Today is football day, but there’s money to be made in NBA DFS. You get a five-game main slate at DraftKings, with big names like Wemby, ANT, and Jalen Brunson hitting the hardwood. But who do you play?
I’m not paying almost $11k for a limited Wemby, but everyone else is on the table. Let’s digest the latest news, matchups, projections, and ownership and come away with the top NBA DFS picks for today at DraftKings and FanDuel.
DraftKings NBA Core
- Tristan Vukcevic ($4.3K)
- Kel’el Ware ($5.1k)
- Dylan Harper ($5.4k)
- Kevin Porter Jr. ($8.4k)
Update: Both Sarr and Bagley are out. I was OK with fading a chalky Bags, but Vuk is cheap enough and projects well enough to just play. Other Wiz value like Champagnie and Riley is fine. Not sure I’m into paying for Wiz like CJ and George, though. The optimal lineup loves Wiz and Nic Claxton. I’m not there, personally, but I do want to punt with Vuk and then build around ANT and KPJ. Brunson looks awesome but will be higher owned. I still think Harper/Ware are too cheap and somehow might go overlooked.
San Antonio gets to face the Wizards, so you could talk me into a lot of the Spurs options. Harper stands out the most due price and role. He was a dude last time he entered my NBA Core, but it’s a smash spot and he is PG/SG eligible. A ton of other Spurs are viable, but he looks the best and is easy to get to.
Ware might not start again, but he nuked last time out and Miami could still be without some key players. If Wiggins sits, for instance, Ware is going to be a smash play again at this price. He’s cheap enough and the role is good enough that I’m fine rolling the dice either way.
KPJ is the best overall value on this slate. A road game with Minnesota isn’t fun, but he has the fifth best projection of the slate and yet his price has barely budged. The floor and ceiling are very appealing.
The 2nd tier on this slate is where we want to live. Brunson and KAT look great vs. Miami, while Barnes, Julius, and ANT all look fantastic for spends. I’m not playing Wemby at this price with such a hard minutes cap. I’ll let ownership do the talking up top, as there is no stud on this slate that currently feels like an absolute must.
For now, ownership has me loving ANT as a comeback from KPJ.
Washington guys all get a big bump with Sarr out, but it feels pretty bad. I might get to them, but I wouldn’t call any of them core plays.
FanDuel NBA Core
- Dylan Harper ($5.2k)
- Julius Randle ($8.1k)
- Tristan Vukcevic ($3.9K)
Update: The Wizards value feels bad, but Vuk projects too well to ignore. Fade (and play?) at your own risk.
FD feels worse due to needing that extra slot. Same size slate, just worse overall. Randle is too cheap there, though. I’d rather play him on FD and ANT on DK. Harper also looks good here and can be used at both guard spots.
Claxton is probably the best center play here. He projects well and is under $7k. You can flirt with Marvin Bagley, but his matchup is brutal and he’s also got a Q tad.
This slate is pretty gross currently. Much like on DK, I’d avoid Wemby and try to go more balanced, as the value is very weak.
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