X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (10/8/21): Preseason NBA DFS Lineups

luka doncic NBA dfs lineup picks daily fantasy basketball advice

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on October 8, 2021. Kyle Ringstad provides preseason NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

Time for some more Preseason NBA DFS with a solid seven-game slate on tap. The winning lineup in the ($1) NBA $4k And-One contest last night featured Ja Morant (38.75 DK points), Jalen Green (36.25), OG Anunoby (42), Steven Adams (40), and Tyler Herro (42.75). Steven Adams?! The winner even had a few duds in Miles Bridges (20.75) and Kevin Porter Jr. (17), further solidifying the idea that NBA Preseason has a higher degree of "randomness" to it than the much more predictable regular season.

This is my general disclaimer. Preseason rotations are never easy to figure out and there's a lot of guessing that goes on for these slates. If you can't stomach the variance, then just sit back and let the rest of us sweat these slates out. I do my best to find some of the best spots, but even I have fairly limited information to work with here so I'll just warn everyone beforehand that things can go a lot differently than we expect quite often.

I highly encourage you to follow me on Twitter and check out the list of beat writers that I follow to keep informed on the latest up-to-date information about each team and their plans for minutes and rotations. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/8/21. You can always hit me up in the RotoBaller Premium NBA Chat Room or @RING_DFS on Twitter.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

NBA DFS Premium Pass

I really hope you consider our NBA DFS Premium membership this season. We will be covering every regular season and postseason slate with our all-inclusive NBA Cheat Sheet and you'll have access to tools such as our NBA Research Station, Matchup Ratings, and Optimizer! Our NBA team brings years of DFS experience and knowledge to the table every day and all premium members have access to our slack chat where we have live Q + A sessions every slate an hour before lineups lock! Use promo code RING to save 10% off your membership!

 

Preseason NBA Overview

The first thing you need to know is that building lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings this preseason is going to be very different. FanDuel has decided to keep their prices the same (everyone is priced at 6,000) and therefore, you can build a lineup with any nine players you want as long as you roster two PG, SG, SF, PF, and one C. We can leverage that on FanDuel by rostering some lesser-known players since we should expect the well-known players to be more highly-rostered, especially amongst more casual players and fans. All prices listed in the article are DraftKings prices since the FD prices simply don't matter and you can play anyone you want.

DraftKings has priced guys as they would on a normal slate for the most part, but we do get discounts on superstars if we want to cram some into lineups. I like to use a balance of younger players with some veterans that we can project for solid minutes and, honestly, every slate is different to some degree.

 

Preseason NBA DFS Injuries/Rest

Knowing who is playing on any NBA slate is half the battle. Getting injury info on preseason slates is a tad harder than in the regular season but here's what we know right now.

ALREADY RULED OUT: 

Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, Semi Ojeleye, Marcus Garrett, Gabe Vincent, Udonis Haslem, Grayson Allen, Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rodney Hood, Jamal Murray, Jason Preston, Marcus Morris Sr., Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, Tyrell Terry, Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock, Kyrie Irving, T.J. Warren, Caris LeVert, Trevor Ariza, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Coby White, Jonathan Kuminga, Nikola JokicDwight Powell, Frank Ntilikina, Dorian Finney-Smith, Andre Iguodala, Klay ThompsonAvery Bradley, Kevin Durant

DOUBTFUL/QUESTIONABLE:

Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Nathan Knight, Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton, Ivica Zubac, Keifer Sykes, Keita Bates-Diop, Devonte' Graham, Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins, Derrick Jones Jr., Taurean Prince

SITUATIONS TO AVOID

The LAC/DAL, IND/CLE, and MIA/SAS games rank well below the rest due to their low totals and slow projected pace, but there will be spots we can attack with a number of players in those games. This is the preseason, after all. I would just prefer to prioritize the other four games on this slate, especially the MIN/DEN and NO/CHI matchups.

 

NBA DFS Games to Target

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets

This is a nice matchup to target as it has the highest total by nine points and a low combined defensive rating, which drops even further when you account for Murray and Jokic being out. D'Angelo Russell led the team in usage last game and went for a nice 19/3/5 line, but he's expensive and I prefer other options tonight. Patrick Beverley being out should open up minutes for other guards like Jordan McLaughlin, McKinley Wright IV, Isaiah Miller, Jaylen Nowell, Malik Beasley, and Leandro Bolmaro. McLaughlin (15 minutes) and Beasley (19 minutes) didn't do much in the first game, but they'd be the players to target from that group. Karl-Anthony Towns is the main target in this game, as Jokic being inactive means he'll see some combo of Bol Bol, JaMychal Green, and Zeke Nnaji on defense. Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt would be my other targets here.

