James Harden

This marks my first NBA DFS article of the season for Win Daily and I’m ecstatic to get to work for you guys. I’ll be covering Thursdays from here on and these happen to be the premier games of the week. With that said, these do tend to be smaller slates because they are the nationally televised fixtures. That means we’ll do our best to offer up the elite guys and mix in some great value plays. So, let’s get into our 10/24 NBA DFS picks! 

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10/24 NBA DFS Point Guards 

Stephen Curry (GS) 

I personally have Curry as my favorite to land MVP honors this season and it could be a special year for a special player. We’re all familiar with what he can do but the bump in usage is the thing that really intrigues me. This will be the first time that he’s played without Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, which is about a 50 percent usage rate and 35 shots out of the lineup. A lot of that should go to Curry, as he could be looking at career-highs in shots taken and usage rate. That’s a scary thought considering he’s one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and 40-point, six-rebound and a six-assist gem in the preseason is a good indicator of things to come.  

Patrick Beverley (LAC) 

Beverley is not necessarily a guy who’s going to score a lot of raw points but he’ll always provide fantasy value through other statistics. That was evident in the opener when he provided 10 rebounds and six assists. That’s what we expect to see from Beverley all season long, especially with Paul George off the floor. This Golden State matchup is beautiful, as they’re expected to be one of the worst defenses in basketball with Curry and D’Angelo Russell filling their backcourt. Facing Curry will guarantee Beverley 30-35 minutes too and that only adds to his value at this dirt-cheap price.  

10/24 NBA DFS Shooting Guards 

James Harden (HOU) 

Not a whole lot needs to be said about Harden. This dude was the league leader in usage rate and fantasy points scored last season. He actually rarely finished below 50 fantasy points on both DraftKings and FanDuel and there are simply not many players who can match what he does. Averaging 61.5 DK points per game is simply absurd and it makes him impossible to fade in a short three-game slate like this. Don’t worry about Russell Westbrook taking touches away either, it’s still Hardens show.  

Derrick Rose (DET) 

Rose showed flashes of brilliance last season and the opener is definitely a great sign for the future. While he did come off the bench, Rose played 26 minutes in that opener, providing 18 points, two rebounds and nine assists. Those sorts of lines could become commonplace for Rose, as Reggie Jackson has been a major disappointment as the starter throughout his Detroit tenure. The thing that really makes him attractive is this matchup though, with Atlanta playing at the fastest pace in the NBA last season while ranking last in total defense. That’s awesome for such a talented player, particularly one priced so cheaply.  

10/24 NBA DFS Small Forwards 

Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)/ Kawhi Leonard (LAC) 

We’re going to keep these small forwards chalky and give you some cheap power forwards. The reason for that is because it’s going to be tough to fade these guys in such a small slate. Let’s begin with Giannis, as he truly developed into one of the best players in the NBA last season. That was evident by the fact that he averaged 57 DK points per game, second to James Harden. His ball-handling might go up more this season with Malcolm Brogdon moving to Indiana and that only makes him more valuable.

As for Kawhi, this dude is special. The Finals run last season was truly miraculous and it was all at the hands of The Claw. What makes him enticing these first few weeks is the fact that he’s going to run this offense. With Paul George sidelined and very little on this roster, Leonard could be looking at a career year. He stated that in the opener, collecting 30 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals while posting an absurd 40.8 percent usage rate. It’s going to be impossible to get Harden, Curry, Giannis and Leonard into your lineup but try to get at least two or maybe even three in there. 

10/24 NBA DFS Power Forwards 

Markieff Morris (DET) 

Since we got in a bunch of studs early on, let’s get you some value plays. The power forward position is really ugly on this slate, so it’s savvy to go cheap. Morris is a great option, simply because he is such a nice value. Many people might not even realize that he’s playing in Detroit but he’s actually found himself as a starter with Blake Griffin sidelined. That’s huge for Morris’ value and he’s proven to be a solid fantasy option in the past. While the eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the first game looks like nothing special, the fact that he took 11 shots is extremely encouraging. If we can get 25 minutes and double-digit shots out of someone this cheap in a matchup like this, we can’t pass it up.  

Kevon Looney (GS) 

Looney sat out the entirety of the preseason with a hamstring issue but reports indicate that he’s fully ready to start here. He’s going to be needed too, as this is one of the weakest frontcourts in basketball. Losing Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins in the offseason hurt this frontline but an injury to Willie Cauley-Stein absolutely crippled them. That’s why Looney could be in for a breakout season, as he’s a great bet to provide a fantasy point per minute. We’re certainly not worried about this matchup either, squaring off against Ivica Zubac and an undersized Montrezl Harrell.  

10/24 NBA DFS Centers 

Andre Drummond (DET) 

If you don’t already know, this dude is a monster. Drummond led the league in rebounding by a wide margin last season and is already up to his old tricks so far this year. In the opener against a stout Indiana defense, Drummond collected 32 points, 23 rebounds, two assists, three steals and four blocks in the first elite fantasy game of the season. Lines like that are truly special and it’s no surprise when you consider that Griffin is out too. Facing the Hawks is the icing on the cake though, with Atlanta playing at the fastest pace while allowing the most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers last season. They actually lost DeWayne Dedmon in the offseason and Drummond should feast on Alex Len.  

Alex Len (ATL) 

We talked some crap about Len in the Drummond write-up but Drummond’s presence should guarantee Len at least 25 minutes of action. That was probably going to be the case anyway though, with Atlanta giving him the starting center job and ridding themselves of any depth at that position. That’s trust at its finest and it could make Len a candidate for a career year. This is a guy who can produce when given the minutes too, averaging 19.9 points per 36-minutes played last season and 11.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for his career per-36 minutes played. He likely won’t play 36 minutes but that shows the sort of potential he can provide.  

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Andre Drummond Over 13.5 Rebounds

This sounds like a lot but Drummond is a candidate to grab 20 rebounds. Not only does Atlanta play at a blistering pace, Drummond should also feast on the boards with Blake Griffin injured.