DraftKings NBA Picks for October 28
There are eight games in the NBA tonight as we begin to ramp up the schedule. At this point in the season, we are just trying to see what trends can help us win some money in DraftKings. That means identifying bench players who played 20 or more minutes per game behind starters that don’t produce so we can pay for expensive players.
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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.
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!
Best Bets:
Russell Westbrook ($11,800): Surprisingly enough, Westbrook’s salary may only get larger as the season goes on. Westy missed out on a triple-double by one assist in the opener, and scored 32 points. His increased scoring load was predicted. Everything else is just bacon on the already loaded potato.
Stephen Curry ($9,300): Curry averaged 64.1 DraftKings points in his three games against the Pelicans last season. They are also without Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, so Tim Frazier is manning the point. If you plan on fading Westbrook, Curry should come close to him in production, at least for one night.
Honorable Mention:
Kyrie Irving ($7,700): Irving racked up 29 points and four assists against the Knicks in the opener. Toronto’s perimeter defense is much better, but Irving averaged 5x value against the Raptors in eight games against them last season including the playoffs. If you are looking for solid bang for your buck, Irving is a good place to start.
Kyle Lowry ($7,600): Lowry was bordering on dominant in the preseason. He also averaged 41.7 DraftKings points in nine games against the Cavs last season. There doesn’t appear to be any reason for that to not carry over into this season. For mid-range options, I like Lowry over Irving.
Dark Horses:
Jeff Teague ($6,200): The Nets aren’t exactly a good defensive team, and it appears as though Teague has the green light to shoot from anywhere on the court. If a few more of his 15 shots had gone through, Teague’s opening night line would have been really good. He recorded eight assists and three steals to go with his 20 points.
Elfrid Payton ($5,700): Payton scored 16 points with four rebounds and five assists in the opener. The biggest thing to take away from this though is that he played 38 minutes. Payton racked up 85 DraftKings points in 67 minutes against the Pistons last season. He is looking like a great bargain right now.
My pick: Payton(G)
Best Bets:
James Harden ($11,300): Harden notched a career high 17 assists in the opener while scoring 34 points. His line was arguably better than Westbrook’s at $500 less. In four games against the Mavs last year, Harden averaged 54 DraftKings points per game. Yes, he will flirt with 5x value even with this lofty price tag. If the Rockets hadn’t gone cold from downtown in the second half in the opener, Harden could have had at least five more assists. Just food for thought….
DeMar DeRozan ($7,200): If you play any type of fantasy basketball, you already know that DeRozan doesn’t do much besides score. Well, he dropped 40 on the Pistons in the opener and he was red-hot during the preseason. The Cavs play solid defense on the perimeter, but a hot DeRozan can put up monster numbers.
Honorable Mention:
Evan Fournier ($6,200): Fournier scored 20 points to go with four assists and four rebounds in the opener. He has shouldered some of the load from the loss of Victor Oladipo. Oladipo struggled in his first game with his new team, so I will elect to go with Fournier, who led the team in scoring in the preseason as well.
Rodney Hood ($6,200): Hood threw in 26 points with little else in the opener against Portland, who is actually decent as far as perimeter defense goes. With Gordon Hayward out, Hood played 38 minutes, and should see that kind of workload until Hayward returns. Up next, he has a Lakers team that he put up 27 DraftKings points per game against last year while playing just 26 minutes per. Think what he can do in 38 minutes!
Dark Horses:
Jordan Clarkson ($5,900): Clarkson was a sixth man in name only. He racked up 25 points in only 25 minutes in the opener. Nick Young started and laid bricks all over Staples Center. Young may continue to start, but it will be Clarkson that has the fantasy impact.
Monta Ellis ($5,300): Ellis put up 19 points and seven rebounds and played a whopping 44 minutes against Dallas. The extra period afforded him some of those minutes, but it is very clear that the Pacers are prepared to ride Monta this year. Most of his value lies in scoring, so the seven rebounds were nice to see. Now he gets a Brooklyn team that doesn’t defend the perimeter particularly well.
My pick: Harden(SG), Ellis(G)
Best Bets:
Kevin Durant ($9,600): Durant’s debut in the Golden State went better than most people could have hoped for. KD put up 27 points, ten rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. He may not see this volume of points every night, but the rest of the production is there. He only played two games against the Pelicans last year, but he did put up 102.2 DraftKings points in those two games.
LeBron James ($9,400): LeBron messed around and got a triple double in the opener. Just business as usual for the King in defense of his title. Something to be aware of here: James averaged a shade under 50 DraftKings points against Toronto in nine games last year. He may not get you 5x value, but he should be close.
Honorable Mention:
Paul George ($8,400): George put up similar numbers to Durant (25-8-6) against Dallas at a lower price. It was Turner who dominated for the Pacers, but George contributes across the board, making him a low-risk option.
