The 2023 NBA DFS season is almost here, and DraftKings has blessed us with the opening night salaries for Tuesday, Oct. 24.
While there’s still plenty of time for us to break this slate down, I wanted to dive in immediately to take a look at the spots I like and don’t like after my first look at the salaries.
NBA DFS Pricing Release: DraftKings Opening Night Salaries
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are back, but a few of the secondary pieces have changed. I think it’s easy to prefer Anthony Davis over LeBron James, but the positional differences help to narrow the gap. Ultimately, an $8,900 Davis stands out as my favorite play from the Lakers. In fact, if I’m paying up, the only player I prefer is Nikola Jokic, but he’s also $1,100 more expensive.
The role of Christian Wood will be important to keep an eye on, as he’s priced at just $6,200 for opening night. Anything north of 20 minutes will make him interesting. If he plays 24-plus minutes, he will signify one of the best values you can find. The balancing act at center will be tricky.
There’s not much else that stands out from Los Angeles.
Denver Nuggets
The guy with the highest projection for opening night will surely be Jokic. Only Davis can compete with him for that top center spot, but with the way value looks at the position, the ownership for the two-time MVP could be lower than you would normally expect. Jamal Murray comes in at $7,500, Michael Porter at $5,800, and Aaron Gordon is right behind him at $5,700. Since Porter has the SF/PF eligibility, he’ll be the easiest to roster among the three.
The value plays for Denver seem tough to want to use. This game is in Denver, against a slow, defensive-minded Lakers team. I think the Suns/Warriors game will be the priority.
Speaking of the Suns …
Phoenix Suns
The new-look Suns are here, and they have quite a few plays that jump out. Kevin Durant ($8,400) and Devin Booker ($8,300) lead the charge in the salary, but it’s Booker who looks better from a DFS perspective. Booker is eligible at point guard and shooting guard, which greatly increases his flexibility. Bradley Beal looks sneaky at $6,900. None of these three guys are as interesting as the center rotation, though.
Jusuf Nurkic ($6,300) takes over from Deandre Ayton, and he immediately looks solid. Assuming he plays 26 minutes, he’s a great mid-tier center option. But if you expect a more even split between Nurkic and Drew Eubanks ($4,700), then it will be hard to avoid the backup as a value play. I’ll be closely watching the chatter from the Suns to see how they plan to distribute the center minutes.
Golden State Warriors
Finally, we get to the team that easily looks the best for opening night. With Draymond Green injured, there are minutes to go around. Plus, a matchup with the Suns should make for a highly offensive affair.
For a two-game slate, Stephen Curry ($9,200) looks solid. He’s not normally a guy I get a lot of, as his day-to-day per-minute performance is a bit lower than most people would guess. After Curry, everyone is a good value. Klay Thompson ($6,500), Chris Paul ($5,600), Andrew Wiggins ($5,500), Kevon Looney ($5,300) and Jonathan Kuminga ($4,600) all stand out as wonderful point-per-dollar plays. Looney should see an extra minute or two with Green’s absence. With that injury, Kuminga’s minutes seem secure. Even someone like Dario Saric ($3,400) could be the value guy you need after trying to fit in some of the studs.
