Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook runs up the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
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Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 54.91 DK - 59.43
Leading into lock tonight, all eyes will be on the Lakers news and starting lineup as they could be without Anthony Davis who is dealing with a finger injury and left last game with a stomach ailment. This with Lebron already out could be a huge uptick in fantasy value for Westbrook. As of now, the Lakers are just two-point favorites in the highest total of the night and get an elite matchup against the Hornets who are dead last in defensive efficiency and run the 6th fastest pace. This is a recipe for a monster game from a guy who can chuck up triple-doubles at will when he is the focal point of the offense. He is in play in all formats, especially on FanDuel where he is outside the Top 10 in pricing overall.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 45.22 DK - 47.7
In the next tier of pricing, we have a player in Chris Paul who I actually like more from a PTS/$ perspective. Like Westbrook, he gets an elite matchup against the only other team in the NBA that ranks Top 10 in pace(10th) and bottom 10 in defensive efficiency(23rd). What really sway me towards paul, however, is the consistency as he is averaging 42 fantasy points on the season and doesn't need scoring to do it dishing out over 12 assists per game. This game is expected to stay close(PHO -2.5) and has the second-highest total on the slate. Lock and load in all formats.
Also Consider: Tyrese Maxey(PHI) for value as he has been playing heavy minutes(34.7 per game & 40+ in two straight) for the 76ers with no Ben Simmons
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 43.82 DK - 47.34
Last year's first overall pick is coming into his own in Minnesota and leading the team in usage(30.3%) and has taken 19 or more shots from the field in every game. Edwards has even dropped 40+ fantasy points in five of the six games that D'Angelo Russell has played and while the rebounds have fallen off the last two games, he is still averaging just shy of seven per game on the season. Against a bottom three team in defensive efficiency, I will have exposure to Edwards in all formats.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 43.38 DK - 47.59
Stacking and correlation is something I have put a ton more time into this NBA season and this pick goes right with that. If we are playing Chris Paul who is dishing out assists at a league-high rate(12.1 per game) it makes sense to pair him with Booker who is currently 7th overall with a 32.6% usage rate. He is also coming off his best game of the season dropping 14 of 21 shots from the field(5 of 9 from behind the arc) for 58 DK/56 FD points. While I don't expect that ceiling game again, he has put up 40+ fantasy points in four of his last five games which is a terrific floor in a matchup against a team that is bottom 10 in defense and top 10 in pace. Load up in all formats.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 34.38 DK - 37.42
The Lakers have improved defensively as the season has gone on(12th in defensive efficiency) but will be without Lebron James and could also be without Anthony Davis tonight. That is a big boost for the Hornets and specifically Gordan Hayward who has been red-hot lately shooting 50% over his last three games(all on the road) while putting up an average of 15 shots a game. At these prices in a projected close, high-scoring game, I am on Hayward in all formats.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 22.99 DK - 25.61
This is an extension of the shooting guard picks for FanDuel as Korkmaz is SG only but does have SF eligibility on DraftKings and stands out as a top value for tonight with all the injuries and Covid issues lately. He didn't draw the start on Saturday but did play 32 minutes and looked good making nine of 13 shots from the field(7 of 9 from three) putting up 6-7x PTS/$ value. He is projected to start again tonight and would be in play in all formats if he does.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 38.29 DK - 39.65
Draymond is always high in our system from a PTS/$ perspective as he provides a near-elite floor on his secondary stats alone. Through nine games, he is averaging 30 min, 8.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game which, from a fantasy perspective, is an average of 33 points per game or right around a 5x return. Tonight, he and the Warriors get a great matchup in a projected close(GS -3.5), high scoring game(222 total), and faces a Hawks team that is 27th in defensive efficiency. I love this play in cash games and there is upside as well if he can contribute any scoring at all.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 38.33 DK - 40.51
I will never understand the position eligibility differences between the two sites but will list DeRozan here as he is somehow PF only on DraftKings tonight. No matter the position, I love the play from a fantasy perspective as DeRozan has seen a near 5% increase in usage with the move to Chicago and it has been paying off as he is averaging 26.8 points per game(average 22 last 3 season). Add in the productivity from the secondary stats(5.9 reb, 3.7 ass, 1 stl per game) and he provides us a very stable and secure floor for cash games despite the rising price.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 45.47 DK - 48.55
To say Valanciunas is having a great start to the season would be an understatement. It all starts with opportunity and he is currently playing a career-high 33.5 minutes per game and is second to only Rudy Gobert in rebounds per game(14.2). Since two underwhelming games(30 & 34 Fpts) to start the season, he has dropped eight straight double-doubles and gets a plus matchup to keep that run going as the Mavs give up the 8th most rebounds per game to opponents. All things considered, Big Val is easily our top center in all formats.
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