DraftKings NBA Picks October 26: Build Around Giannis Again Tonight!

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 20: Spencer Dinwiddie #8 of the Brooklyn Nets and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson #24 celebrate the Nets’ 126-121 win over the Orlando Magic during their game at Barclays Center on October 20, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Picks October 26

We are down to five games for our main DraftKings tournament on Thursday night. Just a friendly reminder that the classic tournaments on DraftKings are NOT late swap. This will become all the more important once the season gets into the second half, but it is important to realize that early on. Their late swap tournaments are very small, which really takes the fun out of it.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Damian Lillard ($8,500): Lillard couldn’t buy a bucket against New Orleans on Tuesday, so I’m hoping that keeps ownership down. The Clippers have also been solid against guards so far, which could shy people away from Lillard even more. If you go away from Giannis at point, Lillard is a much better play than Kyrie Irving. Irving has played well, but has only hit value once, in the first game, with Boston. I see that trend continuing.

Mike Conley ($7,100): Conley had a nice game last night after coming up short against Houston and Golden State. Tonight he gets the battered Dallas backcourt, which gives Conley some sneaky upside at this price.

Honorable Mention:

Jrue Holiday ($6,200): Holiday’s horrid first game is skewing his stats a little. Over the last three games, Holiday is actually averaging 5.2x value at his current price. He has a prime matchup against the young Kings backcourt tonight, which makes him a hard one to pass up.

De’Aaron Fox ($5,700): Fox has not had fewer than 25 DraftKings points in any game this season. That gives him a pretty solid floor to stand on. He has his best game as a pro against the Suns on Monday, but expecting that kind of production every time out could be a little off base. However, he has a nice matchup against New Orleans tonight, so he should top 5x value once again.

Jerian Grant $5,500): Grant has averaged 5.2x value so far this season. Taking on the Hawks without Schroder looks like a very good night for Grant to show what he can do. The dysfunctional Bulls need to find out who can be of use to the team in the long run. Grant will get a long look because he appears to be one of those guys that they can build around.

Dark Horses:

Patrick Beverley ($5,200): Beverley is the newly minted starter with Milos Teodosic out. He has responded with 68.5 DraftKings points in the last two games. Beverley has a pretty low ceiling, but he is more than capable of averaging 30 DraftKings points per game. Beverley is a solid value at this price.

Malcolm Delaney ($4,400): Delaney had a solid game with Dennis Schroder out on Tuesday. It appears as though Schroder will be out again tonight. That gives Delaney another chance to pick up some good points against the Bulls. We all know what a mess they are.

My picks: Grant(PG); Delaney(G)

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 20: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

Jaylen Brown ($6,500): C.J. McCollum is off to a great start, but the Clippers have allowed the second fewest points to shooting guards so far this year. Add to that the fact that McCollum is hitting two out of every three shots, an unsustainable rate, and he is in for a step back. Brown on the other hand is playing 34 minutes per game in the absence of Heyward. Brown has a much better chance of hitting value tonight.

Khris Middleton ($6,300): Middleton is just shy of 5x value on the season, and he is just 2-14 from beyond the arc. Middleton shot 43% from downtown last year when he was healthy, so there is plenty of room for growth here. It is much better to buy low on his in season-long leagues, but Middleton is putting up enough good numbers everywhere else to have 5x value be his floor.

Honorable Mention:

Justin Holiday ($6,000): Holiday is finally getting minutes, and he is making the most of them so far this year. He racked up 37.5 DraftKings points against the Cavs on Tuesday. If he can do it against Cleveland, there is no reason to believe that Holiday can’t do it to Atlanta as well. This looks like a great time to use him again.

Terry Rozier ($5,800): Rozier’s price has risen to the point where it’s going to be more difficult for him to reach value. The Celtics have a few players that have picked up the slack with Gordon Hayward out. Rozier definitely has a solidified role because of Heyward’s absence, but he is not guaranteed a big stat line every night.

Dark Horses:

Kent Bazemore ($5,200): Bazemore is the one that had the huge night in the absence of Schroder. While Delaney is still a good option, Bazemore is the one that should see the largest stat increase across the board. He will be highly owned tonight, but I don’t think I can justify fading him at this point.

J.J. Barea ($4,300): Barea continues to get quite a bit of run in the Dallas backcourt, and he will so long as he keeps producing like he is. Barea comes in at 6.2x value on the season right now, and is still cheaper than all of his backcourt mates besides Smith. There is a lot of value to be had here.

My pick: Bazemore(SG), Ju. Holiday(G); Bazemore(SG), Barea(UTIL)

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 18: James Ennis #8 of the Memphis Grizzlies puts up a shot in front of Jason Smith #14 of the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. 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 Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Small Forwards:

Best Bet:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000): Giannis is averaging 63.6 DraftKings points per game so far this season, so we can’t really complain that his price is too high. However, it is to the point where he is only going to be at 5x value or slightly above. That makes fading him a very real possibility now. I likely wont tonight, because there aren’t a lot of stars taking the court, but it may be an option on heavier days.

Honorable Mention:

Taurean Prince ($5,700): Prince has not been the most consistent producer this year, but he is playing the Bulls tonight. Both of these teams have a lot of young talent to showcase. This is a game to watch from a DFS standpoint because most of the players involved are affordable and it could be a higher scoring game.

Buddy Hield ($5,000): Hield played a season-low 17 minutes against Phoenix on Monday, but he shot was falling and he recorded five steals. The surprising part about Hield’s reduced minutes was the fact that he played well. Considering that the Kings kept it close, they may go with the same rotation. That said, Hield is always a threat to go cold. He is a risk any time you play him.

Dark Horses:

Tyreke Evans ($4,100): Evans has cut the legs out from under the value of Dillon Brooks. Since his return to the lineup, Evans has been the one spending more time on the court. His poor shooting limits his value, but if Evans can get his shot to fall, he has even more value potential.

James Ennis ($4,000): Ennis started at small forward and racked up 31.25 DraftKings points on Monday. More importantly, the Grizzlies also won the game. That goes a long ways towards Ennis getting another start. Evans outproduced Ennis last night, but both of them were well over 5x value for this price. Much like Porter and Oubre for Washington, both Evans and Ennis are worth value plays tonight.

My pick: Antetokounmpo(SF), Ennis(UTIL); Antetokounmpo(PG), Ennis(SF); Evans(F)

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 19: Blake Griffin #32 of the LA Clippers knocks the ball away from Jordan Clarkson #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers in a 108-92 Clipper win during the Los Angeles Lakers home opener at Staples Center on October 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

Blake Griffin ($9,500): Griffin put up solid numbers against a stout Utah front, which gives me a great feeling about using him against Portland. The Blazers are once again one of the worst teams in the league in interior defense. I am proceeding as if Anthony Davis wont play (why would the Pelicans push him for an October game), so Griffin is my clear top option at PF tonight.

Jayson Tatum ($6,400): The rookie had a monster game against the Knicks on Tuesday. He will have a harder time building on that against the Bucks, especially if Giannis ends up on him, but for this price Tatum could have another strong night.

Honorable Mention:

Lauri Markkanen ($5,900): Markkanen continues to put up good numbers for the depleted Bulls front court. He is the main scorer up front, and can hold his own defensively. Markkanen has not have fewer than eight rebounds or 13 points. The Hawks wont hold him below that either.

John Collins ($5,500): Like Markkanen, Collins is another rookie that has been thrust into a larger role with a team that desperately needs help. Collins doesn’t have the luxury of as many minutes as Markkanen has, but he has still done a lot of damage in his 20 minutes per game. That gives Collins limited upside, but he is a suitable value play if you are scared of high ownership on Markkanen.

Dark Horses:

Skal Labissiere ($4,700): His upside is capped with Z-Bo around, but Labissiere is clearly part of the future of the Kings. He is a solid value play at this price point, but the Kings have a very crowded frontcourt, so an occasional clunker will happen. However, against a Pelicans team likely without the Brow, things are looking up tonight for Skal.

Jarell Martin ($3,700): Martin is a cheap starter with JaMychal Green out for up to a month. He has yet to show significant upside, but the signs are there than he can far outperform his price range. He played well against both Houston and the Warriors, so he may get going a little more against Dallas.

My pick: Markkanen(PF), Collins(F); N/A

PORTLAND, OR – OCTOBER 24: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on from the bench during the first quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 24, 2017 in Portland, Oregon.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 Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Center:

Best Bets:

DeMarcus Cousins ($11,500): Cousins dominated against Portland once Anthony Davis left with a knee bruise. As I hinted before, I am proceeding as if the Pelicans will hold Davis out. That means Cousins is in line for a monster game against his former team tonight. You know Cousins want to stick it to them because of his sometimes adversarial relationship with the owners/fans/city of Sacramento.

DeAndre Jordan ($7,800): In perhaps the statistical anomaly of the season, Jordan has yet to block a shot. However, he is dominating the boards with 55 rebounds in just three games! He isn’t always a consistent scorer, which tempers his upside, but all those rebounds assure us that he will always be near value no matter the opponent.

Honorable Mention:

Marc Gasol ($7,500): Gasol has been a monster with JaMychal Green out. He is leading all centers, yes, even Cousins, in points so far this year. He is also a capable rebounder and one of the best interior passers in this game. At $7,500, he looks like quite a bargain.

Al Horford ($6,800): Horford wont put up some of the huge stat lines that you see from his price range, so he goes largely forgotten in DFS circles. However, Horford is a solid play every night. He is probably better suited for cash games, but he still has some use in GPP formats.

Dark Horses:

Robin Lopez ($5,700): I understand the allure and upside of Jusuf Nurkic, but I am going with the consistency of Lopez with Nurkic playing chicken with Marc Gasol. Lopez has become a bigger part of the offense, and has a chance to dominate the interior against Atlanta. That doesn’t happen for him often.

Nerlens Noel ($4,400): Noel is hard to count on with Dallas moving him in and out of the starting five. Tonight he should be in against Memphis. Noel has played significantly more minutes as a starter, and should be well worth his price tonight.

My pick: Lopez(C); Cousins(PF), Noel(C)

Next: FanDuel NBA Picks

Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, and our picks for the PGA tour! We even have some EPL picks coming your way! For you college football fans, we have all of the games picked against the spread along with ESPN college pick em picks!