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Zach's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Wednesday 10/30/24. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
We're a week into the NBA season and some awesome early-season trends are starting to develop. Now that we've gotten a few games of data, we can start to get an idea of what to expect in many matchups. On Wednesday, the NBA has a total of 11 games scheduled to cram the evening full of action, but DraftKings continues to separate the games into multiple slates as has been the pattern in the early part of the season.
The main contests this Wednesday include eight games that tip off between 7:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET while the three later games are on a separate slate of their own. Of the 16 teams in action on the main slate, the Nets are the only one finishing a back-to-back. They'll face the Grizzlies, the only team on the main slate who play again Thursday. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FD picks here!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/30/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
LaMelo Ball, CHA – PG ($9,600)
Ball has been on fire to start the season, and his Hornets have a very favorable matchup against the banged-up Raptors at home on Wednesday. After posting a massive 67 DraftKings points in a season-opening win against the Rockets, Ball had 49.75 DraftKings points and 48.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back losses to the Hawks and Heat.
Not only has he brought an extremely high ceiling, but he has also been very consistent. He has a massive 36.1% usage rate and has produced 1.60 DraftKings points per minute.
LaMelo Ball's first three games this season:
31.7 PPG
7.0 RPG
7.3 APG
46.8/41.7/91.7%
5.0 3PMPutting on an offensive masterclass. pic.twitter.com/VD7KuZoWh3
— HornetsHoops (@hornetshoops_) October 27, 2024
While they won't get any sympathy from the injury-depleted Raptors, the Hornets will still be without Brandon Miller (glute) and Mark Williams (foot). Without Miller, Ball will have to continue to carry a huge workload and can get his team to 2-2 if they get a win in this matchup.
Trae Young ($9,900) is the other juicy point guard play this Wednesday since he'll be taking on the Wizards with multiple members of his supporting cast sidelined. While both are solid options and can be a great high-salary backcourt duo to build around, I give Ball the slight edge just since he's been more consistent so far this season
Anthony Davis, LAL – C ($10,200)
Davis has been the Lakers' primary option this season and has scored at least 29 points in each of his four games. He has always chipped in great non-scoring numbers, so if he's getting around 30 points per game to go with his strong defensive and rebounding numbers, he's a core option to consider on just about every slate.
Davis has averaged 1.64 DraftKings points per minute and 60.8 DraftKings points per game over his first four games of the season, and his 31.02% usage rate is more than five percentage points higher than the usage rate of LeBron James ($9,000). It's also about four percentage points higher than Davis' usage rate from last year, and the new system under coach J.J. Redick seems set up for Davis to smash almost every night.
Anthony Davis this season:
32.8 PPG
12.0 RPG
2.5 BPG
55.0% FGMost PPG to start a season by a center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. pic.twitter.com/1QaNY2DJMI
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) October 29, 2024
His matchup against the Cavs' big men should be a fun one to watch, and he'll have to be on the floor for as many minutes as he can handle since Cleveland typically plays so big with big men Jarrett Allen ($7,400) and Evan Mobley ($7,700) both getting lots of minutes.
Jalen Johnson, ATL – PF ($7,900)
The Hawks will be without Dyson Daniels (hip), Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Vit Krejci (thigh), and possibly De'Andre Hunter ($5,300; knee, questionable) which should open up plenty of usage and potential value.
In the early part of the season, Johnson has looked like he is ready to make the leap to superstar status as the Hawks' second option after the departure of Dejounte Murray. With all the extra usage available, he has an extremely high ceiling on Wednesday as the Hawks face the Wizards for the second straight game. Here's a look at how their first matchup went Monday for Johnson:
JJ found his rhythm in a big way last night 🙌
29 PTS (new career high)
12 REB
7 AST@Jalen_J23 x @UPS pic.twitter.com/GlpufDoOW4— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 29, 2024
He finished with a season-high 59 DraftKings points and fell just three assists shy of a triple-double. Before that breakthrough, he struggled a little bit in Oklahoma City for his only down game of the season, but he bounced back with that huge game and should be poised for an encore performance with all the work he can handle on Wednesday. I've also got some other picks I like in this game below.
Others Under Consideration: LeBron James - SF/PF ($9,000), Paolo Banchero - PF ($9,100)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Cam Thomas, BKN – SG/SF ($7,400)
Thomas and the Nets are on the second night of a back-to-back, which raises the volatility and could steer the public away from Thomas. He typically isn't the picture of consistency anyway, which is why I usually prefer to play him in GPP contests.
This year, Thomas has scored at least 24 points in each of the Nets' four games with 33+ DraftKings points in each contest. He has averaged 42.6 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 1.21 DraftKings points per minute. With Nic Claxton getting the night off and Ben Simmons possibly returning the rotation is uncertain, but Thomas certainly brings enough upside to deserve a GPP look.
Tyrese Haliburton, IND – PG ($8,300)
In just four games this season, Haliburton has already shown both his high ceiling (50.25 DraftKings points against the Magic) and his low floor (10.25 DraftKings points against the Knicks). My guess is we'll get a hyped-up Hali on Wednesday as his Pacers welcome the Celtics. He looked very good with 19 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and 50.25 DraftKings points on Monday in his most recent game. His "boom-or-bust" style can sink lineups in cash games but gives him the upside we need for tournament play.
