Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. numberFire's projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news. numberFire also has player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

In addition to daily projections, numberFire also offers a matchup heat map and a lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

Here at FanDuel Research, we'll also come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

The Slate and Key Injuries

It must be Halloween. For a three-game slate, today's injury report is frighteningly full.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the biggest problem spot when it comes to DFS. In addition to Jarrett Allen (ankle) and Darius Garland (hamstring) missing games already, Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) and Caris LeVert (hamstring) are questionable to join them on Tuesday.

There's nothing new to report with the Phoenix Suns. Bradley Beal (back) is out, and Devin Booker (toe) is doubtful to rejoin the lineup tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.

Finally, as assuredly the biggest news you'll hear about the Los Angeles Clippers today, Ivica Zubac (calf) and Norman Powell (foot) are questionable to suit up in tonight's lone game off national television against the Orlando Magic.

Orlando, on the second leg of a back-to-back, has no injury report yet -- but all their starters seemed healthy last night.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

• Donovan Mitchell ($10,600)
  • Mitchell's status is why this slate will come down to the wire to play. If he suits up, he'll easily be the best guard play on the slate, averaging an absurd 55.9 FanDuel points per 36 minutes with Garland off the floor. He's had a 34.1% usage rate in that situation, too.
• Markelle Fultz ($5,400)
  • While Jalen Suggs ($4,700) is an option platooning the two spot with an oversalaried Cole Anthony, Fultz's role appears to be set in stone. He logged 33 minutes -- and posted a healthy 38.8 FanDuel points -- against a tougher Los Angeles Lakers defense on Monday.
• Jordan Goodwin ($5,000)
  • The Suns don't seem interested in investing in Goodwin because of his poor efficiency (22.7 TS%), but they have no choice until Beal or Booker is back. That low shooting percentage does mean there's still room to grow in his 24-plus-minute role, though.

Others to Consider

• Jalen Brunson ($8,200)
  • Cleveland's 114.6 defensive rating (sixth-worst in the NBA) has been dreadful without their rim protector, so the New York Knicks are very much on the table with arguably the best matchup on the slate. Brunson's 40.2 FanDuel points per 36 minutes could rise.
• Tre Jones ($5,600)
  • The Spurs' experiment with Jeremy Sochan at point guard has resulted in some ugly blowouts, but Jones' tremendous efficiency next to Victor Wembanyama ($7,900) could make for a boosted role soon. numberFire's projections still see him as a value play with 25.7 expected minutes.
• Eric Gordon ($5,200)
  • The random cast of Phoenix shooters will be paramount to nail down, and the veteran seems a step ahead of the others for a 30-minute role. He just had his best game of the season (21 points and 4 dimes) entering this plus matchup against the youthful Spurs.

Wings

Top Plays

• Kevin Durant ($11,000)
  • This high salary might be the safest place to put coin on the slate. Durant's 48.6 FanDuel-point-per-36-minute average with Booker off the floor isn't stellar, but he'll have the clear lead scoring role against the league's fourth-worst defense (115.6 rating). I'm prioritizing him over Mitchell if both play.
• Paolo Banchero ($7,100)
  • The mid-range should be contrarian with multiple punt-level values and studs missing key teammates. Banchero should go completely under the radar, but the Magic are only 6.5-point underdogs, and the prolific scorer hasn't topped 14 points all year despite a 20.3% usage rate.
  • If he explodes on this small slate, that could be a tournament winning move. nF has him projected for 34.2 FanDuel points.
• Josh Okogie ($5,100) and Grayson Allen ($4,200)
  • The Suns' salaries haven't really gone anywhere, so here are two more sub-1.00-FanDuel-point-per-minute options to consider from the starting lineup. Okogie logged at least 31 minutes in both of their competitive games so far; I'd rather pay the premium for him if I can find the salary.

Others to Consider

• Paul George ($9,000) and Kawhi Leonard ($8,700)
  • My assessment of Durant isn't a revelation, so George and Leonard should largely go ignored as mid-range stars. Russell Westbrook ($7,600) likely gets left behind in the same vein.
  • PG and Kawhi are both averaging north of 47.0 FanDuel points per 36 minutes this year, but blowouts have kept their salaries low. If this one stays tight, it could be wise to pivot to them.
• Franz Wagner ($6,600)
  • At a lower mark than Banchero, Wagner actually leads the Magic in usage rate (25.4%), and that's backed up by noticeable aggression when watching them play. He's a better process play (38.6 FanDuel points per 36) if you didn't know about Banchero's talent from last season.
• RJ Barrett ($6,300)
  • I do like the Knicks on this small slate, and we've seen eruption games from the former No. 3 pick where he alone provides their offense. They're few and far between, but most will glance over Barrett quickly on this slate when it's in his range of outcomes.

Bigs

Top Plays

• Evan Mobley ($8,100)
  • Frankly, Mobley's salary is the top priority on the slate. FanDuel is being too slow to respond to his 66.3 FanDuel points from Saturday when he also averaged 42.3 FanDuel points per 36 in games where Allen sat last year. I can't imagine my power forward spots without him in single-entry tonight.
• Jusuf Nurkic ($7,000)
  • I've been waiting for the right combination of reduced salary, matchup, and context of the slate to target the "Bosnian Beast", and this might be it. San Antonio is allowing the NBA's most points in the paint per game (62.0) with a bottom-10 defensive rebounding percentage (69.3%).
• Dean Wade ($4,400)
  • Phoenix's punt-level value comes with some insecurity; Wade comes with very little. He posted 17.1 FanDuel points in 37 minutes on Saturday and will start again with Cleveland sans Garland. The ceiling is non-existent, but his floor is a must in cash games.

Others to Consider

• Julius Randle ($8,500)
  • As most flock to Mitchell and Durant, I'm selling myself on a mid-range build around Brunson, Mobley, and Randle. Basketball's most under-appreciated star has posted 43.8 FanDuel points per 36 -- and usually eclipses that minute total for Tom Thibodeau -- entering this great matchup.
• Victor Wembanyama ($7,900)
  • I'm starting to sell Wemby's stock in DFS -- but so is everyone else. Gregg Popovich just hasn't shown a willingness to play him full minutes, and the steals plus blocks (4.48 per 36 minutes) haven't been good enough to supplant poor rebounding numbers next to Zach Collins ($6,700).
  • I'm content missing the breakout if it happens at such a high salary.
• Mason Plumlee ($4,200)
  • If you're a risk-taker, Plumlee could pay huge dividends. We likely won't get Zubac news before lock, but if Zu sits, Plumlee is nearly locked into a 30-minute role with the Clips trading most of their forwards earlier this morning.
  • He's already projected well by numberFire in a backup role (19.4 FanDuel points) -- further incentivizing a swing for the fences.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.