NBA DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for October 31, 2017
For the NBA DFS slate tonight, and for the rest of the season, we’ll be writing up the guards, forwards, and centers we’re considering for our Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. Please note 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 lots of other factors. This is important to consider 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 trying to predict gameflow. Injuries play a huge role in the NBA on a nightly basis, and value plays can arise at a moments notice. Always, always check the starting lineups and injury news right before tipoff.
For more on playing daily fantasy NBA, check out our complete guide to DFS basketball.
10/31/17 NBA DFS TOURNAMENTS
DraftKings Candy Bowl: $5 buy-in, $500k guaranteed
DraftKings Triple Threat: $33 buy-in, $250k guaranteed
DraftKings Power Dunk: $444 buy-in, $375k guaranteed
FanDuel Spooky Monster: $333 buy-in, $170k guaranteed
FanDuel Pumpkin Shot: $4.44 buy-in, $500k guaranteed
FanDuel Spine-Chilling Slam: $33 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Myles Turner (concussion)
Eric Bledsoe (coach’s decision)
Greg Monroe (calf)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
DeMarre Carroll (ankle)
Domantas Sabonis (illness)
Kyle Kuzma (hip)
Zach Randolph (foot)
Best NBA DFS Picks for October 31, 2017
Guards
Russell Westbrook @ MIL ($11.2k DraftKings, $11.1k FanDuel)
Give me Russell Westbrook over “The Greek Freak” in a H2H matchup, especially with a huge price discrepancy between the two. With a league-high 57.4 percent assist rate, Westbrook is a much better candidate for a triple-double, which he managed to compile in just 28 minutes in a blowout win at Chicago his last time out. He’s established a floor of 50 FPs or so even when he doesn’t shoot well, and he could hustle for some defensive stats against a Bucks team giving up the second-most steals per game (3.0) and an above average 46.98 FPPG to opposing point guards this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie vs. PHO ($4.9k DraftKings, $5.3k FanDuel)
With D’Angelo Russell clearly hobbled by a knee injury, the Nets’ offense has become much a more spread out attack. Spencer Dinwiddie is thriving as more of a true point guard alongside the shoot-first former No. 2 overall pick. After dropping 22 points over 30 minutes in a shootout loss to Denver, Dinwiddie is primed for another solid line in a matchup against a Suns team leading the league in pace and giving up the second-most points per game (117.2) this season. Phoenix is coughing up the most FPPG (58.75) to opposing point guards as well.
Tyler Ulis @ BKN ($4.0k DraftKings, $4.7k FanDuel)
This is clearly a great game to target. The two teams squaring off rank first and second in pace and are giving up the first and second most points per game this year. Tyler Ulis is effectively locked into a timeshare with starter Mike James, but he’s starting to pull ahead in that competition, and both point guards carry value in a game with a 230-point over/under. Brooklyn is giving up the third-most assists per game (11) to opposing PGs this season, and Ulis is a pass-first guy. He has handed out five dimes in consecutive appearances and averaged 7.2 assists per 36 minutes as a rookie last year.
Others to Consider: Devin Booker, Darren Collison, Caris LeVert, Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Forwards
Carmelo Anthony @ MIL ($7.1k DraftKings, $7.4k FanDuel)
Paul George is struggling to adjust to a degree while playing alongside Westbrook, but Carmelo Anthony is thriving with fewer playmaking responsibilities. He’s shooting 47 percent from the floor and 55 percent from inside the arc, which would be the best mark of his career. His three-point percentage should regress toward the mean, and he’s established a great floor despite struggling a bit from downtown. Milwaukee is allowing opposing teams to shoot 38.6 percent from deep (24th in the NBA), and Melo posted stellar averages of 24 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game in three meetings with the Bucks last year.
Khris Middleton vs. OKC ($6.9k DraftKings, $7.3k FanDuel)
Obviously you’d like to pay up for Giannis in what could be an exciting matchup against the Thunder, but his price tag makes it extremely difficult on a short slate. You could instead get exposure to the Bucks offense by using Khris Middleton, who happens to be coming off a season-high 27-point gem with nine assists and seven rebounds to burn the Hawks in Atlanta. He’s finding his stroke from downtown, and that was the strongest part of his offensive game before his knee injury. He’ll have a chance to continue exceeding value if he hits those shots when defenses collapse on Giannis.
Stanley Johnson @ LAL ($4.3k DraftKings, $4.5k FanDuel)
The Pistons are giving Stanley Johnson heavy run, and the return of Reggie Bullock has done little to affect his playing time. The Arizona product has produced useful fantasy lines in three consecutive appearances, and he’s finding his outside shot as well. He knocked down three of five 3-point attempts while logging 41 minutes in a win at Golden State on Sunday. The Lakers’ perimeter defense is quite shoddy, and athletes like Johnson have a great chance to pile up peripheral stats against a turnover-prone team that pushes the pace.
Others to Consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. Warren, Julius Randle
Never miss a single article! Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook today!
Centers
Andre Drummond @ LAL ($8.2k DraftKings, $9.2k FanDuel)
Andre Drummond is highly motivated and playing very well to open the season. He’s even hitting 70 percent of his free throws to supplement his impressive averages of 12.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game through seven appearances. Seemingly spurred on by the harsh words of Joel Embiid, Big Dre has logged nine steals in his last three games, including five to help the Pistons stun the Warriors on the road. Now, he’ll face a slow-footed defender in Brook Lopez, who can hardly jump with one of the league’s elite rebounders. Drummond averaged 19.5 points and 17 rebounds per game in two meetings with the fast-paced Lakers last year.
Al Jefferson vs. SAC ($3.6k DraftKings, $4.4k FanDuel)
Here’s a true punt play to consider on Halloween if you’re not scared to ride with an old dog in a plus matchup. If Domantas Sabonis is able to battle through an upper respiratory infection, he’ll log the bulk of the minutes down low for Indy with Myles Turner (concussion) out. But if Sabonis can’t go, Al Jefferson could play a season-high in minutes. He’s yet to top 18 in a game this year but is averaging 18 points and 11.9 rebounds per 36 minutes and might play somewhere in the 20-30 minute range if Sabonis is also inactive.
Others to Consider: Steven Adams, Willie Cauley-Stein, John Henson, Alex Len
