense.
Honorable Mention:
Bradley Beal ($5,700): The return of John Wall in any capacity should help Beal’s production. He should be the main perimeter scorer for the Wizards, but be aware that the Hawks defend the perimeter pretty well.
Kent Bazemore ($5,100): Bazemore showed an ability to contribute in many areas last year, which makes him a low-risk DFS option. He should be a sure 25 DraftKings points at a very reasonable price.
Dark Horses:
Alan Crabbe ($3,700): Crabbe outplayed both Mo Harkless and Evan Turner in the opener. Harkless in particular had a rough game. Crabbe is part of the future of the Blazers. Don’t be surprised if he outplays both Turner and Harkless again and gets way above 5x value.
Kyle Korver ($3,300): Korver was an assassin from beyond the arc in preseason. If he can carry over his hot shooting into the regular season, he may be the best bargain of the slate.
My pick: Bradley(SG), Crabbe(G)
Best Bets:
Kawhi Leonard ($8,400): Leonard dropped a career high 35 points on the defending Western Conference champs on Monday night. Rudy Gay is a solid defender, but Leonard is the first option on this team, and can hurt you in so many ways. His across-the-board contributions make him a desirable DFS option since he will always get you something. He should flirt with 30 again tonight.
Jimmy Butler ($7,400): Can Butler co-exist with veterans Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade? His 39.1 DraftKings average may not be attainable this year, but how much will his production actually drop? I don’t know if its enough to warrant this low of a salary.
Honorable Mention:
Jae Crowder ($5,200): Crowder poured in 21 points to go with his five rebounds, two assists, and two steals against the Nets last night. The sledding will certainly be tougher, especially in a matinee game in Chicago, but it’s hard to ignore this production at this price.
Markieff Morris ($5,400): Morris finished strong with the Wizards last year after a terrible stretch with the Suns and a slow start in Washington. He looked solid all preseason, and has the ability to contribute across the board which should make him a low risk option.
Dark Horse:
Matt Barnes ($3,400): Omri Casspi thrived in a backup role to Rudy Gay last year, but Casspi played just nine minutes in the opener. Barnes played 28 and responded with 17 points and seven rebounds. He is an absolute steal at this price, even against the Spurs.
My pick: Leonard(SF)
Best Bets:
Blake Griffin ($8,600): When Griffin is healthy, he is still one of the better bigs in the league. The Clippers took it easy on him during the preseason, but it looks as though he will play as long as he is effective tonight. The Blazers had trouble defending the interior last year after LaMarcus Aldridge departed, so Griffin should have plenty of good looks tonight.
LaMarcus Aldridge ($7,300): Aldridge thrived in his first game without Tim Duncan. He piled up 26 points, 14 rebounds (including eight on the offensive end), and three assists. Pau Gasol wont always be cold from the field, but Aldridge is clearly the preferred interior scorer right now.
Honorable Mention:
DeMarcus Cousins ($10,300): Things are better between cousins and new coach Dave Joerger, but Cousins still struggled in the opener. The Spurs brought in Pau Gasol to help their interior defense, which was one of the few weaknesses of this team last year. Cousins is a threat to go off on any given night, but his 23 points and eight rebounds in the opener are nowhere near enough to pay this for. I want to see something first before I invest 20% of my cap on him.
Paul Millsap ($7,900): Millsap didn’t play until the last preseason game for the Hawks, but he nearly dropped a triple double in 19 minutes. Will the addition of Howard help or hurt Millsap? I tend to think it will help, but if it doesn’t, Millsap is an $8,000 paperweight.
Dark Horse:
Taj Gibson ($4,100): Gibson outplayed both Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis in the preseason, so we have a dirt cheap starter here. I still expect Mirotic to see plenty of offensive looks, and he certainly will eat into Gibson’s minutes, but Gibson’s defensive presence will keep him in the game more often than not. It also gives him a much higher floor than Mirotic. Gibson looks like a great pick tonight.
My pick: Aldridge(PF), Gibson(F)
Best Bets:
DeAndre Jordan ($7,700): Jordan is an elite rebounder and a capable scorer. He is also going up against a Trailblazers team that is rolling out Mason Plumlee at center. No offense to Plumlee, but Cousins is going to abuse him. All at a pretty low price.
Al Horford ($7,000): Horford turned in 11 points, five rebounds, six assists, and four blocks in the opener last night. He looks like he is fitting very well in the Celtics system. His ability to contribute across the board makes him a low-risk play worthy of building your roster around.
Honorable Mention:
Dwight Howard ($7,500): Howard had a very strong preseason. It looks like his homecoming could be a good thing for him as well after a lackluster season in Houston last year. If the preseason is any indication, Howard will be well worth his price, though maybe not against a stout Washington interior.
Marcin Gortat ($5,300): Gortat is nothing flashy, but he consistently puts up double digits in points and rebounds. His ceiling is lower than most, but his floor is also higher. You can ink Gortat in for around 30 DraftKings points a night, which can be great for building a winning lineup.
Dark Horses:
Robin Lopez ($5,000): Lopez isn’t much of a scorer, and his chances to do so with the Bulls could be even fewer and farther between than they were last year with the Knicks. That said, his ability to rack up rebounds and blocks will give you a nice foundation for your DFS roster.
Amir Johnson ($3,500): If you plan on paying up for a big name or two, Johnson is a must-play on your roster. His line last night would have been very good if not for the four turnovers. He still turned in eight points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes. It remains to be seen whether the absence of Pau Gasol inside for the Bulls is a blessing or a curse. At any rate, this looks to be a nice matchup for Johnson.
My pick: Horford(C), Jordan(UTIL)
Next: FanDuel NBA Picks October 27
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend. We will also have the college football picks against the spread. You don’t want to miss any of this!