Oct. 31 celebrates the end of the month with a three-game slate, locking at 7:30 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel, and there are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell are the cream of the crop, though there are ample options to choose from tonight. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Tuesday, October 31
Looking for more NBA DFS advice? You’ve come to the right place. Sign up for our NBA DFS Premium Package for access to our scoring projections, ownership projections and our state-of-the-art NBA DFS simulation tools.
Core Play of the Day — Kevin Durant — Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 51.42 | FanDuel: 49.37
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings: 43.7% | FanDuel: 47.3%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,500 | FanDuel: $11,000
Bradley Beal (back) remains out, and Devin Booker (foot) is doubtful. Kevin Durant once again looks like the last man standing, which has become a recurring theme for him over the last few seasons. Phoenix last played on Saturday, so Durant should be relatively fresh. The only concern here is that he may not be needed for the final frame if the Suns take care of business. The team has tomorrow off before reprising this matchup against the Spurs at home again on Thursday.
In the game on Saturday, Phoenix so thoroughly thrashed the Utah Jazz that hardly any starters saw the court in the fourth quarter of the 126-104 laugher. Even in 29 minutes, Durant was incredibly efficient, notching 45 fantasy points in a superb 8-for-11 performance from the field and being perfect on nine free-throw attempts.
Once again, he has a median fantasy projection cresting over the 50-fantasy-point threshold, and he should flirt with that under most scenarios with a usage rate in the low-30% range. Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Okogie, Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen look good on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Drew Eubanks is a potential tournament differentiator who looks particularly appealing on FanDuel with his power forward eligibility. He can post fantasy points in a hurry and could get an extra rotation at the end of the game over Nurkic if the Suns make good on their -7.0 advantage as assigned by the oddsmakers.
Donovan Mitchell — Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 51 | FanDuel: 49.61
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 48.9% | FanDuel: 41.3%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $9,700 | FanDuel: $10,600
Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) was at practice on Monday, as was Jarrett Allen (ankle), who has yet to see his first action of the season. Darius Garland (hamstring) remains out, so Mitchell should once again be lifting a heavy load, so his availability will be key.
Caris LeVert looks good on both sites, as he sees an uptick in scoring opportunities as well as being a secondary facilitator. Evan Mobley stands out on the blue site, though he is a neutral option on DraftKings. Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade hold serve on DraftKings over Mobley, with Okoro also sliding into fringe core contention on FanDuel, where the scoring system bestows 3 points for blocks and steals.
Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Clippers
Last night the Magic lost a heartbreaker 106-103 to the Lakers. They had the lead for most of the second half but could not withstand a scoring flurry from D’Angelo Russell, who had a dozen points in the fourth quarter, and Orlando ultimately lost the lead when LeBron James splashed a 3-pointer with 2:27 on the clock.
Franz Wagner (37) and Wendell Carter Jr. (35) saw the most minutes, but the youngsters should be good to go tonight on the back-to-back. Markelle Fultz (33) and Paolo Banchero (30) were the only other players who logged more than 26 minutes, and they are secondary options in this matchup and fine to employ in tournaments.
That leaves starter Jalen Suggs and key reserves Cole Anthony and Gary Harris (potential rest candidate) as wild card options on the short slate, with each likely to see minutes in the low-20s. Suggs has access to half a dozen more, but as the starter, he is competing with the rest of the key players for most of his minutes. Moritz Wagner is a lottery ticket who is a tier below Eubanks.
Early this morning, Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the Los Angeles Clippers would be acquiring James Harden to add to their collection of misfit toys. Initial indications are that Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin and Marcus Morris will be heading to Philadelphia, along with what should ultimately be two first-round picks, including the Clippers’ unprotected initial selection in the 2028 Draft, in return for Harden, Filip Petrusev and P.J. Tucker.
Terance Mann remains out with his ankle injury, and Norman Powell (foot) and Ivica Zubac (quad) are questionable. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook should get all the opportunities they can handle tonight, so they are the obvious plays. This is the final game of the night, but we should have a pretty good idea who is going to be the key seven or eight players going for the Clippers by the time the Phoenix game tips off.
Obviously, it will take a few days for the trade to be completed, so we will potentially be eyeing the likes of Amir Coffey and Kobe Brown as punt options, depending on the status of Powell, and Mason Plumlee will range from a decent to great play, pending the availability of Zubac. Not to bury the lede, but offense-only Bones Hyland should be on the short list of value options regardless, as it is unlikely his shaky defensive ability will curb his minutes tonight.
Additional NBA Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Eric Gordon is not particularly enticing on the DFS front, even with two of his teammates out — but we can find a potential reward with that dislike in the sports wagering world with -111 odds of him falling short of 21.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA). This is the 16th NBA campaign for the soon-to-be 35-year-old, and while he is still a solid bench contributor with his scoring and ability to steer the offense in a pinch, he does not get enough minutes consistently as the fourth guard to pile up counting stats. Relying on efficiency is a risky gambit, so taking the under on this bet looks like a savvy strategy.
NBA Bet Pro currently has Gordon with -131 “True Odds,” which is how OddsShopper measures the potential expected ROI; in this case, it indicates a line that is inefficient by close to 8%. Currently Gordon projects for 30.4 minutes, 14.83 points, 2.27 rebounds and 3.19 assists for 19.76 PRA. There is a 57% probability that he will fall short of this combined threshold tonight, which is also favorable. If the Suns handle their business, it is likely that Gordon will see a shortened final rotation or be skipped entirely, as Phoenix needs him rested and healthy as the team fills the void left by Beal and Booker.
Did you know that new users with bet365 can bet $5 and receive $150 in Bet Credits OR a $1,000 first bet safety net? Claim here today!
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Orlando played last night, and this is the front end of a back-to-back set for Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York. Get all the latest news and analysis by tuning into the Stokastic Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock Show at 5:30 p.m. ET on YouTube, brought to you by bet365 – new users, use this link receive $150 in bonus bucks when you make your first $5 wager. Full details can be found here.
