Saturday, October 29 kicks off the weekend with a succinct six-game slate locking at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Let’s look at the player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks today for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. As always, you can head over to the Stokastic NBA DFS & Fantasy Basketball home page for all the fantasy basketball content you need for any given slate. Let’s dive into our NBA DFS Building Blocks.
NBA DFS Building Blocks Today: Saturday, October 29
Core Play of the Day — Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks-Atlanta Hawks
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 61.79 | FanDuel: 59.99
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 22.6% | FanDuel: 32.3%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,800 | FanDuel: $11,800
For a second consecutive day, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the recommended core play. Atlanta has been improving on defense with the addition of Dejounte Murray, however, Trae Young still would have trouble guarding a parking spot. The Hawks have improved from the fifth worst defensive efficiency last year allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions, down to 106.8 points per 100 possessions, which is the 10th best rate in the early going this season.
Though four games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 35.3 minutes which is the most we have seen from Giannis since the 2017-2018 season. Additionally, he is averaging a career best 1.83 fantasy points per minute. Until Khris Middleton (knee) returns, Antetokounmpo should see heavy minutes. Yes, he will be the first to the bench in blowouts and likely get a game off here and there against the dregs of the Eastern Conference, but this is yet another time to ride with the two-time NBA MVP as a key DFS building block in all formats.
Teammates Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez all have tournament upside on this six-game slate and they can be targeted across the various NBA DFS sites.
Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks-Oklahoma City Thunder
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 60.43 | FanDuel: 56.2
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 10.5% | FanDuel: 22.5%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $12,500 | FanDuel: $11,600
There is enough value that it is quite feasible to roster both Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, that does come with a 12 fantasy point tax on DraftKings and about half that on FanDuel where the salary cap is not as onerous. Dallas is currently listed as a double-digit home favorite and they should not have too much trouble winning against Oklahoma City. Of course, the games still need to be played and if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee/tanking) is starting, there is a chance that the Thunder could be frisky enough to keep things within a dozen points heading into the final frame.
Doncic is averaging a career high 26 field goal attempts per game, including 9.5 from beyond the arc. His torrid 50% conversion rate is likely to dip back towards something in the mid-40% range, but enjoy the ride while it lasts. Currently Doncic leads the league with 36.3 points per game which is a bucket ahead of Antetokounmpo. Even more wild is that he is leading the Mavericks with 9.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
Additional NBA DFS Picks Today – Sports Wagering Opportunities
Caleb Martin has been a fixture in this section over the last week and we can target his 8.5 over/under points prop. against the woeful Kings tonight. The Stokastic NBA player projections have him for 12.5 points, which gives him a 72% likelihood of surpassing this milestone. Sacramento is allowing 116.5 points per 100 possessions which is the fourth worst defensive efficiency rating in the league. Though Martin has only surpassed 8.5 points once, in his five most recent games he has scored 8, 16, 8, 4 and 7 points, so he is live to reach this threshold for a second time this season.
If this wager feels a little risky, you can use this link to sign up for a new account and get a RISK FREE BET up to $1,000 on BetMGM.
Memphis Grizzlies-Utah Jazz
Ja Morant (illness) is listed as a game time decision, but several sources including the Grizzlies twitter account are indicating he is doubtful to suit up. That of course makes Tyus Jones the discount du jour tonight in Salt Lake City against the Jazz. Desmond Bane and Dillion Brooks should pick up additional field goal attempts and there will even be a trickledown effect with Steven Adams, Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke and John Konchar (shoulder).
The Jazz turned over most of their lineup over the offseason trading Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale, plus they dealt Joe Ingles in during the regular season last year. Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay are the only remaining rotation regulars. This has opened up new opportunities for the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk and Jarred Vanderbilt. Gay (health and safety protocols) missed the last game and coach Will Hardy is bringing along Collin Sexton slowly after he missed most of last season with a knee injury. The salary algorithms on DraftKings and FanDuel have not quite caught up to the new level of production for this group and they all have varying degrees of value.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Today
Tonight is a semi-condensed schedule with the six games all tipping off within a two-hour window. Of course there still could be late breaking news, so be sure to enable push notifications from the Stokastic NBA Twitter account. Of course, subscribers should be keeping tabs on the Discord channel, where immediate analysis of any news will be available.