Harrison Barnes ($5,900): Barnes needed a night like he ha in the opener after his horrid preseason. Barnes put in 19 points to go with his nine rebounds in 35 minutes. That should make him worth this modest price tag.
Dark Horses:
Tobias Harris ($5,600): Harris led the Pistons in scoring in the opener with 22 points to go with his five rebounds. He played well in Detroit last season after the trade deadline, and seems like a steal at this price. If he could curb the turnovers, his upside would be even higher.
Joe Johnson ($4,900): Johnson racked up a team high 29 points with four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He is playing closer to his 2006 form than his 2016 form. Play him until he cools off! He should get plenty of run at a great price while Hayward is out.
My pick: Johnson(SF)
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis ($10,900): Davis had one of the best opening nights in the history of the NBA on Tuesday, putting up 50 points, hauling in 16 rebounds, dishing out five assists, and blocking four shots. He also racked up seven steals. That is not a typo. SEVEN. Let his great all-around game sink in for a minute. Then go put him on your team in case he scores 99.5 DraftKings points again.
Myles Turner ($7,100): Turner had 30 points and 16 rebounds in the opener. We all know that Dallas is undersized up front, but this was a dominant performance by Turner none the less. He averaged 30.5 DraftKings points in three games against the Nets last year while averaging 28 minutes in those games. He played 37 on Wednesday. Expect something in the mid to high 30’s as a conservative estimate.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Love ($7,100): Love had 23 points and 12 rebounds in only 25 minutes in the opener. Worth noting is that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving both had good nights as well, proving the Cavs can blitz a team, then rest the starters. And all of them made their fantasy owners happy in the process.
Draymond Green ($7,500): Green had a good all-around night, posting 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. He does enough everywhere else on the court that it wont really matter if his scoring is down from last year, especially since his price is down from last year as well.
Dark Horse:
Dirk Nowitzki ($6,000): There is always a chance that Dirk has his minutes limited after playing 38 minutes in the opener. He put up 22 points with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Houston is decent up front, but Julius Randle had his way with Ryan Anderson. Don’t be surprised if Dirk does as well.
Marvin Williams ($4,800): Williams put up a double double in the opener with 13 points and 10 rebounds. That is a double double at a bargain price. Miami has great presence inside with Whiteside, but if Williams can avoid him, there is potential for another good game for the price.
My pick: Turner(PF), Williams(F)
Best Bets:
Andre Drummond ($7,900): The “other A.D.” “only” had 16 points and 13 rebound on opening night. He was clearly overshadowed by that other A.D., but this one averaged 45.3 DraftKings points in three games against the Magic last season. The Magic are still rather soft inside, making Drummond a great option, even if he does miss half his free throws.
Rudy Gobert ($7,300): 12 points and 14 rebounds is nothing to write home about in 41 minutes, but next up is a Lakers team that allowed 39.3 DraftKings points per game to Gobert last year in 29 minutes per. If he plays 35-40 minutes again, there is no reason for Gobert not to flirt with 50 DraftKings points.
Honorable Mention:
Hassan Whiteside ($8,300): Whiteside had 18 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in the opener, and is one of the best options at center unless you elect to play Anthony Davis here. Whiteside only averaged 32.8 DraftKings points in 27.3 minutes in 11 games against the Hornets last season. Whiteside played 31 in the opener, but you still need closer to 40 points to make him worth the price.
Jonas Valanciunas ($6,700): Valanciunas put up a career high 32 points and 11 rebounds against the Pistons in the opener, but we have seen this before. Valanciunas has showed flashes of brilliance, only to disappear for games at a time. He has another tougher matchup on paper against Cleveland tonight, but Detroit looked like a tough matchup too.
Dark Horses:
Enes Kanter ($6,000): Kanter only played 25 minutes, but he still tied for the team lead in points (17) and picked up 12 rebounds. Kanter may not start, but he is very efficient when he is in the game, and if he happens to outplay Steven Adams, he could get more run.
Bismack Biyombo ($4,500): Biyombo’s skill set will likely be preferred by the Magic against Detroit’s interior size, at least for this game. He could produce at well above his price range, but he is not a great offensive player, nor is he cautious about fouls. He still presents a bit of a risk.
Justin Hamilton ($3,500): Hamilton was the beneficiary of the quick hook of Brook Lopez. Hamilton took full advantage, scoring 19 points and picking up 10 rebounds. That outburst should provide him more minutes at least in the next couple of games, but keep in mind that everyone worth their salt in daily fantasy noticed this as well. Hamilton will be widely owned tonight.
My pick: Gobert(C), Hamilton(UTIL)
Next: FanDuel NBA Picks October 28
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!