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Tomorrow we embark on yet another NBA season and as someone who covers the NBA from a fantasy/DFS/betting perspective for nearly six straight months, I could not be more excited to start this grind! As usual, we get a two-game slate on opening night with the defending champion Nuggets hosting the Lakers and the Warriors (now featuring Chris Paul) hosting the Big Three of Beal-Durant-Booker in Phoenix.
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This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/24/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before the lineup locks at 7:30 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers, and let's have a big year in 2023-2024 when it comes to NBA DFS!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry, GSW - PG ($9,200 DK; $10,000 FD)
Curry is one stud that I want to build lineups around on opening night. At only $9200 on DraftKings, he feels like a major bargain considering he finished last season averaging just over 50 DK points per contest. The extra half-point per three-pointer made on DK makes Curry such a great play on DraftKings, but at just 10k on FanDuel he's also underpriced considering he's cheaper than Jokic, LeBron, Davis, and Durant.
We know the Suns are going to be an impressive offensive unit this season, but their defense is one area that seems like it could be a weakness. Whether Curry draws Booker, Beal, or other Suns' guards, he should have his way with them and we know he is going to be firing up shots from behind the arc as usual.
He had a 50-point game against Phoenix last season and I won't be surprised if he comes out of the gates hot and ready for the national TV spotlight, he usually thrives in it.
Austin Reaves, LAL - SG/SF ($6,100 DK; $6,700 FD)
I really like using Reaves as a cash game "safe" play on this slate. He's a bit more expensive than I would like, but he was easily the most consistent Laker not named LeBron or Davis down the stretch last season for the Lakers and he finished out the postseason scoring 20+ actual points in four of their last six games.
If you are a Austin Reaves fan you will enjoy this video.
Press the like button 👀#BrandedFeatures pic.twitter.com/CHgH112zT0
— Omar Siddiqi (@osid24) October 13, 2023
Reaves gets most of his fantasy points from scoring, but he's a very capable passer as well and he averaged 4.6 dimes in 16 postseason games for the Lakers. He doesn't bring a big ceiling, but I think he's a lock for 30-35 fantasy points and a solid target on the wing for this slate.
Klay Thompson, GSW - SG/SF ($6,500 DK; $6,500 FD)
One angle to take on this slate is to fade Stephen Curry for some of his cheaper teammates. While Klay doesn't bring the same floor to the table that Curry does, he can post a similar ceiling if he gets hot from behind the arc. I'm not sure too many NBA people would disagree with the statement that Klay Thompson is the best three-point shooter in the modern NBA and he's very fairly priced on both sites at just 6.5k.
Chris Paul isn't going to siphon off many shots from the Splash brothers, and in theory, he's going to help them get open more often with his ability to penetrate and find open shooters. And if you want to make a more balanced build instead of going "stars and scrubs" then Thompson is a great play to slide in alongside Reaves, Wiggins, and other guys priced in the mid-tier.
Also consider: Jamal Murray, Chris Paul (DK only), Reggie Jackson
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Aaron Gordon, DEN - PF ($5,700 DK; $5,700 FD)
Gordon is someone who projects well on both sites with a $5700 price tag and a 30-32 minute role secured as a starter for the defending champs. His offensive output can vary greatly by the matchup and how much Denver actually needs him to score, but he's a solid rebounder and can facilitate as well as he finished last year with nearly three dimes per game.
Gordon averaged 1.5 blocks/steals per contest and should be needed quite often on Tuesday night as the Nuggets try to match the size of the Lakers. He's a pretty clear 4th or even 5th option on offense most nights, but his all-around game still gives him a solid floor on a nightly basis. This is another mid-tier option that is preferable for cash games and the lack of value on FanDuel makes me gravitate towards a much more balanced build.
Andrew Wiggins, GSW - SF/PF ($5,500 DK; $6,800 FD)
Wiggins' DK price is just silly and I would expect that he, along with CP3, are two of the more highly-rostered players on this slate. But Wiggins is a solid choice given his scoring ability and he can usually contribute some boards and defensive stats as well.
$6800 is a little more than I would want to pay for Wiggins on FanDuel as he is pretty scoring-dependent for his fantasy points, as I mentioned already FanDuel pricing is tight and therefore we are being driven to the mid-range a lot by the way they have this slate priced. Pairing Wiggins with Paul and/or Thompson is one way to secure a big chunk of Golden State's offense and things get pretty thin at the SF position as well.
UPDATE: With Draymond Green officially out, Wiggins is likely going to play a ton of minutes at PF and likely picks up a few extra rebounds as well. The biggest beneficiary is likely Jonathan Kuminga, who is more of a true PF and who should pick up some more minutes in this game even if coming off the bench. He should be a chalky play but is a good one after having a great preseason and flashing upside last year on nights when the starters rested.
Josh Okogie, PHO - SG/SF ($4,000 DK; $4,300 FD)
I really wanted to offer a few value options here that you can use to fit multiple studs into your lineups and Okogie is one guy in the 4k range who I feel pretty decent about on this slate. While Phoenix has a star-studded lineup of KD-Booker-Beal-Nurkic, it looks like Okogie could be the fifth starter at SF or the first guy off the bench if they choose to play bigger with Keita Bates-Diop at PF.
JOSH OKOGIE WITH THE POSTER🤯 pic.twitter.com/KQnOiORTP3
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) October 20, 2023
Okogie isn't going to be asked to score much as a starter, but he will surely end up with some good looks as opposing defenses attempt to stop the big guns first. With a relatively shallow bench, I would also expect Okogie to get subbed out early and perhaps come back in and help lead the Suns' second unit. He was really good for Phoenix last year in the second half and is a solid glue guy who can hit open threes and pick up some hustle stats. He's really cheap on both sites and I think he has a good chance at playing at least 25-28 minutes in his role.
Others to consider: Kevin Durant (DK only), Michael Porter Jr., Jonathan Kuminga
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN - C ($10,000 DK; $11,500 FD)
It's really hard not to pencil in the former MVP and reigning NBA champ into your build, especially on a small slate where raw points matter! Jokic is going to have the highest projection of any player on this slate, regardless of whose projections you're looking at. He was especially impressive against the Lakers in the four-game sweep of L.A. in last year's postseason when he averaged 23-12-10 with 3.1 steals/blocks per contest.
The Joker is matchup-proof for the most part, but this matchup is one that has favored him in the past. Everything is going to run through Jokic again this season in Denver, so we should expect him to be the main facilitator again this season while continuing his efficient offensive game and double-digit rebounding. The Lakers simply don't have anyone that can slow him down.
Dario Saric, GSW - PF/C ($3,400 DK; $3,700 FD)
Saric has moved on to another new team as he played with Phoenix last year and now finds himself in the Bay Area as a backup big man for the Warriors. His game might be a really great fit for how the Warriors play as the 6'10" European can stretch the floor with his shooting while also being an effective rebounder and passer.
Saric played really well this preseason and doesn't need many minutes to make an impact. He's probably one of my favorite punts on the slate and his PF-eligibility means you can slot him in at PF alongside Nikola Jokic at the center position.
Update: Without Draymond Green, I expect Saric to get some extra burn as he and Kuminga play the backup minutes at center and PF. Those two are my two favorite values on the board now.
Others to consider: Jusuf Nurkic
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