Jordan Poole, WAS – PG/SG ($7,500)
Poole has been great in two of his three games this season for the Wizards and looks like he'll have a huge workload for the rebuilding squad. He had over 40 DraftKings points in Monday's matchup with Atlanta, and with Daniels' absence, Poole should have an even more favorable matchup in the rematch. Like the other pivots in this section, he can be very volatile but his upside makes him worth considering in tournaments.
Others Under Consideration: RJ Barrett - SF ($6,600), Jaylen Brown - SG/SF ($8,400), Andre Drummond ($7,000)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Tre Mann, CHA – PG/SG ($5,000)
Mann's salary has climbed to $5,000, but he's still a good enough value to be a strong option in this matchup at home against the Raptors. Mann had a strong preseason and has stepped in while Brandon Miller has been out.
He has a 26.9% usage rate in his 28.7 minutes per game off the bench. He has averaged 30.8 DraftKings points per game and had at least 14 points and over 28 DraftKings points in each contest. His salary has almost caught up to his production, but this matchup gives us one more chance to attack him as a value.
Garrison Mathews, ATL – SG ($3,300)
With Daniels out and the rest of the backcourt thinned out as described above, the Hawks are going to need some help. Mathews and David Roddy ($3,500) both have the potential to be good values. Of the two, I lean slightly towards Mathews since he has shown that he can be a streaky shooter and contributor in the past. He's been hot lately, hitting four three-pointers in each of his last two games. He had 25 DraftKings points in 22 minutes on Sunday and 18 DraftKings points in 24 minutes on Monday against Washington.
If the Wizards focus everything on Trae and Johnson, Mathews could be open from long-range and continue to fill it up from deep. He also doesn't have to do much to be worth his salary, which is barely over the minimum. It will be interesting to see who starts in Daniels' place, especially if Hunter remains sidelined, so be sure to watch out for Atlanta's starting five. If Mathews starts and gets shots, he has the potential for huge value.
Dorian Finney-Smith, BKN – PF/C ($4,200)
The Nets already announced that Nic Claxton will sit on Wednesday as he works his way back from a hamstring issue. With Day'Ron Sharpe (hamstring) and Trendon Watford (hamstring) also sidelined, DFS and Noah Clowney ($3,700) will have all the work they can handle against the Grizzlies.
Noah Clowney's MEAN rejection leads to the Dorian Finney-Smith and-one 🙌pic.twitter.com/js7FTq9lhU
— Nets Nation (@NetsNationCP) October 29, 2024
Both Clowney and DFS are good plays, but DFS is more reliable since he gets so many minutes. He has averaged 29.5 minutes per game this season for the rebuilding Nets, and he keeps posting solid counting stats even though his efficiency and shooting percentages leave much to be desired. He has averaged 24.8 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 0.85 DraftKings points per minute. He has at least 25 DraftKings points in three of his four games and had a season-high 33.25 DraftKings points in Tuesday's loss to the Nuggets. It's not always pretty with DFS, but he will almost always find a way to return value at this low salary with a big workload.
Ziaire Williams, BKN – SG ($3,200)
Williams is another cheap option from the Nets worth a look against the Grizzlies with a possible revenge game narrative in play. Williams had a season-high 18 points on Tuesday on his way to 30.75 DraftKings points in 22 minutes against Denver.
So far this season, he has averaged 20.3 DraftKings points per game and has been playing about 20 minutes per game off the bench. The Nets injury report will be a key one to watch for after big minutes for Dennis Schroder ($5,900) and Cameron Johnson ($5,600), and Williams could get more playing time and be an elite value depending on how the rotation shakes out.
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
Celtics at Pacers (233.5 total)
There are two games on the slate that share the highest over/under, and they offer an amazing contrast. This matchup is stuffed with expensive pay-up plays with high ceilings. Jayson Tatum ($9,800) has looked like an MVP candidate while Jaylen Brown ($8,400) and Derrick White ($6,900) have also had strong starts to the season. Haliburton always has a high ceiling and both Pascal Siakam ($7,900) and Myles Turner ($6,400) have boom-or-bust upside.
Even with all that star power, there is potential value from Aaron Nesmith ($4,200), who always seems to play well against his former team, and Al Horford ($5,300) who continues to chip in good numbers while the C's are without Kristaps Porzingis.
Hawks at Wizards (233.5 total)
The other game with the same total is on the opposite end of the star spectrum but should still be very relevant for fantasy this Wednesday. I already discussed Jalen Johnson and Garrison Mathews who will have to step up for the Hawks, and Trae Young ($9,900) could just decide tonight is his night to take all the shots--which would give him a very high ceiling.
I talked about Jordan Poole earlier in the article as well as a play with a high ceiling while Bilal Coulibaly ($5,200), Bub Carrington ($4,100), and Kyshawn George ($3,400) are young players who have flashed upside for the Wizards. There should be plenty of young talent and plenty of points in this game, although the names aren't nearly as recognizable as in the Pacers-Celtics showdown.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: LaMelo Ball
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Anthony Davis
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jordan Poole
- My favorite VALUE play: Dorian Finney-Smith
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