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Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks (10/21/17): NBA Advice for FanDuel, DraftKings

Jake Finnen's top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for 10/21/17. Expert NBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for FanDuel and DraftKings.

You don't need to be buttered up with some, "We're a few games in..." intro nonsense. We both know why you're here. I got the goods, you want the services. Uh, that sounds bad...Maybe an intro IS the best way to start these things. Well, too late now.

It's an 11-game slate this beautiful Saturday, and is there really anything that will make your day better than seeing Russell Westbrook for below $12,000 on DraftKings AND FanDuel? Maybe C.J. McCollum for 7k? Well, tonight is the night you are going to want to spend high on either Russell Westbrook or James Harden. You can choose either, but going after both will put a lot of risk in the rest of your team.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/21/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.

 

DFS Guards to Consider

J.J. Barea - DAL @ HOU (DK - $4,200, FD - $3,900)

You have to go with a Dallas Mavericks guard. They might be facing the Houston Rockets, but with limited numbers, Barea is more than capable of handling his own. He is going to touch the ball on nearly every possession and he is the type of player that produces consistently enough trust for DFS. The usual concern with Barea is injuries, but this matchup should be perfect for you to capitalize on the Mavericks shortage of guards.

Will Barton - SAC @ DEN (DK - $5,500, FD - $5,700)

Will Barton has been a bright spot for the Nuggets for some time now and his fantasy production has followed. As a mid-ranged price with plenty of upside, it's hard to pass on Barton even in a crowded backcourt. He stands out with his athletic ability and his streakiness has evolved into consistent scoring. It was only the first game but it looks like Barton picked up exactly where he left off. Scoring with ease and generating offense. Barton is going to string together good games early this season and cement himself as the Nuggets biggest offensive threat alongside Nikola Jokic.

 

DFS Forwards to Consider

Doug McDermott - DET @ NY (DK - $3,500, FD - $3,800)

This is a high-risk, high-reward option and I am banking on a great scoring night from McDermott. Last game he was slipped into the rotation after Michael Beasley sprained his ankle against the Thunder. Tonight, McDermott should be given the green light as the Knicks wing scorer and even if Beasley plays, McDermott will still get his minutes and opportunities. After a shoddy outing in the first game of the season, look for a more composed and efficient McDermott while he plays his first home game in MSG.

Kelly Olynyk - IND @ MIA  (DK - $4,800, FD - $4,400)

Kelly Olynyk is another one of those players that gets the ball and either scores, assists a teammate in some way, or misses a shot. He is not a bad scorer, its just you can sometimes tell when he is forcing production. He just signed a nice, new contract with the Heat and he is going to try and prove his worth to the team early. His last outing was skeptical of how his new role will play out, but the Indiana frontcourt is lacking size outside of Myles Turner, so expect Olynyk to find his groove.

 

DFS Centers to Consider

Pau Gasol - SA @ CHI (DK - $5,600, FD - $6,300)

Picking a San Antonio Spur and getting mad that they didn't produce like you wanted, is like getting mad at a fish for not "getting out" enough. So mind you with this pick risk is involved. That being said, Pau Gasol had a great performance last game and he didn't have to have a big scoring night to contribute for DFS. Chicago has Robin Lopez in the paint which can cause problems, but chances are he will need to focus on keeping LaMarcus Aldrige from getting to his spots, rather than locking down Gasol. Gasol should be the beneficiary of the combination of Spurs offense and Coach Gregg Popovich targeting an opponents weakness.

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt Probable For Saturday
Jake Walman

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Dmitry Kulikov

to Miss Five Months Following Surgery
Darcy Kuemper

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Anze Kopitar

Listed as Day-to-Day
Jacob Markstrom

Out for "Couple of Weeks"
Kevon Looney

Slated to be Sidelined With Knee Injury
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Out on Wednesday
Lucas Raymond

Misses Wednesday's Game
Malcolm Brogdon

Calling it a Career After Nine NBA Seasons
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Russell Westbrook Inks Deal With Kings
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Chargers Open 21-Day Practice Window for Khalik Mack
Quentin Johnston

Will Practice Wednesday
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Jaguars Plan to Expand Travis Hunter's Role on Offense
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Undergoes Left-Shoulder Surgery
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"a Good Month Away" From Practicing
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Jayden Gibson No Longer with Oklahoma Program
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Not Practicing Wednesday
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Chiefs "Allocating a Heavy Workload" for Rashee Rice Right Away
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a "Long Shot" to Play in Week 7
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to Miss 1-2 Weeks
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Likely Out on Friday
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Could Play in Friday's Preseason Finale
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to Remain Out Wednesday
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Targeting Season Debut for Thursday
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Expected to Make Season Debut Wednesday
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Misses Tuesday's Action
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a Game-Time Call Tuesday
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Expected to Play on Monday Night
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Could Sit for the "Long Haul"
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has a Chance to Play in Week 7
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Mike Shildt Retires as a Manager
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Titans Fire Head Coach Brian Callahan
Mateusz Gamrot

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Gets Back In The Win Column
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Gets Split-Decision Victory
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Outclassed
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Joel Alvarez Outclasses Vicente Luque
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Remains Undefeated
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Matt Rhule Denying Interest in Penn State Head Coaching Job
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Le'Veon Moss Not Believed to Have Suffered Season-Ending Injury
Ricardo Ramos

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
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Not Expected to Return in Week 7
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Not Expected to Return in Week 7
Puka Nacua

Rams Think Puka Nacua has Avoided a Long-Term Injury
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CFB

Bill Belichick Says he's Committed to North Carolina
Tiger Woods

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CFB

UAB Fires Head Coach Trent Dilfer After 2.5 Seasons In Birmingham
CFB

Penn State Fires Head Coach James Franklin After 10.5 Seasons
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Penn State QB Drew Allar Will Miss The Rest Of 2025 Season With Ankle Injury
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Will Not be on NLCS Roster
Max Scherzer

Added to ALCS Roster
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Bo Bichette

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the Favorite to Win at Las Vegas
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Bubba Wallace Should Contend at Las Vegas
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has Definitely Improved on Intermediate Tracks
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