FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Wednesday 10/25/23

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.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

Tyrese Haliburton ($9,400) -- Tyrese Haliburton is one of my favorite plays of the slate. He had a breakout season last year and can start this campaign with a bang thanks to a dreamy date with the Washington Wizards. The Indiana Pacers own a slate-leading 121.0-point implied total in a game with a 235.0-point over/under, per the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. The game environment should be outstanding for DFS, giving Haliburton a chance to show his ceiling.

De'Aaron Fox ($8,800) -- Another elite guard in a superb game environment, De'Aaron Fox can go off today against the Utah Jazz. This game has a slate-high 236.5-point total with a 1.5-point spread. That's pretty much everything we could ask for as we should get points and there's very little blowout risk. Utah was 23rd in defensive rating last year and gave up the 8th-most FanDuel points per game to point guards (49.1).

Tyus Jones ($5,700) -- If you want to stack the Wiz-Pacers game, Jones is a lower-salary way to get in on the fun. Indiana played a fantasy-friendly style last year, ranking 5th in pace and 26th in defensive rating. Jones profiles as one of the better value guards on Wednesday.

Others to Consider

Kyrie Irving ($10,000) -- It seems like Luka Doncic ($11,600) will likely suit up, but if a calf ailment sidelines Doncic, Kyrie could smash against the San Antonio Spurs, a team that was dead last in defensive rating in 2022-23 while playing at the second-fastest pace.

Fred VanVleet ($7,900) -- It's scary to buy into new situations without seeing things first, and this being Fred VanVleet's first game with the Houston Rockets might keep some people away. I'm willing to roll the dice given FVV's track record and his matchup with the Orlando Magic.

Jordan Poole ($7,700) -- Jordan Poole is another way to get exposure to the Wiz-Pacers game. Poole's usage could skyrocket in Washington, and as I laid out above, the Pacers were a great matchup for fantasy. A Haliburton-Poole stack gives you gobs of upside.

Wings

Top Plays

Lauri Markkanen ($8.400) -- Lauri Markkanen rivals Haliburton as my favorite play tonight. The Sacramento Kings were sliced up by small forwards last year to the tune of 42.6 FanDuel points per game (second-most). Markkanen can take advantage of both the matchup and the outstanding game environment (236.5-point total and 1.5-point spread).

Desmond Bane ($8,100) -- Desmond Bane averaged 42.5 FanDuel points per 36 minutes last year with Ja Morant off the floor, according to RotoGrinders' CourtIQ. Add in a DFS-friendly matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans -- a clash with a 226.5-point total and 1.5-point spread -- and Bane checks a lot of boxes tonight. The only knock on him is that he can be overly reliant on scoring for DFS points, so if the jumper isn't falling, he could disappoint.

Kyle Anderson ($5,300) -- A player who can have a solid fantasy outing without much real-life scoring, Kyle Anderson is a sweet point-per-dollar play today against the Toronto Raptors. We haven't yet touched on this game, but it sets up well for DFS, as it boasts a 222.5-point total and 1.5-point spread. numberFire's model has Anderson producing 27.8 FanDuel points (5.24 per $1,000).

Others to Consider

Jimmy Butler ($9,900) -- Projections around the industry don't like Jimmy Butler tonight, and he is probably over-salaried a bit. But that makes him a fun GPP play, as he shouldn't be popular despite a very soft matchup with the Detroit Pistons. Butler can bully a Detroit D that was fourth-worst in defensive rating a year ago and surrendered the fourth-most FanDuel points per game to small forwards (42.3).

Saddiq Bey ($5,000) -- Saddiq Bey is a viable salary-saver tonight. The Atlanta Hawks-Charlotte Hornets game carries a 235.5-point total and 3.5-point spread. There are plenty of good plays from it, and Bey is an economical way to get in on the action. numberFire has him scoring 25.2 FanDuel points (5.03 per $1,000).

Harrison Barnes ($4,900) -- Harrison Barnes is a low-salary starter from the Kings-Jazz game, which could end up being the DFS matchup of the night. What Barnes lacks in eye-popping upside, he makes up for in reliability, as he's a safe bet for good minutes (29.7, per numberFire).

Bigs

Top Plays

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,200) -- With Morant out a year ago, Jaren Jackson Jr. was a monster. In the split, he averaged 51.8 FanDuel points per 36 minutes as well as 1.44 FanDuel points per minute, and he saw a usage-rate boost of 4.9 percentage points. He could feast during Ja's suspension, and the salary isn't bad at all. While foul trouble lurks with Jackson, he mostly fixed that last year, and he offers a slate-breaking ceiling thanks to his shot-blocking prowess.

Evan Mobley ($7,400) -- Jarrett Allen is out, which makes Evan Mobley an enticing option in a friendly matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. Mobley's offensive game can be underwhelming at times, but he's capable of making a leap this year and always brings blocks/steals upside to the table. numberFire's model loves him, projecting Mobley for 39.8 FanDuel points (5.38 per $1,000). As of early Wednesday, he's the top point-per-dollar play among those with a salary of at least $7,000.

Jeremy Sochan ($5,500) -- Jeremy Sochan is a unicorn right now as he's eligible at both power forward and point guard. The second-year player is expected to run some point for a Spurs offense that may try some weird/fun things this season. As a rookie, Sochan showed an ability to do a little bit of everything, and he should be in line for big minutes today against a Dallas Mavericks squad that was 25th in defensive rating in 2022-23 and permitted the fifth-most FanDuel points per night to power forwards (46.9).

Others to Consider

Myles Turner ($7,800) -- With so many good options at center, Myles Turner could slip through the cracks. He can pop for a big game against Washington. Turner made a jump last year en route to a career-best mark in points (18.3) and boards (7.5) per game. He also hit 37.3% from three and added 2.9 combined blocks/steals per night. In short, he has a lot of paths to amassing FanDuel points.

Victor Wembanyama ($7,700) -- Why not have some fun and roster Victor Wembanyama? Dallas stinks on defense, and at a minimum, Wemby's insane length should make him a blocks/steals force in DFS right out of the gate. We'll have to see how many minutes Wembanyama gets, but we know there's upside here.

Kevin Love ($3,900) -- Among the lowest-salaried starters out there, Kevin Love is worth a look against Detroit. In last year's playoffs, Love's minutes usually got cut short. That might not happen as much in the regular season, and this Miami Heat team doesn't appear to be as deep as last season's.

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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.