NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (11/1/25)

November 1, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Zach Thompson's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on November 1st, 2025.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! The NBA starts the month of November with six games on the scoreboard this Saturday night. DraftKings chooses to focus on the meat of the schedule, including the four games starting between 6:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. FanDuel has four games on its main slate as well, but it leaves out the 6:00 p.m. ET start in Charlotte and includes the 10:00 p.m. ET start between the Mavericks and the Pistons. The Celtics and Pacers are each finishing a back-to-back set of games at home on Saturday night, but the rest of the teams have turned in their injury reports. LaMelo Ball (ankle, questionable) is the big name to watch in the early game on DraftKings, while the Mavericks won't have Anthony Davis (calf, out), but could get back Daniel Gafford (ankle, questionable)

The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always important to have a game plan and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/1/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 6:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings and 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel. Good luck tonight, RotoBallers!

NBA DFS Core Picks

Paolo Banchero, ORL - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD ($8.9K DK/$8.8K FD)

The Magic have a great spot against the Wizards, and they have the highest implied team total on the board. If the Magic are in a high-scoring game, Banchero is always projected to have a monster performance since he carries so much work in Orlando's offense. Banchero had 20 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in 33 minutes on Thursday to help the Magic snap a four-game skid on the second night of a back-to-back in Charlotte.

A triple threat to power the @OrlandoMagic W 🪄

Franz Wagner: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 3 3PM
Paolo Banchero: 20 PTS, 9 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL
Anthony Black: 20 PTS, 2 STL, 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/dCMle5hM1H

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2025

Banchero has at least 20 points in five of his six games and is averaging 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 42.8 FanDuel points, and 43.7 DraftKings points this season.

The Wizards have allowed the most points per game in the NBA this season, allowing an average of 129 points per contest in their 1-4 start. They play with the fourth-fastest pace in the NBA and consistently set up as a smash spot for players with high ceilings like Banchero.

Jaylen Brown, BOS - SF on DK, SG/SF on FD ($8.6K DK/$8.3K FD)

Without Jayson Tatum (Achilles) the Celtics have leaned heavily on Jaylen Brown to start the season, and he has stepped up with good numbers in his increased workload. He can be a core play as the C's come home after winning in Philadelphia on Friday.

Jaylen Brown tonight:

32 PTS
2 STOCKS
57.1% 3PM
78.7% TS

HIS INSANE RUN CONTINUES 🔥pic.twitter.com/HMOdtAxsXc

— CelticsGlobe (@celtsglobe) November 1, 2025

For each of the last two seasons, Brown has posted a 28.9% usage rate, but this year that has jumped to 32.0%, and he is averaging 18 field goal attempts per game. After dropping those 32 points on the Sixers, he is averaging 26.8 points per game this season, with at least 30 points in three of his last four games. He's averaging 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.5 steals as well to go with his extra scoring.

The Celtics host the Rockets on Saturday, and it should be another busy night for Brown. Houston has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game this season to small forwards, setting up another big night for Brown, who makes a great anchor for your lineup on Saturday.

Jarace Walker - SF/PF on DK, PF/C on FD ($5.9K DK/$5.6K FD)

The Pacers have been wiped out by injuries in the early going this season, with Andrew Nembhard (shoulder), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Opi Toppin (foot), and Bennedict Mathurin (toe) all joining Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) on the sidelines. With all the available playing time, though, some new fantasy options have emerged, including third-year forward Jarace Walker, who can move to multiple positions from his mid-range salary while bringing outstanding value.

Walker has played 25+ minutes in every game for Indiana this season, averaging 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 29 minutes per game. He moved into the starting lineup on Wednesday for the first time this season and had a big game with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 36 minutes during a close loss to Dallas.

Jarace Walker scored 20 tonight for Indy!

It's a new career-high for him 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1xmPst45ls

— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2025

On Friday, Walker played only 28 minutes in a blowout loss, and he should remain in a prominent role, giving him a high ceiling in Saturday's home game against the Warriors. Check the injury report to be sure there are no surprises, but as long as he's in such a big role, he'll be a great midrange target to build around.

NBA DFS GPP Pivots

LaMelo Ball, CHA - PG ($9.8K DK)

On DraftKings, where the Hornets' game is included, it's critical to consider whether Ball is worth the risk of his ankle issue. For GPP, his upside makes him worth paying up for since he has shown he can carry the load and dominate the entire slate when he's at his best.

On Thursday, he had 17 points and 13 assists for almost 50 DraftKings points, and he has at least 45 DraftKings points in four straight contests, highlighted by his massive triple-double against the Wizards last Sunday. In that contest, he showed off his ceiling with 38 points, 13 boards, 13 assists, and an eye-popping 84.8 DraftKings points.

