For this spooky Halloween NBA slate, there are seven games on the schedule with two major injury situations. Both Joel Embiid and Ja Morant are questionable to play for their respected teams, so monitoring their status and the rest of the news on our starting lineups page is going to be critical for this slate. This article features three boom candidates at each pricing tier and one bust/fade option. These plays below are driven by Stokastic’s NBA DFS Boom/Bust Tool. Let’s take a look at some of our best NBA DFS Picks for the big slate, prioritizing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pascal Siakam.
Boom/Bust NBA DFS Picks & Projections Today
NBA DFS Today Boom: Giannis Antetokounmpo: $12,500 DraftKings/$12,000 FanDuel
30.8% DraftKings Boom/38.5% FanDuel Boom
If Joel Embiid is Ja Morant are both out of the lineup tonight, Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be literally one of the only players to truly pay up for. Through five games, Giannis has posted a career-high 34.4 points and 14 rebounds per game. Both of those statistics rank second in the league. With a 65.5 DraftKings points per game average, no one comes close to the ceiling that Giannis has tonight. In our Stokastic projections, Giannis leads all players with the highest projection by over double digits on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
It is a little tougher to get to Giannis on DraftKings, but on FanDuel Giannis has the second-highest boom percentage on the slate. The Pistons have allowed the fifth-most points in the paint this season as their rookie center Jalen Duren left last night’s game with an ankle injury. They rank 29th in defensive rating and rank 20th in rebounding percentage. Giannis is shooting a career-high 60.4% from the field, while the Pistons have allowed opponents to shoot 49.3%, which is the second highest in the league. Lock in another double-double for Giannis as he continues to dominate with Khris Middleton out.
NBA DFS Today Boom: Pascal Siakam: $8,900 DraftKings/$9,400 FanDuel
43.8% DraftKings Boom/33.8% FanDuel Boom
The center position on this slate is loaded with options even if Embiid can’t play. On DraftKings centers not counting Embiid make up the first four spots in boom percentage with Pascal Siakam leading the way. What a season it has been thus far for Pascal Siakam as he seems to be taking another step forward in his production. Siakam has career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and usage rate. Being center-only eligible on DraftKings makes it a little tricky, but also keeps his ownership in check. In typical Raptors fashion Siakam and Fred Van Vleet are among the league leaders in minutes played per game.
A matchup against the Hawks should be a great fantasy environment for the Raptors as they are 4.5-point home favorites as this game total has climbed to 225 points. The Raptors play at the second-slowest pace in the league, so getting Siakam in an up-tempo game should provide a boost to his production. Adding Dejounte Murray to a Trae Young backcourt has increased the pace the Hawks play at this season. Siakam has above a 20% optimal percentage on both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. Getting exposure here feels like a necessity regardless of the crowded center position.
NBA DFS Today Boom: Keegan Murray: $6,000 DraftKings/$5,500 FanDuel
25.3% DraftKings Boom/44.9% FanDuel Boom
Value is a little tough to come by this morning for this seven-game slate, but Keegan Murray on FanDuel especially is the best value option in our Stokastic projections by a comfortable margin. Being a bargain at only $5,500 on FanDuel, Murray has the highest boom percentage on the slate. It is hard to ignore Murray even on DraftKings with his dual forward eligibility. He is second on the Kings in points with. 18.8 per game while shooting a very impressive 53.8% from the field and 41.9% from behind the arc. This rookie has started out incredibly hot, which isn’t surprising with how well he played in the preseason.
Playing against the Hornets is one of the best spots for an opposing player. Last season they were tied for fifth in pace while allowing 114.9 points per game. With so many injuries to their backcourt, the pace is down a little, but this team is still can’t stop anyone. The Hornets also have allowed the most points in the paint this season at 58.4 per game. Finally, being in the starting lineup, Murray has been able to showcase his upside. It also helps he leads the team playing 36.5 minutes per game, which is incredible for a rookie. A lot to like about Murray tonight and moving forward. Prioritize him on FanDuel at this ridiculous salary.
NBA DFS Today Bust: Trae Young: $9,700 DraftKings/$10,100 FanDuel
31.0% DraftKings Bust/49.8% FanDuel Bust
Trae Young is the headliner for this bust play, but fading his backcourt teammate Dejounte Murray is also a great option tonight as well. However, it is important to fade these Hawks guards on the right site. For Young, the fade is on FanDuel where he has one of the highest bust percentages on the slate. He is averaging 31.4 points and 9.3 assists, while shooting 8.5 3-pointers per game. He also is averaging just 0.3 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. Young’s game sets up much better on DraftKings compared to FanDuel. It is the opposite for Murray who leads the league with 2.3 steals per game, while his scoring and assists are down playing alongside Young. Make sure to fade these Hawks guards on certain sites.
The matchup against the Raptors is brutal for both guards tonight. Already mentioned how slow the Raptors play, but they also rank ninth in defensive rating while allowing only 106.2 points per game. A tough spot for any opposing team, especially going on the road. Throughout his career in Toronto, Young has only shot 43% from the field and 22.6% from downtown. Now adding Murray has taken away some of his production. They both help and hinder each other in some ways. Great for the Hawks as a team, but both will be hard to prioritize on any given slate at these prices and when they are both healthy.
