Thursday has a split slate with a pair of early games and then a twin-bill nightcap. The action is underway at 7:00 p.m. ET lock on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays like Kyrie Irving and Anthony Edwards, along with a variety of secondary players as premium targets.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Thursday, Oct. 24
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks
Kyrie Irving: Mavericks vs. Spurs
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 40.69 | FanDuel: 40.15
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 38.2% | FanDuel: 42.2%
DFS Salary
DraftKings $7,500 | FanDuel: $8,100
Last season, Kyrie Irving decided to try the path of normalcy, and he remained on an even keel for most of the year. This helped the Mavericks make it all the way to the NBA Finals, and while they lost to a dialed-in Boston squad 4-1, it was great seeing Irving and Luka Doncic nearly make it to the top of the mountain.
When Irving was on the floor without Doncic, the NBA nomad had a 31.9% usage rate, a 35.19% assist rate and a stellar 1.46 fantasy points per minute. While Irving did slip to 1.13 fantasy points per minute alongside Doncic, they were staggered during the games enough when both were available, Irving was a solid DFS play.
Klay Thompson is now with the team, which should help keep some of the defensive attention away from Doncic and Irving but also trim back on some of their volume. Spencer Dinwiddie is back in town again as the other key addition, with Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green and Dante Exum some of the regulars from last year who are now out of the picture.
Thompson turns 35 this winter, and he is obviously not the same player he was prior to his pair of catastrophic injuries that cost him nearly 2 1/2 years on the sidelines. Taking the good with the bad, in his last 178 games for Golden State, including 164 starts, Thompson averaged 19.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks. Most projection systems have him pegged for something in that range, which should have Dallas boasting three players who average 20 points.
P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford will round out the starting unit, with second-year man Dereck Lively II the reserve big man. The closing unit will evolve depending on the opponent, but this group should get most of the minutes. Gafford is injury prone, so there will likely be several Lively “chalk nights” this season.
For DFS purposes, there is the big three and then the frontcourt rotation, with nobody else being trustworthy at this point of the season until the full rotation shakes out or someone misses time.
Victor Wembanyama had some ridiculous games last year, and he is likely to build on that baseline for this season. He is already a defensive force, with his offensive game likely to continue improving for several seasons to come. Expect him to be on around 20% to 25% of all lineups across the various DFS sites, which makes him a fine tournament target. He should also see increased efficiency with Chris Paul joining the team, and while Paul’s days as a DFS stalwart are long gone, he still may be on the radar for some of the sub-slates or smaller featured dockets. Tonight is a fine time to roll with CP3 since he is rested and, more importantly, at a palatable salary.
Devin Vassell is out, though with the expansive rotation favored at times by coach Gregg Popovich, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan are merely neutral fantasy options, with Tre Jones having minor appeal as a tournament differentiation play.
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Anthony Edwards: Timberwolves at Kings
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 45.09 | FanDuel: 43.57
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 14.6% | FanDuel: 23.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,800 | FanDuel: $9,200
Anthony Edwards dominated the offense on Tuesday, getting 25 field goal attempts, which is likely going to be close to his baseline now that Karl Anthony-Towns is on the Knicks.
Edwards has seen his scoring average increase each of his first four seasons and he is likely to finish in the top 10 this year, if not higher.
He also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists last year, which he should easily maintain this season as he continues to level up. The 41 minutes in the opener were definitely an aberration, but 36 minutes per game is in line with what he has played each of the last two years and in line with expectations tonight.
Donte DiVincenzo played 32 minutes off the bench, and his 11 field goal attempts were the second most on the team, just ahead of starter and fellow newbie Julius Randle, who had 10 field goal attempts in 34 minutes. This duo will be key scoring contributors, with Naz Reid chipping in as well.
Foul trouble limited Jalen McDaniels to just 16 minutes, and it looks like Father Time may be keeping Mike Conley in the 20- to 25-minute range this season. McDaniels is a late-slate target, while Rudy Gobert should be considered on the featured slate.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Al Horford and the Celtics did not have many rebounding chances on Tuesday, as Boston and the New York Knicks combined for a 52.6% field goal rate.
Washington is not going to be that accurate and the Wizards are not overly imposing at the frontcourt, which has the over 5.5 rebounds prop for Horford one to consider tonight.
By using Portfolio EV to do the heavy lifting when researching favorable bets, we can quickly spot inefficient lines like this one, and having accounts at multiple sportsbooks allows us to pivot to the best number quickly.
Lines are constantly shifting and moving, so when you find a good number, pounce on it. That is the beauty and power of Portfolio EV to find the best lines at any point in the day.
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Horford projected for 28.1 minutes and 6.75 rebounds. This is just above the six needed for this over and the 57% projected win rate is enticing.
Over the last two seasons in Boston, Horford has averaged 6.4 and 6.2 rebounds per game in 26.8 and 30.5 minutes. While this game looks like a laugher, Horford should at least be on the court for 25 minutes, and with a little luck, he can corral the six caroms needed for the over on this wager.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Get all the latest news and updates for NBA DFS picks today on the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube, breaking down all of the key elements for today’s slate. For a limited time, get NBA Core for just ONE DOLLAR with promo code TIPOFF24! This grants you access to all of Stokastic’s tools and data, including the Sims, through Oct. 29. Act fast — this preview window closes next Tuesday whether you sign up now, tomorrow or this weekend. The clock is ticking!
