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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/26/23. Dawn Tepper provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Good morning, Rotoballers! We finally caught a glimpse of Victor Wembanyama on the court last night. Despite a slow start and some foul issues, he found his way in the fourth, sinking nine of his 15 points in the game's closing seven minutes. It will be exciting to watch this young superstar's NBA journey unfold, and I can't wait to see how teams will switch things up to handle him if they can!
We're on to day three of the new NBA season, and following yesterday's 12-game slate, we have just two games for tonight's main slates for DraftKings and Fanduel: the Philadelphia 76'ers at Milwaukee and the Phoenix Suns at the Los Angeles Lakers. The main storyline would have been how James Harden is playing with his teammates, given how the off-season went and all the juicy drama of the NBA we've all become accustomed to, but, alas, while Harden is finally practicing with the team, he is not traveling with the team and won't be playing tonight against Giannis Antetekounpo and the Bucks.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/26/23. 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!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Eric Gordon, PHO at LAL - PG/SG ($4,400 DK; $4,700 FD)
With both Bradley Beal and Devin Booker currently doubtful for tonight, Eric Gordon should get plenty of minutes against the Lakers. Last season, Gordon averaged 23.4 minutes per game and had a usage rate of 21.7%. Without Booker, Gordon could see his minutes increase to 30-32 per game and his usage rate rise to 25-27%. At $4,400, Gordon is almost a free square and one of the higher-value players on tonight's small slate.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI at MIL - PG/SG ($7,500 DK; $7,700 FD)
With no Harden tonight or for the foreseeable future, it's Maxey SZN (again). In the 2022-23 season, Maxey averaged 24.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 13 games without Harden. He also averaged 37.1 minutes per game in those games, up from his 31.9 minutes per game average for the season.
It is worth noting that the new head coach of the 76ers, Nick Nurse, has a reputation for giving his starting players a lot of playing time. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Maxey will likely play for at least 35 minutes per game without Harden in the lineup. Additionally, his usage rate, which is currently at 24.9% for the season, could potentially increase to 30% or more.
D'Angelo Russell, LAL vs. PHO - PG/SG ($5,500 DK; $6,000 FD)
With Phoenix set to do their best to contain LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Russell could find himself being fed the ball for much of the game. Without Booker on the court last season, the Suns averaged 108.9 points per game; with him on the court, they have averaged 111.69 points all time.
In the Lakers' first game of the season against Denver on the road, Russell had 11.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. Last season, in 17 games with the Lakers, he averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. His all-time points per game is 17.7, and if anyone ends up sitting for the Lakers tonight, that number will go up.
ALSO CONSIDER: Grayson Allen, PHO at LAL - SG/SF ($4,400 DK; $3,900 FD); Jordan Goodwin, PHO at LAL - PG ($3,600 DK; $-- FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. PHI - PF/C ($10,200 DK; $12,000 FD)
Giannis has averaged 32.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 15 games against Joel Embiid throughout his career and is 24-8 overall versus the Sixers. $10,200 is close to the lowest price we will see for Giannis this season because Damian Lillard has joined the team, and everyone's waiting to see how that partnership goes and what it means for the Greek Freak's stat line. Regardless of these unknowns, I'm not fading Giannis on such a small slate, especially at a price of just over $10,200 on DraftKings.
Kevin Durant, PHO at LAL - PF ($8,900 DK; $9,800 FD)
Kevin Durant with no Devin Booker is just $8,900? He will be chalky, but I don't see how you can fade him tonight. There are other opportunities to be different on this slate with high value and lower ownership, such as Eric Gordon, but Durant playing against Lebron and the Lakers is too much for me to ignore.
With Booker off the floor in 39 games last year, Durant averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. In eight games with Booker, he averaged 26 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Look for Durant to make a statement in Los Angeles tonight against the Lakers.
Lebron James, LAL vs. PHO - SF/PF ($8,700 DK; $10,000 FD)
I know these forwards all seem very obvious and chalky, but I can't ignore Lebron at $8,700 on a two-game slate. Even with Anthony Davis playing alongside him, I expect a big game from Lebron. With last night's loss fresh in his mind, he won't want to lose to the Suns without Devin Booker on the floor and while going up against Kevin Durant.
Lebron is going to put Los Angeles on his back tonight and I will definitely have him in my lineup(s).
ALSO CONSIDER: Grayson Allen, PHO at LAL - SF/SG ($4,200 DK; $3,900 FD); Eric Gordon, PHO at LAL - SF/PF ($4,400 DK; $4,700 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid, PHI at MIL - C ($10,300 DK; $11,200 FD)
With no James Harden to hog the ball, expect the Sixers to feed Embiid all night. Embiid averaged 32.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 15 games without Harden in 2022-23, which is about the same as it was with him on the court, but in a game against Giannis and the Bucs, I expect him to give it his all. At a price of $10,300, he is a great value play to start the season and probably won't get much lower.
Jusuf Nurkic, PHO at LAL - PF/C ($6,100 DK; $7,900 FD)
With Booker and Beal most likely out of tonight's game, Nurkic is expected to get more playing time. Throughout his career, he has averaged 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. In the 2022-2023 season, centers scored an average of 20.9 points per game against the Bucks. Given that Phoenix will be missing two of its main ball handlers, I anticipate Nurkic will have a standout performance tonight.
Brook Lopez, MIL vs. PHI - C ($6,000 DK; $7,000 FD)
I'm assuming Brook Lopez will be in the starting lineup tonight, and even with Dame in the lineup with Giannis, there should still be room for BroLo to make an impact. If the Sixers make life difficult for both Giannis and Lillard (big if, but still!), look for Lopez to start hitting those three-pointers as well as grabbing rebounds throughout the game. Lopez is one of those players I never play on the right night, so you've been warned, but I'm confident he'll hit his value tonight.
ALSO CONSIDER: Anthony Davis, LAL vs. PHO - C ($8,800 DK; $10,300 FD); Drew Eubanks, PHO at LAL - C ($3,900 DK; $4,600 FD)
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