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FanDuel daily picks: Fantasy basketball lineup – October 22, 2017

By Andre Snellings

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 20: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 132-130. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 20: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 132-130. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 20: Lonzo Ball
PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 20: Lonzo Ball /

There’s a short stack of games on this, the first Sunday of the NBA season, but as always there are interesting storylines. The game of the day looks like the Timberwolves at the Thunder, a game featuring two squads that made major changes this offseason that are each trying to get over the hump in the West. The Thunder have their nucleus of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony putting up the numbers while the Timberwolves counter with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. Numbers to be had all around.

The other two games feature teams not necessarily expected to make the playoffs, but with huge DFS potential. The Pelicans sport the two players with the highest fantasy scoring average that are playing on Sunday, with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins both putting up huge numbers…in two straight losses. Meanwhile, they are playing a Lakers squad with little defense, featuring a polarizing rookie in Lonzo Ball that was panned after getting clowned by Patrick Beverley in his debut but is now hailed again as the next Magic Johnson after destroying the Suns in the follow-up. The truth, as it so often does, likely resides in between.

Meanwhile, the Hawks at the Nets is a game only a fantasy basketball owner could love. But, the Nets stink on defense which gives the Hawks the chance to produce, and the Nets have several lower priced players that produce, which makes them a worthwhile team to target as well.

My favorite plays of the day can be found on the following slides in FanSided’s FanDuel daily picks. Each day in order to offer a variety of price points at each position, you can find two slides for each position–one for high-salary options and one for high-value options. Each pick is ranked on a scale of 1-5 stars to indicate the confidence in the pick. The final slide of this post has more detail on what each level means, but in short, more stars means more confidence in the selection on a points-per-dollar basis.

Important note, every day the goal of this post is not to give you a copy-and-paste lineup. Instead, each selection is given while highlighting the factors you need to consider when building a customized lineup for yourself. If you want to see an example lineup, you can find it on the final slide of the post, but I suggest you adjust your lineup to fit your personal taste.

GET DRAFT HELP: Fantasy Pros Draft Wizard and Fantasy Football Tools

To keep up with all of FanSided’s DFS NBA coverage head over to the fantasy basketball hub where each day you can find a post like this tailored for FanDuel as well as one specifically designed for usage on DraftKings.  In this post, all salary and “fantasy points” references are to FanDuel’s scoring system and salaries. If you have any additional questions or thoughts or are looking for updates as we approach tipoff, follow @FanSidedFantasy on Twitter or you can follow my account @ProfessorDrz.

Let’s take a look at your best options for both studs and value players at each position.