FanDuel NBA DFS Picks: Thursday 10/23/25

If you're looking for a fun way to get in on the NBA season, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

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

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published.

NBA DFS Picks for Today's Games

Guards

Top Priorities

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,300) -- Even with a slow start in the season opener, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still managed to finish with 57.5 FanDuel points (FDPs) in a win for the Oklahoma City Thunder. While there is a potential for a blowout with the Indiana Pacers not having Tyrese Haliburton active, SGA should be plenty busy in the rematch of last year's NBA Finals.

Andrew Nembhard ($6,200) -- Amid Haliburton's absence, Andrew Nembhard is slated to be the starting PG for the Pacers, and he's coming off a season where he tallied career-highs in PPG (10.0), APG (5.0), and SPG (1.2). Even though Nembhard needs to improve as a three-point shooter, he should see an increase from his 16.3% usage rate from a season ago.

Cason Wallace ($5,200) -- Cason Wallace is currently questionable with a knee injury he suffered on opening night, but if he's active, he's a stellar value play after posting 39.9 FDPs in 41 minutes of action versus the Houston Rockets. If Wallace is unable to go, then Ajay Mitchell ($3,800) is a fantastic salary-saving option upon supplying 24.4 FDPs in the season opener.

Others to Consider

Stephen Curry ($8,400) -- Although Stephen Curry scored just 23 points in the opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, he still had 40.2 FDPs, and he's not going to be as popular as some of the other high-salary stars.

Wings

Top Priorities

Jonathan Kuminga ($6,000) -- Jonathan Kuminga made the most of drawing the start in Golden State's first game of the season, producing 37.8 FDPs in 32 minutes. If Kuminga is announced as a starter again, this salary is still a bit too low for someone who contributes in a variety of categories.

Bennedict Mathurin ($5,900) -- The key to figuring out Thursday's slate is determining which players from the Pacers are going to step up the most in the absence of Haliburton and the departure of Myles Turner. Bennedict Mathurin is a candidate to see his usage skyrocket this season, and we know he isn't afraid to chuck shots up.

Luguentz Dort ($4,400) -- Luguentz Dort is another member of the Thunder who carries a questionable tag on Thursday after sustaining an ankle injury in the team's win over the Rockets. Dort notched 22.7 FDPs in 45 minutes despite missing all eight of his three-point tries against Houston, and with Alex Caruso already ruled out, Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins could see a bump in playing time if Dort is inactive.

Others to Consider

Cameron Johnson ($6,300) -- Cameron Johnson could go overlooked on this slate, but he should get plenty of open shots in his debut with the Nuggets after averaging 18.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.4 APG on the Brooklyn Nets last season.

Aaron Wiggins ($4,000) -- My interest level in Aaron Wiggins is partly dependent upon the statuses of Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort, though I'll consider him regardless if it helps fit in the high-salary studs.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Nikola Jokic ($12,100) -- Speaking of high-salary studs, Nikola Jokic understandably has the highest salary on the slate after tallying 63.3 FDPs per game last season. This might be one of the most talented rosters put around Jokic, and the Warriors are going to be a bit undersized at the center position -- even if they elect to start Al Horford.

Pascal Siakam ($8,200) -- Pascal Siakam has been an underrated player for years, but he'll now be tasked with being the leader on the Pacers amid Haliburton's absence. Siakam was phenomenal in the playoffs for Indiana a season ago, and he'll have to a bit of everything if the Pacers want to be competitive against the Thunder on Thursday.

Isaiah Jackson ($4,300) -- Once again, it'll be crucial to nail down who contributes for the Pacers, but Isaiah Jackson appears to be a prime candidate to replace Myles Turner as the starting center to begin the season. Make sure to keep tabs on Indiana's starting lineup before inserting Jackson into your lineup with confidence.

Others to Consider

Isaiah Hartenstein ($5,700) -- Isaiah Hartenstein doesn't need to score to be effective in DFS due to his contributions in a variety of stats, as he scored 28.1 FDPs on opening night despite having only six points.

Obi Toppin ($4,200) -- While Jay Huff ($4,100) could also see a decent number of minutes as either the starter or backup to Jackson, Obi Toppin excels in a point-per-minute basis, and he's expected to be the immediate backup to Siakam and can be the small-ball five for the Pacers.

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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.