RADIO
The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/26/23. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
After playing just two games Thursday, the NBA brings a packed 11-game slate Friday. There are a lot of exciting matchups, including the Celtics hosting the Heat, the Grizzlies taking on the Nuggets, and the Kings facing off against the Warriors.
For such a packed slate, there aren’t a ton of injury concerns. We do know that Jarrett Allen (ankle) will be out for the Cavaliers when they play the Thunder. Draymond Green (ankle) will also miss his second straight game for the Warriors.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/27/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before the lineup locks at 7:00 pm EST. Good luck, RotoBallers!
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry, GS at SAC – PG/SG ($9,300 DK; $9,600 FD)
Curry wasn’t locked in against the Suns on Tuesday, shooting just 4-for-14 from behind the arc. Still, he scored 27 points to go along with five rebounds. It is concerning that he only had one assist with Chris Paul in the fold.
Curry has averaged at least 5.8 assists per game in each of the last four seasons, so he could end up seeing a decline in that department. However, in what should be a fast-paced game against a potent Kings team, Curry should see enough shot attempts to finish with a valuable stat line. In the seven-game playoff series that these two teams played last season, Curry averaged 33.7 points and shot 48.8 percent from the field.
Desmond Bane, MEM vs. DEN – SG/SF ($8,600 DK; $9,000 FD)
The Grizzlies enter the season with Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension. He was their scoring leader last season, posting 26.2 points per game to go along with his 34.9 percent usage rate. In his absence, the Grizzlies should rely heavily on Bane to carry their scoring attack.
DESMOND BANE THREE FROM THE LOGO 🤯
pic.twitter.com/cEgcca5NN4— Grizz Lead (@Grizz_Lead) October 26, 2023
Bane didn’t disappoint in their first game against the Pelicans, scoring 31 points on 22 shot attempts. He went 5-for-10 from behind the arc, while also recording five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. With all of the minutes and shot attempts that he can handle likely coming his way again, Bane is a top guard to consider.
Jeremy Sochan, SAS vs. HOU – PG/SF/PF ($5,000 DK; $6,100 FD)
Sochan showed plenty of promise during his rookie season. He played particularly well when given added opportunities. Across the 17 games in which he logged at least 30 minutes, he averaged 16.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Heading into this season, Sochan is the new starting point guard for the Spurs. That contributed to him logging 29 minutes in their season opener. He again thrived with the added playing time, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal. His ability to contribute in multiple categories makes him a great option at his cheap salaries on both sites.
ALSO CONSIDER: LaMelo Ball, CHA vs. DET - PG ($9,700 DK; $9,400 FD); Shaedon Sharpe, POR vs. ORL – SG/SF ($5,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Scottie Barnes, TOR at CHI – SF/PG ($6,900 DK; $8,100 FD)
The Raptors lost Fred VanVleet during the offseason, replacing him at point guard with Dennis Schroder. Schroder is not a traditional point guard, nor the scoring threat that VanVleet is. That means that Barnes has the potential to take on an expanded role. He showed his versatility in his first game of the season against the Timberwolves, recording 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and five blocks across 37 minutes. Facing a Bulls team that was torched for 124 points by the Thunder in their first game leaves Barnes with significant upside.
Isaiah Stewart, DET at CHA – PF/C ($5,300 DK; $6,200 FD)
The Pistons’ frontcourt was a bit of a mess last season. They had too many big men, which resulted in most of them taking a hit in playing time. Most of the same names are back this season, but new head coach Monty Williams being in the fold left open the possibility for rotation changes. The odd man out figured to be Marvin Bagley III or James Wiseman, not Stewart or Jalen Duren.
If their season opener was an indicator of how Williams plans to handle things, Stewart could be in line for a big season. He logged 35 minutes, while Duren played 32 minutes. Bagley played just 16 minutes and Wiseman didn’t take the floor at all. Stewart finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, so there is no reason to think that he will see fewer minutes in this matchup.
Jalen Johnson, ATL vs. NY – SF/PF ($4,700 DK; $5,800 FD)
The trade of John Collins to the Jazz during the summer has freed up the log jam that the Hawks had up front last season. Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu are locked in as centers, while Saddiq Bey, De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and Johnson are left to soak up most of the minutes at the forward spots.
Hunter and Bey started in the Hawks’ first game against the Hornets, but Johnson still played 29 minutes off the bench. He produced 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block, likely setting him up for a similar workload against the Knicks.
ALSO CONSIDER: Pascal Siakam, TOR at CHI - PF ($9,500 DK; $8,900 FD); Ben Simmons, BKN at DAL – PF/PG ($6,000 DK; $6,200 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN at MEM – C ($11,600 DK; $12,100 FD)
Jokic couldn’t have looked much better in his first game of the season against the Lakers. He provided his usual juicy all-around stat line, posting 29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, one block, and three three-pointers. This comes on the heels of him nearly averaging a triple-double last season.
Steven Adams (knee) is out for the season for the Grizzlies, leaving them with limited options at center. In their first game of the season, that resulted in Jonas Valanciunas posting 12 points and 12 rebounds against them. Zion Williamson also produced 23 points and seven rebounds. Don’t expect them to be able to slow down Jokic in this matchup.
Mark Williams, CHA vs. DET – C ($5,800; $6,900 FD)
Once the Hornets traded away Mason Plumlee last season, Williams became their starting center. Over 17 games in that role, he averaged 11.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Similar success came Wednesday against the Hawks with him posting 13 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and one block over 30 minutes.
MARK WILLIAMS MY GOODNESS. 🔒
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 26, 2023
The Pistons have a lot of size up front, so Williams should at least approach 30 minutes in this matchup, leaving him with a favorable opportunity to record another double-double.
Zach Collins, SA vs. HOU – C/PF ($5,700 DK; $6,000 FD)
As last season wore on, Collins worked his way into added playing time. The Spurs were encouraged by him averaging 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the 12 games in which he logged at least 30 minutes. They landed Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the draft, but despite his massive size, he is lined up to start at power forward, not center.
The starting center job was given to Collins, who provided 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 32 minutes against the Mavericks on Wednesday. For those not looking to pay for the salaries of the top-tier centers, Collins is also an exciting target.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jalen Duren, DET at CHA - C ($5,600 DK; $7,900 FD), Walker Kessler, UTA vs. LAC - C ($5,500 DK; $7,000 FD)
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!
