We have a seven-game Halloween slate on tap Monday night, which sets up with a manageable number of games and options to build our DFS lineups around.
It isn't difficult to find some strong plays at each level of the salary cap, which naturally bodes well for the chances of building a balanced lineup. We also have four games with projected totals of at least 229 points as of early Monday morning, adding to the appeal of the ledger.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/31/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock, which is at 7:00 pm ET tonight. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kyrie Irving - PG, BKN vs. IND ($9,500 DK; $9,500 FD)
While the Nets' abysmal 1-4 record is the talk of the league, Irving's play can't exactly be faulted beyond a lackluster opener against the Pelicans. The multi-time All-Star is putting up 30.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks across a career-high 39 minutes per game; while he may not last long with that kind of workload, the time to jump on him early in the season while he's still healthy and in a favorable matchup, as is certainly the case Monday.
The opposing Pacers are allowing 120.4 points per game, as well as over 53 fantasy points per game on either site to point guards. Indiana is also yielding the fourth-most assists per game (27.7), and they just conceded 48 DK/44.4 FD points to Irving on Saturday night over a 40-minute workload. The Pacers are also giving up the second-highest three-point shooting percentage (43.5), giving Irving, who's put up a career-high 9.7 three-point attempts per contest, another path to fantasy success.
Jrue Holiday - PG, MIL vs. DET ($8,400 DK; $8,100 FD)
Holiday's atypical inefficiency on the offensive end had been capping his overall production until Saturday night when he racked up 66 DK/66.4 FD points against the Hawks while shooting 13-for-22 from the field. The veteran point guard has been averaging a career-high 17.8 shot attempts per game while helping make up for the absence of Khris Middleton (wrist), and with his teammate still out Monday and a premium matchup on tap, Holiday is definitely right back in play.
The Pistons check in allowing NBA-high 38.5 percent offensive efficiency to point guards, along with 61.1 DK/60.7 FD points per game to the position. Detroit also ranks in the bottom 10 with 27.7 assists per road game allowed and has surrendered the eighth-highest three-point shooting percentage overall (37.6), making Holiday all the more appealing considering he's also sporting a 25.0 percent usage rate.
Bennedict Mathurin - SG, IND at BKN ($6,000 DK; $6,100 FD)
The stellar start to Maturin's career includes averages of 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 43.2 percent shooting from distance over his first seven games. The rookie is still coming off the bench, but he's already logged over 30 minutes twice and is coming off having scored a career-high 43.3 DK/39 FD points against these same Nets in Saturday night's upset win.
Mathurin could actually be in line for his first start Monday if Aaron Nesmith can't play through his foot injury, and the Nets check in allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency to small forwards (25.5 percent), as well as the second-highest three-point shooting percentage (49.1) to the position. Brooklyn is also giving up the second-most points per game overall (122.2), making Mathurin an excellent value play whether he ultimately starts or comes off the bench.
ALSO CONSIDER: De'Aaron Fox - SG, SAC at CHA ($8,800 DK; $8,600 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF, MIL vs. DET ($12,500 DK, $12,000 FD)
Antetokounmpo is one of those selections that speaks for itself, but he's even managed to outdo his prior bodywork over the first five games of this season. The Greek Freak comes into Monday's action averaging 34.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.6 blocks per contest across 34.6 minutes per contest. Giannis has already been over 60 DK points on four occasions and has cleared the mark on FD in three of his first five games, making his sky-high salaries justifiable.
The Pistons are allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (30.7 percent), along with over 48 fantasy points per game to the position on either site. Antetokounmpo is obviously perfectly capable of blowing past those numbers, and the fact Detroit is also surrendering the sixth-most rebounds per road game (58.7) certainly does nothing to hurt Antetokounmpo's case. Given his massive usage, upside, and matchup, there's not much to debate about rostering the early MVP candidate if you're opting to invest heavily at forward.
Kyle Kuzma - PF, WAS vs. PHI ($7,000 DK; $6,900 FD)
Kuzma has had a bit of volatility associated with his production early this season, interspersing a trio of 20-point-plus efforts among tallies of 11 and 18. However, the veteran forward is still averaging a solid 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per contest. He's been less efficient than last season with a 42.4 percent success rate from the floor, including 32.3 percent from behind the arc, but his usage has been encouraging, considering he's putting up the second-most shots per game of his career (15.3).
The 76ers have been vulnerable to power forwards early, checking in tied for the second-highest offensive efficiency surrendered to fours (32.7 percent). Philly is also yielding over 47 fantasy points per game on either site to power forwards, and Kuzma notably scored over 45 fantasy points on either site in two of his three games in this same matchup a season ago.
P.J. Washington - PF, CHA vs. SAC ($5,700 DK; $6,000 FD)
Washington is another forward who can be a bit of a rollercoaster to roster at times due to some erratic shooting, and he's also pulling down a career-low 4.3 rebounds per contest and dishing out a career-low 1.5 assists over his first six games. On the brighter side, Washington's 15.3 points, 1.2 blocks, and 2.2 made threes per contest all either tie or establish a new career high for the fourth-year pro, who's also putting up a career-high 13.2 shot attempts per contest.
The Kings are allowing over 40 fantasy points on either site to power forwards, as well as the ninth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (28.4 percent). Sacramento also ranks just outside the bottom-10 of the league with 52.4 points in the paint allowed per game and 42.4 percent three-point shooting surrendered on the road, giving Washington plenty of paths to fantasy success in what could well be the highest-scoring and fastest-paced game of the night.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kevin Durant - SF/PF, BKN vs. IND ($10,000 DK; $10,000 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Pascal Siakam - TOR vs. ATL ($8,900 DK; $9,400 FD)
Siakam has gotten the season off with career-best numbers of 25.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, along with 48.7 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from three-point range. The athletic big man has yet to score under 42 fantasy points on either site in any contest, and he'll be locked into another favorable matchup Monday against a Hawks team that's allowing 116.0 points per game on the road and that has been generous to centers thus far.
Atlanta is allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency to centers (33.2 percent), as well as over 50 fantasy points per game to the position. The Hawks also rank just outside the bottom-10 by allowing 55.5 total rebounds per game, and Siakam is boasting a career-high 29.8 percent usage rate while filling out the stat sheet regularly. With Atlanta also ranked in the bottom half of the league in points in the paint per game allowed (51.3) and nearly half of Siakam's scoring emanating from that point of the floor, the matchup sets up very well for him all the way around.
Domantas Sabonis - SAC at CHA ($8,200 DK; $7,700 FD)
Sabonis' production is admittedly a bit down early this season, but he's still putting up 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, along with a career-high 1.0 blocks per contest. The big man also has yet to make any of his six three-point attempts, but he's shooting an impressive 57.4 percent overall and has still scored over 30 fantasy points in each of his last four games, including a pair of tallies over 40.
The Hornets have been porous in the frontcourt to open the season, surrendering the third-highest offensive efficiency to centers (36.5 percent), along with over 60 fantasy points per game on either site to the position. Charlotte also ranks in the bottom-10 or bottom half of the league in rebounds (56.0), blocks (7.7), and steals (7.7) allowed per game, opening up plenty of paths to a strong return for Sabonis in what should be a very favorable game environment for DFS production.
Kelly Olynyk - UTA vs. MEM ($5,800 DK; $6,100 FD)
Olynyk has been one of the key components of a surprising Utah squad, most recently putting up 20 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one steal for 42.8 DK/43.6 FD points over 37 minutes in a win against these same Grizzlies on Saturday. The veteran went into the contest doing an absolute lights-out job of spacing the floor, shooting 56.7 percent, including 64.0 percent from distance. Then, Olynyk's defensive production is currently at a career-best level as well, as he's averaging a career-best 1.3 steals per contest.
The Grizzlies have been surprisingly vulnerable to centers even with Steven Adams down low, allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency to centers (35.2 percent), along with over 50 fantasy points per game to the position. Memphis has also allowed 41.0 percent three-point shooting on the road and ranks in the bottom half of the league in rebounds per game allowed (53.2), while Olynyk already has three tallies of over 30 fantasy points on either site, including one over 40 on DK and two over that mark on FD.
ALSO CONSIDER: Brook Lopez, MIL vs. DET ($5,100 DK; $6,500 FD)
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