DraftKings NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday 10/25/24): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

The NBA season is only three days old, but it has already delivered some great games and plenty of fantasy basketball drama. On Friday, we get our second 10-game slate of the season with action from across the Association filling up the night once again.

Even though it's only Day 4 of the new season, injuries will impact teams' rotations for Friday's contests. Several players have already been ruled out, but other options are still uncertain. Keeping track of injuries before tip-off and pivoting where necessary is critical for DFS contests, but the players highlighted below are solid places to start your roster this Friday. While none of the 20 teams in action are playing for the second day in a row, the Hornets, Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Magic, Suns and Raptors will all be back in action on Saturday on another day stuffed with 10 games.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/25/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EST on DraftKings. 

DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks

LaMelo Ball, CHA – PG ($9,300) 

Ball reminded everyone how excellent he can be when he's healthy with a monster performance on Wednesday while leading the Hornets to a comeback win. Ball totaled 67 DraftKings points on 34 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds while shooting 50% from the field.

LAMELO BALL DOES IT ALL 🔥

▪️ 34 PTS
▪️ 4 3PM
▪️ 8 REB
▪️ 11 AST@hornets come back from 18 down for the season-opening W! pic.twitter.com/7xmBBQ2GV2

— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2024

Ball should continue to be the focus of the Hornets' offense and instantly makes them a team worth watching. With Brandon Miller (glute) out for Friday's game, Ball will likely take on even more work in this favorable matchup with the Hawks. He and Trae Young ($9,700) going head-to-head not only should provide great theater, but the Hawks also typically play fast and are a favorable matchup for opposing point guards.

While Young is a solid option as well, Ball is a little cheaper and without Miller should get all the usage he can handle. After his monster opening night, I'll take the savings and build around Ball this Friday. Honestly, I'm surprised he's only the fourth-most expensive guard on the slate.

Paolo Banchero, ORL – PF ($8,700)

Banchero also started off the season with a 30-point double-double to lead his team to a win on Wednesday. The 21-year-old followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with his first All-Star selection and his first playoff appearance last year, averaging over 40 DraftKings points per game while playing 80 regular season games and producing 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest. He produced an impressive 1.20 DraftKings points per minute with a 30.0% usage rate.

He picked up where he left off on Wednesday and was actually a little better since he was more active on the boards, adding 11 rebounds to his 33 points on his way to 58.75 DraftKings points against the Heat. He only played 32 minutes but had a 35% usage rate and finished with a massive 1.88 DraftKings points per minute.

On Friday, he'll be in a favorable spot against the Nets and brings both a high ceiling and a high floor for a player under $9,000.

CJ McCollum, NOP – PG/SG ($7,500)

The Pelicans season didn't get off to the start they were hoping for even though they did beat the Bulls. Before the game started, Zion Williamson ($8,100) was scratched due to illness and during the game, Dejounte Murray fractured his hand. With Murray out, McCollum's contributions will be even more crucial to the Pelicans, and he gets some added juice on Friday since he's returning to Portland where he played the first eight seasons of his career.

McCollum had 23 points and five assists alongside Murray in the opener, finishing with 39.5 DraftKings points. Murray's absence opens up nice value across the Pelicans' backcourt, but most of his scoring workload will fall to McCollum. He showed last year that he can carry more of the workload when needed and averaged 20.0 points in 66 games, giving him 11 straight seasons with an average of at least 20 points. He can fill in strong non-scoring numbers as well, and it could be a great showcase game for him in front of his former fans in the Rose City.

DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks

Caleb Martin, PHI – PF ($4,900)

The 76ers and Raptors will both be shorthanded on Friday, but the game still has a healthy over/under. There should be plenty of strong value plays on both sides, including Martin, who started and played 37 minutes on Wednesday in his Philly debut. With Paul George (knee) and Joel Embiid (knee) still sidelined, Martin is locked into plenty of minutes at power forward.

While the Sixers came up short against the Bucks, Martin posted his typical well-rounded stat line and finished with 28.25 DraftKings points on 12 points, nine boards and three assists. He'll be in a much better matchup for his skill set against the small-ball Raptors and brings a very high floor with such a heavy workload expected to come his way.

Dyson Daniels, ATL – PG/SG ($4,600)

Daniels looked like the perfect fit for the Hawks in his Atlanta debut on Wednesday.

Dyson Daniels in his Hawks debut:
-34 minutes
-15 points
-5 rebounds
-2 assists
-5 steals
-1 block
-+7
Welcome to ATL!
pic.twitter.com/KDu6HZWp8y

— Draft and Develop (@Preet410_) October 24, 2024

He finished with 36.75 DraftKings points with that huge game and should continue to get plenty of work alongside Trae Young in the backcourt. Getting him under $5,000 won't last long with so much stat-sheet-stuffing potential, so take advantage of his lower salary, especially in what should be a high-scoring contest against Charlotte.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW – C ($4,500)

Jackson-Davis started in the Warriors' season-opener against Portland and played 25 minutes, the most of any starter in the team's blowout win. He and Kevon Looney ($3,300) should continue to split time at center, but TJD has more offensive potential and brings a higher ceiling.

On Wednesday Jackson-Davis chipped in 14 points, four rebounds, and 24 DraftKings points in a solid start to the season. While he is worth a look either way as a cheap center play, he will get a slight bump in usage if either Draymond Green ($6,500; knee, questionable) or Stephen Curry ($8,900; shoulder, questionable) is out.

Tre Mann, CHA – SG ($4,300)

I had Mann in my value picks on Wednesday and he delivered 24 points, six rebounds and 35.5 DraftKings points in 29 minutes against the Rockets. I'm going back to the well this Friday in that matchup against the Hawks since Miller is out which should open up even more potential playing time. Mann came off the bench on Wednesday but still had plenty of opportunities. Whether he moves into the starting five alongside Ball or offers instant offense off the bench, he brings a very high ceiling for a player just over $4,000 on Friday.

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Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

Bulls at Bucks (233.5 total)

The Bucks host the Bulls in the game with the highest over/under on Friday's slate. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,100) started his season with an impressive 55 DraftKings points in 31 minutes in a rout of the Sixers and always brings an extremely high ceiling if you can squeeze his salary under your cap. You can pair him with Damian Lillard ($9,400), but there are some affordable Bucks to consider as well like Gary Trent Jr. ($5,000) and Taurean Prince ($4,000). On the other side, the backcourt duo of Zach LaVine ($7,000) and Coby White ($7,200) make sense while Jalen Smith ($4,000) looked very good off the bench in his Bulls' debut.

Warriors at Jazz (233.5 total)

The Warriors didn't have to play their starters very much in their first game, but they still scored 139 points in their win over Portland. The Jazz started their season with a high-scoring, 126-124 loss to Memphis. This game could turn into a track meet in Utah with points flowing freely for both sides. Steph should be a good play if he plays through his injury while Jonathan Kuminga ($6,300) and De'Anthony Melton ($4,000) could help carry the load if either Green or Curry is out or limited. The Jazz have strong mid-range options as well with Walker Kessler ($5,500) a strong midrange value play and Lauri Markkanen ($7,800) bringing lots of upside after 35 points and 50+ DraftKings points in his first game of the season.

Lauri Markkanen showed why he was worth his extension vs the Grizzlies

35 PTS on 82.7 TS% with former DPOY Marcus Smart guarding him frequently

Back door cuts for lobs, flaring out to the three point line, and getting to the free throw line helped him have a big night pic.twitter.com/rtwoqK8bwB

— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) October 24, 2024

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Paolo Banchero
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: LaMelo Ball
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Lauri Markkanen
• My favorite VALUE play: Tre Mann

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis