National Basketball Association

DraftKings NBA Picks for October 29

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Draft Kings logo on an advertising LED screen during the Denver Broncos game against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

DraftKings NBA Picks for October 29

There are eight games in the NBA tonight as we begin to ramp up the schedule. At this point in the season, we are just trying to see what trends can help us win some money in DraftKings. That means identifying bench players who played 20 or more minutes per game behind starters that don’t produce so we can pay for expensive players.

DraftKings is making one very important change for the 2016-2017 season. For some strange reason, they gave up their only advantage over FanDuel for NBA games. DraftKings decided to lock ALL games when the contest starts just as FanDuel does. They say it is so you don’t spend all your time checking status updates for night games, and that this is so you can “enjoy the whole tournament” instead of checking status updates. For me, this kind of ruins DraftKings. If one of you can help me understand why it is a good thing, I will gladly listen.

The big difference now between FanDuel and DraftKings is the lineups. FanDuel has one more slot, but you are confined to two of every position except center, where you get one. On DraftKings, you get a starting five plus a G, F, and UTIL. This is still an advantage over FanDuel because we can play two centers even though the roster is smaller!

Sound like fun? If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for a free entry into the Fantasy Football Millionaire contest. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that free entry into a solid bankroll!

Oct 27, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots over Los Angeles Clippers forward Wesley Johnson (33) in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

Damian Lillard ($9,100): Lillard has averaged 53 DraftKings points in his two games against the Jazz and Clippers. Both are decent perimeter teams. He draws another team in the Nuggets that are decent, but we have seem what Lillard has done to decent so far. He should be one of the top performers of the night once again.

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($8,800): Giannis dominated the Hornets from the PG position in the opener. There is little to stop him from doing the same to the Nets. Giannis racked up 31 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists. Those aren’t typical PG numbers, but they translate to a lot of DraftKings points no matter how you add them up.

Honorable Mention:

Jeff Teague ($6,300): Teague lit up the Mavs for 20 points, eight assists, and three steals in the opener. Now he gets a Bulls team that was absolutely shredded by Isaiah Thomas in their opener. I would expect a little less from Teague, but he should still attain at least 5x value tonight.

Elfrid Payton ($5,600): Payton is thriving in the first two games while playing more minutes. Tonight he gets a Cleveland team that didn’t do a great job holding Derrick Rose or Kyle Lowry. There are points to be had for Payton, especially if he keeps playing 35+ minutes per game.

Dark Horses:

Patty Mills ($3,900): The presence of Tony Parker is really capping Mills’ fantasy value. That said, he is still on the cheap for this price, and he is outplaying Parker while playing about the same amount on minutes. If you are in the market for a sure 20 points at a reasonable price, Mills is your man.

Wade Baldwin ($3,200): We are at the point of the season where bargains can be very easy to come by. Mike Conley is still the starter in Memphis, but Baldwin stuffed the stat sheet in his 24 minutes. He picked up seven points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. That is a great stat line from anyone! Will he be able to do this on a nightly basis? Probably not, but he could get good run against the bad Knicks.

My pick: Payton(PG), Baldwin(G)

Oct 20, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) drives Atlanta Hawks at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Atlanta defeated Chicago 97-81. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

Jimmy Butler ($7,600): Butler’s production may have taken a bit of a hit, but he and Wade played well together. His 43.25 DraftKings points is around 5.5x value, so he is living up to his salary, and maybe even playing a bit above it.

Dwyane Wade (6,400): When Wade is healthy, he is still worthy of using in DFS games. He hit the game winner against the Celtics on Thursday, and nearly matched Butler’s DraftKings output (39.5 points) while costing much less. Right now, Wade is the better bargain, but that can change quickly.

Honorable Mention:

Monta Ellis ($5,500): The one take away from these two games is that Ellis is going to play a lot and shoot a lot. It paid off in the opener. Not as much last night. His true value likely lies somewhere between the two games. It should be moderately easier for him against the Bulls, so he should approach 5x value.

Zach LaVine ($5,500): The Kings defend the perimeter well, but LaVine is one of the best athletes in the league at the SG position. He does enough other things well that even if he is cold from the field, he should produce for you. That makes him a good pick in DFS with a high upside.

Dark Horses:

Avery Bradley ($5,100): Bradley has been remarkably consistent in his first two games, putting up 37.75 and 32.5 DraftKings points respectively. He is well worth his price tag, though Charlotte could give him some problems.

Malcolm Brogdon ($3,200): It could be a crowded rotation once again in Milwaukee, but Brogdon is the type of player that can thrive even when his shot doesn’t fall. He picked up five rebounds and five assists to go with his eight points in 21 minutes against a solid Charlotte team. That is 22 DraftKings points for a very low price.

My pick: Wade(SG)

Oct 21, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball over Houston Rockets small forward Corey Brewer (33) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

Kawhi Leonard ($8,900): Leonard has put up 54.75 and 51.25 DraftKings points in his two games. There is no good reason not to play him tonight against the Pelicans. He could get up over 60, which makes him a fantastic bargain!

Paul George ($8,400): George has put up almost identical stat lines in his first two games. He has put up over 40 DraftKings points in both games, so he should be around 4.5-5x value again tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Andrew Wiggins ($6,600): The whole Timberwolves team besides Ricky Rubio looked good in the opener. Wiggins picked up 25 points, seven rebounds, and a block to give him 35.25 DraftKings points. That is approaching 6x value. He should be near that mark against the Kings as well.

Jae Crowder ($5,500): The Hornets have not done very well against SF’s, which is great news for Crowder. He looked great in the opener, and solid against the Bulls. Expecting 30 DraftKings points is not unreasonable.

Dark Horses:

James Ennis ($4,300): Ennis shined against the Timberwolves in place of Chandler Parsons, picking up 15 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes. He is a great value at this price while Parsons is sidelined.

Maurice Harkless ($4,000): Harkless was great against the Clippers (36.5 DraftKings points), and awful against the Jazz (5.75). Which one will you get? My guess is somewhere in between, making him worthy of a look if you need to go cheap.

My pick: Leonard(SF)

Oct 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Dallas 130-121 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

Anthony Davis ($10,700): Davis has played two games. He has 179.75 DraftKings points. Not playing him is the best way to lose money so far this season. Whatever you do, you need to have him in there against a Spurs team that was eaten alive by Cousins on Thursday.

Myles Turner ($7,200): Turner’s price wont be this low for long. He followed up his ground-breaking 64.5 DraftKings points in the opener with 33.5 last night. That is probably closer to where his true value lies, but he will flirt with 5x value every time he takes the court.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Love ($7,000): Love opened the season with back to back double double performances. Don’t be surprised if he makes It three straight against Orlando tonight.

Gorgui Dieng ($5,900): Dieng racked up 40 DraftKings points in the opener, and his price only went up $300. He did it against a solid interior in Memphis as well. He could have problems with Cousins patrolling the middle for the Kings, but so long as he scores about 30 DraftKings points, you are getting value.

Dark Horse:

Taj Gibson ($4,600): Gibson’s defensive prowess will keep him on the court and help you in DFS circles. He put up 32.5 DraftKings points in the opener, which is a great value. Expect more of the same against a Pacers team that was dominated by Brook Lopez last night.

Trevor Booker ($4,300): Booker posted a nice all-around night in the opener, and a double-double last night. The Nets seem willing to trim Lopez’s minutes to get some run for Booker and Justin Hamilton. That is great news for those of us looking for DFS bargains.

My pick: Davis(PF), Dieng(F)

Oct 27, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

DeMarcus Cousins ($10,600): Cousins torched the Spurs for 63.5 DraftKings points after have an ordinary night against the Suns. Tonight he gets to tangle with the Timberwolves, but if you expect A.D. to come crashing back to earth, Boogie is a solid plan B. So is…..

Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,000): I saw KAT dealt for Anthony Davis straight up in my 20 team keeper points league this week. His 37.5 points would be a dismal night for Davis at this point, but Towns is always a threat to go for big points. It just may not be tonight against Cousins.

Honorable Mention:

Al Horford ($6,700): Horford’s athleticism always makes him a solid DFS target because he is going to rack up a lot of stats, just maybe not a lot of points. If he puts up 32 DraftKings points again, I don’t think many of us will be disappointed.

Jusuf Nurkic ($6,100): Nurkic was a monster in preseason, and that carried over into the regular season. Nurkic dropped 40.3 DraftKings points on the Pelicans in the opener. He avoided Anthony Davis for the most part, but he is clearly the top option in Denver right now. However, that could change at any moment.

Dark Horses:

Greg Monroe ($5,700): Monroe abused a solid Charlotte interior in the opener to the tune of 38 DraftKings points. Now he gets a Nets team that had all sorts of trouble with Myles Turner last night. Monroe should be in that same area again.

Justin Hamilton ($3,600): Hamilton followed up a strong performance in the opener with another 20.25 DraftKings points last night. He is getting plenty of run, and he is maximizing his time on the court. He is right at 6x value right now, and is a great low priced option so long as the Nets keep using him.

My pick: Monroe(C), Hamilton(UTIL)

Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend. We will also have the college football picks against the spread. You don’t want to miss any of this!