Happy Friday, RotoBallers! I hope your first week of NBA DFS has been profitable so far. I've found myself navigating through these smaller slates better than expected. Last night was rather interesting, with the likes of Eric Bledsoe and Tyler Herro taking down tournaments. Smaller slates like last night create a lot of variances but are very profitable if you can get different in the right spots. But enough about last night, let's take a look at tonight.
Tonight we have a nice big slate, with 10 games on tap. With FanDuel adding multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates a bit differently to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can change during the day as well, so I'll do my best to update as news comes out!
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 10/22/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings NBA DFS lineup picks. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG - vs BKN ($5,800)
Despite FanDuel boosting his price slightly, Maxey continues to be solid value as Ben Simmons is unlikely to play due to "back tightness" -- again, sigh. Maxey is a baller regardless, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on Wednesday night, finishing with 34.9 FD points. In what will likely be a high-paced game against a Brooklyn Nets team that struggles to play defense, Maxey should be primed to have another big game.
Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG - at WAS ($7,700)
After signing an extension on Monday, Brogdon had himself a game Wednesday night. The guard finished with 28 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds on his way to 51.3 FD points in a loss against Charlotte. The Wizards held the Raptors to just 83 points Wednesday night, but that was in part to Toronto shooting just 31% from the field. I expect Washington to go back to their high-paced, high-scoring ways and Brogdon to get his at a fair price of just $7.7K.
Kevin Porter, PG/SF - vs OKC ($6,000)
Kevin Porter was the chalkiest player in cash contests on Wednesday ended up being one of the biggest busts on the slate, finishing with just 13.1 FD points. He played just 24 minutes, in part due to the blowout. Houston will certainly be among the worst teams in the league this season but will have a chance to win tonight against another team who will be among the bottom tier of teams, the Thunder. Kevin Porter didn't suddenly just get worse, and he's likely still too cheap to fade on a slate like tonight's slate.
Also consider: Bradley Beal ($9,400), De'Aaron Fox ($8,500), Ricky Rubio ($5,600)
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FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Chris Duarte, SF - at WAS ($5,300)
Another dominant performance from a rookie on Wednesday, as Duarte finished with 27 points, five rebounds, and an assist to rack up 36.5 points against Charlotte. Duarte logged 33 minutes and took 15 shots on the way to his big night, and despite the loss gets another solid matchup against Washington tonight. While I don't think he repeats the performance, I think he still is very capable of hitting 6x value, and 5x at the least.
Franz Wagner, PF/C - vs NY ($4,000)
The eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft had himself a solid night on Wednesday, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists, as well as logging two blocks and a steal on his way to a 28.8 FD point performance. My projections have him around the same production tonight, and he's expected to play around 30 minutes, making him an excellent value option on a 10 game slate.
Evan Mobley, PF/C - vs CHA ($4,800)
I mentioned in my article on Wednesday that it's important to get these young guys before their price rises. I hope everyone listened, as Mobley finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, a block, and a steal, and 42.8 FD points at just $4,800. His price has now jumped to $6,100, but I still think he has the potential to hit 6x value as his usage and playmaking ability make him a dominant fantasy force this season. He gets a high-paced matchup against LaMelo and the Hornets and should be able to eat enough to get there.
Also consider: Jayson Tatum ($9,800), Tobias Harris ($7,600)
FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Julius Randle, C - at ORL ($9,500)
There isn't much to be said about Randle, who finished with 60.1 FD points on Wednesday night. While double OT helped by adding fuel to the fire, Randle seems to be on track to put up similar usage and fantasy production as last year's. He played 46 minutes in the double OT showdown, and if this year is anything like last year's, the Knicks will play him 35+ minutes in every game, or for as long as he can handle it.
Andre Drummond, C - vs BKN ($5,300)
Being a Sixers fan myself, I should've seen this one coming. The addition of Drummond helps take the load off Joel Embiid, who didn't even have to play the fourth quarter in Wednesday's blowout of the Pelicans. I think Embiid plays more minutes tonight, considering he only played 26 minutes on Wednesday, but in my opinion, there's no reason to play him for more than 30 minutes until the playoffs start. Drummond had 17 rebounds on Monday, and since 2019 averages about 1.5 FD points per minute against Brooklyn. With Embiid's GTD tag, we can reasonably expect Drummond to play at least 20ish minutes tonight, which is more than enough time for him to hit value.
Also consider: Daniel Gafford ($5,800), Mitchell Robinson ($5,900)