If he plays through the injury tag, it could help keep his ownership in check, making him potentially a nice pay-up spot for some leverage.

Cooper Flagg, DAL - PG/SG/SF ($7K FD)

On FanDuel, where the Mavericks' game is included, Flagg is a key piece to consider since he could carry even more of the team's offense with Davis sidelined. Flagg has only averaged 27.2 FanDuel points per game in his first five contests in the NBA, but he's been able to produce at least 34 FanDuel points in three of his last four contests.

Cooper Flagg became the 2nd player in NBA history at 18 years or younger to record a game with 20+ PTS and 0 TOs in tonight’s win vs. TOR 🤯

The other? Kobe Bryant in 1997 vs. SAC. pic.twitter.com/dissttBtUa

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2025

He's coming off his second double-double of the season, which he posted on Wednesday against the Pacers, and he should be poised to carry more of the workload, which gives him an even higher ceiling and more GPP potential on Saturday night.

Stephen Curry, GS - PG ($8.8K DK/$8.2K FD)

Curry always carries a big workload for the Warriors, and he should be able to thrive against the up-tempo Pacers on Saturday. Whenever the Warriors are in high-scoring contests, Curry brings a very high ceiling, and he already has games with 42 points and 35 points this season in up-tempo environments against the Trail Blazers and Nuggets.

Curry has scored at least 23 points in four of his six games this season, and he bounced back from a couple of down games with 27 points in Thursday's loss to the Bucks. He's averaging 4.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game to go with his 27.0 points per game, and he brings one of the highest point guard ceilings on both DraftKings and FanDuel this Saturday.

NBA DFS Value Picks

Anthony Black, ORL - PG/SG ($4.9K DK/$4.9K FD)

The Magic will have Jalen Suggs back in the rotation after he sat out the second game of the team's back-to-back in Charlotte. While his two best games have come without Suggs, Black is staying involved enough to be a solid value play even with Suggs in the rotation.

Black has four straight games with double-digit points and had a season-high 32.2 DraftKings points and 33.2 FanDuel points in Thursday's win. With a very favorable matchup against Washington, he is a nice guard play who saves salary but still brings upside.

Josh Minott, BOS - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD ($4.8K DK/$5.5K FD)

Especially on DraftKings, where his salary is still much lower, Minott brings great value for the Celtics on Saturday against the Rockets. He didn't start the first three games of the season while the Celtics went 0-3, but they have gone 3-0 since he joined the starting five.

Minott had over 30 DraftKings points in his first two starts, highlighted by a big double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds against the Cavs that earned him 42 FanDuel points and 42.2 DraftKings points. He cooled off a little bit with just two points on Friday, but if he stays in the starting lineup only, he'll still be a good value on Saturday. His lower output on Friday could actually help his ownership be lower, making him an even stronger pivot option.

Quenton Jackson, IND - SG/SF on DK, SG on FD ($3.7K DK/$3.8K FD)

Jackson is another part of the Pacers' rotation set to step up with all the injuries. RayJ Dennis is picking up playing time in the backcourt, but his salary has risen to where he's not as much of a bargain anymore. Jackson is still under $4K on both sites, but he showed his upside on Friday with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and 29.5 DraftKings points in 22 minutes against the Hawks.

If he's lined up for a large role again on Saturday, he can be the key to unlocking the salary you need to spend up on superstars in other spots on this slate.

Mike Conley - PG ($4.4K DK)

With Anthony Edwards (hamstring) missing the last two games, Conley has stepped up with 24.2 and 32 DraftKings points. He was barely in the rotation for the first few games of the season, but he has shown he can still fill in value production in multiple categories while Edwards is out. The Hornets-Wolves game should be a solid spot to target fantasy production, and Conley is an affordable way to get some exposure to the early game.

Max Christie - SG/SF ($4K FD)

Christie could pick up more work as the Mavericks compensate for Anthony Davis' absence on Saturday. The versatile wing has scored at least nine points in each of his five games this season. He had 10 points and four assists for 19.4 FanDuel points in a season-high 33 minutes on Wednesday, and he has moved into the starting lineup for the last two contests. Getting him at just $4K is a great option in Saturday night's late game, and his positional flexibility helps him fit into multiple roster builds

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

Magic at Wizards (236.5 O/U)

Warriors at Pacers (232 O/U)

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: Jaylen Brown
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jaylen Brown 
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jarace Walker 
• My favorite VALUE play: Quenton Jackson 

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis