We're rolling. Our picks went 5-1 on Thursday, which moves us to 12-6 on the season overall and 11-3 on player props. Friday brings a 12-game slate, and we're going back to the two point guards who carried us earlier this week.

Our Underdog NBA picks for Friday are Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young, both Higher 9.5 assists. Both piled up assists and potential assists in their openers, and both get matchups with totals above 236 points. Check Fantasy Alarm's NBA DFS Projections before you lock them in.

Underdog NBA Picks: Friday, 10/23; NBA DFS Projections

Twelve games means a lot of Underdog lines to sort through, from a 4 p.m. ET tip in Milwaukee to three 10 p.m. games out West. Fantasy Alarm's NBA DFS Projections give you a number for every player on Friday's slate, so you can spot the lines that sit below a player's realistic output before you build.

An All Pro membership unlocks complete access to our NBA DFS Projections and the rest of Fantasy Alarm's premium NBA tools for the full season. If you're building Underdog NBA picks every night, All Pro puts the same data behind your entries that we use for ours.

 

 

 

Tyrese Haliburton NBA Underdog Pick: Higher 9.5 Assists

Haliburton looked like he never left in his first game back from the Achilles tear. He finished with 23 points and 12 assists in Indiana's 123-120 win at New Orleans, and he took over in the fourth quarter to erase an eight-point deficit.

The assist total wasn't a fluke, either. Haliburton generated 20 potential assists in that game, so his 12 dimes were backed by real volume rather than a hot shooting night from his teammates. He averaged 10.9 assists when he led the league in 2023-24 and 9.2 in 2024-25, so this line sits right in his normal range.

Indiana opens at home against Dallas as a 7.5-point favorite with a 240.5 total, tied for the highest on Friday's board. The spread is the one risk, since a blowout could cut into fourth-quarter minutes, but Haliburton played through a close finish Wednesday and a fast-paced game creates assist chances early. Haliburton at Higher 9.5 assists leads off our card.

Trae Young NBA Underdog Pick: Higher 9.5 Assists

Young answered every question about his preseason turnovers in the opener. He handed out 13 assists against just one turnover in 38 minutes as Washington beat Milwaukee 128-116, and he scored 20 points on top of it.

Like Haliburton, the underlying numbers back it up. Young created 18 potential assists against the Bucks, and he has a new favorite target in Anthony Davis, who finished with 34 points. Young said after the game that he wants to help Davis get into the MVP conversation, which tells you exactly how he plans to run this offense. He led the NBA with 11.6 assists two seasons ago.

Toronto is an 8.5-point road favorite with a 236.5 total after routing Chicago 135-92 in its opener. Washington plays at Chicago on Saturday, but this is the first night of the back-to-back, so Young should see his usual workload. Even if the Wizards trail, the ball will be in his hands. Young at Higher 9.5 assists rounds out our Underdog NBA picks.

 

 

 

Unlock Your $75 Bonus & More With Underdog Promo Code ALARM

New to Underdog? Sign up with promo code ALARM to unlock your $75 bonus and more, then put it to work on Friday's Underdog NBA picks.

Download the Underdog app or visit the site, create your account, and enter promo code ALARM at sign-up. Build your first entry with Haliburton and Young or your own plays from the 12-game slate, and your bonus will be added to your account.

Then check back with Fantasy Alarm every day for new Underdog NBA picks and our NBA DFS Projections all season long.