NBA DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for October 21, 2017
Today and the rest of the NBA DFS season, we’ll be writing up the guards, forwards, and centers we’re considering for our Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for daily fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, and more. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for a new ways to play NBA DFS, be sure and give DRAFT a try with our promo code!
When playing daily fantasy NBA, it’s important to consider the point spreads and totals in order to predict gameflow. Injuries play a huge role in the NBA on a nightly basis, and players can come out increasingly motivated for big games depending on other factors. And always, always check the starting lineups and injury news right before tipoff.
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10/21/17 NBA DFS TOURNAMENTS
DraftKings Power Dunk: $444 buy-in, $300k guaranteed
DraftKings Four Point Play: $4 buy-in, $375k guaranteed
DraftKings SUPER Spin Move: $44 buy-in, $450k guaranteed
FanDuel Monster: $333 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
FanDuel Clutch Shot: $4 buy-in, $350k guaranteed
FanDuel Slam: $33 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Hassan Whiteside (knee)
Chris Paul (knee)
Myles Turner (concussion)
Kawhi Leonard (quad)
Seth Curry (leg)
Zach Lavine (knee)
Nikola Mirotic (face)
Bobby Portis (suspension)
Kris Dunn (finger)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
Dennis Smith Jr. (knee)
Derrick Rose (ankle)
Aaron Gordon (ankle)
Elfrid Payton (hamstring)
Alex Len (ankle)
Best NBA DFS Plays for October 21, 2017
Guards
Russell Westbrook @ UTA ($11.0k DraftKings, $11.3k FanDuel)
As we pointed in Thursday’s article, Westbrook is vastly under priced on DK simply because he’s playing with a better supporting cast. The reigning MVP still posted a triple double with a whopping 16 assists thanks to help from new Thunder running mates Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, while scoring 21 points on just 12 FG attempts in his season debut. Granted he faces a tougher defense tonight in the Jazz, but new PG Ricky Rubio is not a great individual defender and Westy still managed to average 35.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG and 9.8 APG over four meetings with Utah last season.
Eric Gordon vs. DAL ($5.4k DraftKings, $6.5k FanDuel)
With Chris Paul (knee) doubtful tonight and likely out multiple weeks, the status quo remains in place for the Rockets offense. Essentially, James Harden is one of the safer cash game plays you can find and Gordon is going to benefit as a gunner alongside The Beard. He dropped 25 points over 35 minutes with CP3 out on Wednesday and only shot 7-for-23 from the floor, but should be able to connect on more shots tonight against a Mavs defense that ranked 29th in opponents’ 3PT shooting (.380%) last year.
Reggie Jackson @ NYK ($5.2k DraftKings, $5.5k FanDuel)
He was locked into a timeshare with Ish Smith last year, limiting the upside of both players, but Reggie seems to have a significant lead over Ish in terms of playing time this year after logging 58 minutes through two games. Whichever PG is out there tonight will have a chance to pile up stats against a Knicks defense that looked quite inept in their opener against the Thunder and Jackson has suddenly become a volume shooter with 21 points on 21 FGA in a narrow loss to the Wizards on Friday.
Others to Consider: James Harden, Damian Lillard, Mike Conley, Will Barton, Lou Williams, Buddy Hield, Jose Calderon
Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis vs. DET ($7.9k DraftKings, $8.6k FanDuel)
The Knicks are clearly his team now, as Porzingis shot 11-of-25 from the field to post a 34.4% usage rate in his season debut on Thursday. His ability to pile up peripheral stats has always given him upside, but now that he’s forced into a high-volume role as a scorer and facilitator, The Unicorn is amongst the best DFS plays you could possibly find, yet he’s not priced accordingly on DK. He had little trouble exploiting Detroit’s defense en route to 34 PPG on 51.4% FG shooting over four meetings last year and could exceed that production at home tonight.
LaMarcus Aldridge @ CHI ($7.7k DraftKings, $7.6k FanDuel)
Kawhi Leonard will remain out with a quad injury tonight and that makes Aldridge the unquestioned top option in the Spurs elite offensive system. After a horrible showing in the postseason last spring, LMA came out of the gates strong with 25 points and 10 rebounds over 39 minutes against Minnesota. He attempted a team-high 21 shots from the field and that’s not surprising considering he’s averaging 1.21 points per minute and seeing a 3.7% rise in usage rate with Kawhi off the floor over the last two years. Tonight he’ll face an inexperienced Bulls frontcourt that’s likely missing both Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic and LMA should eat.
Dillon Brooks vs. GSW ($4.0k DraftKings, $4.0k FanDuel)
Brooks is a new-age NBA player in his ability to guard multiple positions and play a versatile role on offense. That versatility will be put to the test with the defending champion Warriors coming to town, and if he passes, Brooks could log a ton of minutes once again. He turned 29 minutes into 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 defensive stats (4 stl, 2 blk) in his NBA debut and both Wayne Selden (quad) and Ben McLemore (foot) appear likely to miss this contest, securing Brooks role as a wing defender, who will try to contain Kevin Durant and the Warriors.
Others to Consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Blake Griffin, Paul George, James Johnson, Rudy Gay, Al-Farouq Aminu, Jonathan Isaac
Centers
DeAndre Jordan vs. PHO ($7.6k DraftKings, $8.5k FanDuel)
Playing against an undisciplined young team allowed Jordan to grab 24 boards in his season debut, the highest total to this point on the young season. He’s in line for another potentially monstrous double double against the equally undisciplined Suns, who shot just 31.5% from the floor in their opener and happen to be on the second-half of a B2B set. Jordan averaged 15 RPG over four meetings with Phoenix last year and will face either a hobbled Alex Len (ankle) or an aging center in Tyson Chandler.
Kelly Olynyk vs. IND ($4.8k DraftKings, $4.4k FanDuel)
Hassan Whiteside (knee) is expected to miss tonight’s game, as is Pacers starting center Myles Turner (concussion), which seriously upgrades Olynyk’s matchup against either the ancient Al Jefferson or second-year PF Domantas Sabonis. Kelly-O logged 21 minutes off the bench in his season debut, but struggled with foul trouble against a sizable Magic front line, so his defensive outlook is key to consider. Indiana is playing a very DFS-friendly and fast-paced style, while Olynyk can do damage from the perimeter and interior when he gets going.
Others to Consider: Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Clint Capela, Nikola Vucevic, Tyson Chandler