The Nuggets' newly-signed Michael Porter Jr. leads the team in usage (32.1%) and had a huge 23/7/1 line over 22 minutes in his only game. He's questionable with a knee issue, but if he's active and full-go he's my favorite play on the Denver side. Aaron Gordon has been productive and has seen at least 20 minutes in each game and he makes for a solid play tonight, and Monte Morris can be mixed in for the same reasons. A rookie out of VCU - nicknamed "Bones" - Nah'Shon Hyland has seen at least 24 minutes in both games and has put up impressive lines of 19/4/2/1/1 and 11/3/6/2.

Primary Targets: Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nah'Shon Hyland

 

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Chicago Bulls

This game is intriguing due to the high implied total, relatively fast projected pace, and lack of defense (especially on the Pelicans side). The Pelicans gave up the seventh-most FPPG overall last season, and their defense isn't going to better with Steven Adams gone and Zion Williamson not playing. They held a jayvee Magic team to 86 points in their last game, but gave up 117 to the Wolves in their first. The Bulls went nuclear in their only game so far, scoring 131 in a win over the Cavs. Lavine led the way with a 25/3/3/3 line, while DeRozan, Vucevic, Javonte Green, Lonzo Ball, Alize Johnson, and Alex Caruso all had plus games.

The Pelicans played 15 guys in their last game, though three of them only played three minutes each. The key with them will be Brandon Ingram's status. He didn't play in their last game but the star went 14/1/3/2 in 23 minutes in their first. Josh Hart (21 minutes) and Troy Murphy (29 minutes) saw increased run in his absence, and both would be great plays if he sits again. Jonas Valanciunas and Nickeil Alexander-Walker would the the primary plays if you want to run back some Pels with your Bulls stacks tonight. Kira Lewis Jr. and Devonte Graham are solid pivot plays who are also getting run.

Primary Targets: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Jonas Valanciunas, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Troy Murphy

 

DraftKings DFS Top Plays

Let's go rapid fire here, I won't go into too much detail with each player because it's a big slate with a lot of viable options!

Dejounte Murray - PG ($6,000)

Murray went for 17/3/3/1 in 21 minutes in his first game and sat out the second. He leads the team with a 27.3% usage rate in the preseason and the resting-everyone Heat aren't going to have the personnel to slow him down.

Zach LaVine - PG/SG ($8,400)

He's going to be popular, but LaVine is one of the best plays on the slate and he's hard to get away from. He went for a monster 25/3/3/3 line in the dominating win over the Cavs, and while the Pelicans represent a step up in defense, it's not a big step up. LaVine is going to have no trouble toasting whoever's attempting to guard him and the way this team is set up now with Vucci and DeRozan, he's going to have all the space in the world for his shot-making and shot-creating abilities.

Bones Hyland - PG/SG ($5,700)

Bones' salary is rising after two solid games and at least 24 minutes in each of them, but he's in another great spot to produce here in a high-scoring game environment against the Wolves. Minnesota looked good on defense in their first game, but they got absolutely torched by PG's and SG's all last season and gave up big games to Alexander-Walker and Murphy III in their first preseason game. The rookie out of VCU has a solid 22% usage rate and is contributing in the "stocks" categories as well. Fire up Bones tonight. Boost if MPJ sits

Karl-Anthony Towns - C ($8,100)

KAT was extremely efficient with 15/7/4/1 over just 14 minutes in the Wolves' first game. While he's not likely to exceed 20 minutes, he should push for more clock tonight and he may have an even juicier matchup. The game has the highest implied total on the slate and without Jokic, the Nuggets will be hard-pressed to find guys who can limit his DFS production tonight.

Tyler Herro - PG/SG ($6,300)

Herro went ham the first game and he went ham again last night with a 24/9/3/1 line over 25 minutes. It's a back-to-back for them, which is a slight cause for concern, but he's going to be the only starter left in the lineup as Adebayo, Tucker, Butler, and Lowry have all been ruled out. Duncan Robinson, Markieff Morris, KZ Okpala, and Max Strus would be the pivots off Herro if you want to get to some other guys in the absence of all the stars.

Luka Doncic - PG/SF ($8,800)

The Clippers are going to be without some of their best defenders in Leonard, Ibaka, Morris Sr., and Batum. Doncic went for 19/6/5/1 in limited minutes (16) in his first game and there's no reason we can't expect a similar output tonight.

Jordan Nwora - SF/PF ($6,300)

Nwora is a little spendy now, but that might just keep rostership off of him. He played the third-most minutes on the team last game and was the most productive with a 16/4/3/3 line. The Nets are short-handed and Nwora can definitely have another productive game here.

 

DraftKings DFS Value Plays

My favorite 5k or cheaper plays on DK, listed in the order of my preference (favorites first).

Alex Caruso - PG/SG ($5,300)

Javonte Green - SG ($5,000)

Lonnie Walker IV - SG/SF ($4,900)

Josh Hart - SF/PF ($5,000)

Duncan Robinson - SG/SF ($4,300)

Max Strus - SG/SF ($4,300)

Bryn Forbes - SG ($4,700)

Bol Bol - PF/C ($4,600)

Naz Reid - PF/C ($4,500)

 

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

James Wood

Homers, Drives in Four
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice to Snap Skid
Isaac Paredes

Astros Hopeful Isaac Paredes Can Avoid the Injured List
Royce Lewis

Dealing With Hamstring Strain
Kodai Senga

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain
Gleyber Torres

Goes Deep Twice on Friday
Evan Carter

Leaves Early With Wrist Soreness
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
A.J. Puk

Pauses Throwing Program
Matt Chapman

Can Begin Rehabbing in a Week
Logan Gilbert

Next Start Could Come in the Big Leagues
Cam Akers

Joining Saints
Yordan Alvarez

Still Not Hitting
Michael Mayer

to Get More Involved
Aaron Rodgers

DK Metcalf Building Chemistry with Aaron Rodgers
Colston Loveland

Likely to be Primary Tight End
Jacob Wilson

Returns on Friday
Justin Martinez

Out 12-13 Months With UCL Sprain
Will Johnson

Returns to Practice
Harold Fannin Jr.

Could Have Big Role in Rookie Season
Matt Chapman

Could Miss the Rest of June
Quentin Johnston

Still Running With Starters
Rashawn Slater

Takes Part in Minicamp
Jack Bech

Mostly Working With Second-Team Offense
Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Makes Strides This Offseason
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Ashton Jeanty

to be Part of Committee Backfield?
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Christian McCaffrey

Takes Part in Mandatory Minicamp
Jordan Watkins

has Been Standing Out
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Jacob Cowing

on the Rise
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Demarcus Robinson

a Frequent Target This Spring
Dee Winters

has Been Impressive This Spring
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Aaron Civale

Traded to the White Sox
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Jacob Misiorowski

Pulled With Cramps
Framber Valdez

Punches Out 12 in Win
Isaac Paredes

Homers, Exits Early With Hamstring Injury
D.J. Humphries

Rams Sign D.J. Humphries on Thursday
Troy Franklin

has Had a Good Offseason
Jacob Misiorowski

Leaves Game with Ankle Injury
Mike Williams

Expected to be Ready for Training Camp
Trey Benson

Adds Weight, Explosiveness
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Christian Moore

Angels Calling Up Christian Moore
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Christian Yelich

Back in Brewers Lineup
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Chris Kreider

Ducks Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Cale Makar

Wins His Second Norris Trophy
Lane Hutson

Voted NHL's Best Rookie
CGY

Adam Klapka Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Considered a Game-Time Call Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Kevin Porter Jr.

Likely to Decline Player Option
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Kevin Durant

Knicks Not Looking to Trade for Kevin Durant
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
Darius Garland

Kings Targeting Darius Garland
Kevin Durant

Expected to Be Moved Soon
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Reportedly Has "No Trade Market"
Jarace Walker

Remains Out Wednesday
Tyrese Haliburton

"Fine" For Wednesday's Action
Denny Hamlin

Charges Late to Win at Michigan
Carson Hocevar

Michigan Run is Derailed by A Late-Race Flat Tire
Kyle Larson

Up-and-Down Day Ends With Top-Five Finish at Michigan
Ross Chastain

Quietly Finishes Sixth at Michigan
Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Says Rehab Going "Great"
Corey Perry

Nets Power-Play Goal in Monday's Loss
Stuart Skinner

Gets Pulled in Heavy Game 3 Defeat
Evan Rodrigues

Extends Scoring Streak with Multi-Point Effort
Sam Reinhart

Collects Two Points in Monday's Win
Chris Buescher

Takes Second Place After William Byron Runs Out of Fuel
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Has a Great Points Day to Build Buffer Over the Playoff Cut Line
Ryan Blaney

Flat Tire Results in Poor Finish for Ryan Blaney
Alex Bowman

Playoffs in Doubt After Stage 2 Crash at Michigan
Sean O'Malley

Submitted For The First Time In His Career
Merab Dvalishvili

Defends Bantamweight Belt At UFC 316
Julianna Peña

Julianna Pena No Longer A Champion
Kayla Harrison

Is The New Champion
Joe Pyfer

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum

Drops Decision
Patchy Mix

Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
Mario Bautista

Extends His Win Streak
Vicente Luque

Submitted At UFC 316
Denny Hamlin

is A Top Contender to Win At Michigan
Kyle Larson

Will Compete For The Win At Michigan
Chase Elliott

is One of the Most Favored DFS Options of the Week for Michigan
William Byron

May be A Top Threat to Win at Michigan
Kyle Busch

is Difficult to Recommend for DFS Lineups at Michigan
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Qualifies Ninth For the FireKeepers Casino 400
Alex Bowman

What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Alex Bowman at Michigan?
Austin Cindric

Should Austin Cindric be Considered For Michigan DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Should Shane Van Gisbergen Be Rostered For Michigan DFS Lineups?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF