Splash Sports NBA Tiers Picks Today, October 21: Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD Contest

The Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD NBA Tiers contest on Splash Sports for Wednesday, October 21, is a $25-entry contest where you draft one NBA player from each of six tiers, with no positional requirements, and the highest total fantasy score wins. The prize pool is $1.5K guaranteed, and the slate tips off at 7:00 PM ET. New users who sign up with promo code ALARM get a $50 deposit match plus a 100% Quickpicks Payout Boost.

Below, we explain how NBA Tiers works and how it's scored, walk through Wednesday's player pool tier by tier, and share the exact six-man lineup we drafted. Then it's your turn: build yours and try to beat us and the rest of the Fantasy Alarm community.

Enter the contest: Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD NBA Tiers | New to Splash? Sign up with code ALARM

Fantasy Alarm $1.5K NBA Tiers: Contest Details

What Is Splash Sports NBA Tiers?

NBA Tiers is a peer-to-peer fantasy format on Splash Sports. Instead of managing a salary cap or filling set roster slots, you pick one player from each of six tiers that Splash builds based on projected fantasy points. Here's how it works, in order:

1. Pick. Splash splits the night's NBA players into six tiers ranked by projected fantasy points. Tier 1 holds the top projected scorers on the slate, and each tier after that steps down. You draft one player from each tier for a six-man lineup.
2. No positions. Every tier is open to any position. Guards, forwards and centers all sit in the same tiers.
3. Sweat. Each player earns fantasy points based on his real stat line that night.
4. Win. The highest total score wins.

Tiers is not salary-cap DFS. There's no salary, no cap, and no positions to fill. And you're not playing against the house. Every other entry in this contest is another member of the Fantasy Alarm community competing for a shared prize pool. Full official rules are at splashsports.com/games/tiers.

NBA Tiers Scoring

Assists (+1.5) are worth more than rebounds (+1.25), and steals and blocks pay +2 each. That makes high-usage playmakers and stat-sheet stuffers the most valuable players in this format, and it's why triple-double threats sit at the top of Tier 1.

How to Enter the Contest With Splash Sports Promo Code ALARM

1. Sign up through our link: Splash Sports signup.
2. Enter promo code ALARM. The code is what unlocks the offer. The link alone does not trigger it.
3. Claim your new user offer: a $50 deposit match plus a 100% Quickpicks Payout Boost.
4. Join the contest: Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD NBA Tiers, $25 per entry.
5. Draft one player per tier before the slate locks. The first game tips at 7:00 PM ET, so check the contest page for the exact lock time.

Note: Several players in Wednesday's pool carry game-time decision tags, including Stephen Curry, Franz Wagner, Deni Avdija, and Brandin Podziemski. Check late injury news before you lock in your lineup.

NBA Tiers Picks Today: Tier-by-Tier Breakdown

Projections below are the Splash Sports projected fantasy points shown in each tier. OPRK is the opponent's rank against that player's position; a higher number (think 25th to 30th) points to a softer matchup, while a single-digit number signals a tougher one.

Tier 1: Luka Doncic Is the Pick

Tier 1 features Giannis Antetokounmpo (47.52 projected), Luka Doncic (46.91), Jalen Johnson (45.64), Domantas Sabonis (43.86), Alperen Şengün (41.33), LaMelo Ball (40.78), Josh Giddey (38.93), Paolo Banchero (38.40), Scottie Barnes (38.19), Anthony Edwards (37.95), Anthony Davis (37.51) and Bam Adebayo (37.28).

Our pick: Luka Doncic (LAL vs. GSW). Luka sits less than a point behind Giannis, and no player on the slate is better built for this scoring system. Every assist is worth +1.5, and his mix of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking gives him real triple-double equity in a 10:00 PM ET matchup with Golden State. The Warriors rank 3rd against point guards, but Luka's usage makes him close to matchup-proof. Giannis against a Minnesota defense ranked 25th is the strongest pivot.

Tier 2: Kawhi Leonard in a Soft Spot

Tier 2 options include Kawhi Leonard (37.23), Cooper Flagg (37.12), Stephen Curry (36.88, GTD), Trae Young (36.80), Darius Garland (36.43), Lauri Markkanen (35.94), Devin Booker (35.86), Tyrese Haliburton (35.84), Kevin Durant (35.72), Brandon Miller (35.68), Amen Thompson (35.46) and Donovan Clingan (35.20).

Our pick: Kawhi Leonard (TOR vs. CHI). Kawhi owns the top projection in the tier and draws a Chicago defense ranked 27th against small forwards. That's the cleanest combination of ceiling and matchup in Tier 2. Brandon Miller (29th OPRK against Brooklyn) is the upside alternative, while Cooper Flagg and Devin Booker face tougher draws.

Tier 3: Tyler Herro Against Washington

Tier 3 includes Pascal Siakam (34.76), Tyler Herro (34.68), Ryan Rollins (34.37), Onyeka Okongwu (34.30), Dejounte Murray (34.22), Walker Kessler (33.92), Zach Edey (33.84), Cameron Boozer (33.58), Cedric Coward (33.44), Ivica Zubac (33.37), Franz Wagner (33.23, GTD) and Austin Reaves (33.23).

Our pick: Tyler Herro (MIL vs. WAS). Herro sits second in the tier's projections and gets a Washington defense ranked 27th against shooting guards. As a volume scorer who adds threes (+0.5 each) on top of his points, he has one of the higher ceilings in this range. Teammate Ryan Rollins shares the same soft matchup, and Zach Edey (29th OPRK against Utah) is the big-man alternative.

Tier 4: Deni Avdija, If He Plays

Tier 4 options: Trey Murphy (33.16), Deni Avdija (33.01, GTD), Michael Porter (32.87), Keyonte George (32.61), Jaren Jackson (32.48), Jalen Smith (32.46), Julius Randle (32.43), Matas Buzelis (32.20), Kyrie Irving (32.10), Immanuel Quickley (31.59), Zion Williamson (31.40) and Jalen Suggs (31.32).

Our pick: Deni Avdija (POR vs. PHX). Avdija's all-around game fits Tiers scoring perfectly. He fills the box score with rebounds and assists, and he draws a Phoenix defense ranked 24th against small forwards in the 10:00 PM ET window. He carries a game-time decision tag, so monitor his status before lock. Keyonte George (29th OPRK against Memphis) is the best fallback, and Trey Murphy has the top projection in the tier.

Tier 5: Naz Reid for Frontcourt Production

Tier 5 includes Damian Lillard (31.18), Dyson Daniels (31.17), Mikal Bridges (31.07), Kel'el Ware (31.06), Rudy Gobert (30.79), Desmond Bane (30.58), Jalen Green (30.57), Rui Hachimura (30.45), Naz Reid (30.21), Alex Sarr (30.00), Caleb Wilson (29.94) and Day'Ron Sharpe (29.32).

Our pick: Naz Reid (CHA vs. BKN). The Tier 5 projections are bunched within two points, so we're leaning on a player whose skill set travels in this scoring system. Reid stretches the floor for threes, crashes the glass, and chips in blocks, giving him multiple paths to points against Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges (28th OPRK against Portland) is the matchup-driven pivot, and Dyson Daniels' steal upside (+2 each) makes him a strong contrarian play.

Tier 6: Ty Jerome in the Memphis vs. Utah Game

Tier 6 options: Brandin Podziemski (29.08, GTD), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (29.07), RJ Barrett (28.99), Darius Acuff (28.99), Darryn Peterson (28.97), CJ McCollum (28.31), Ty Jerome (27.84), Keegan Murray (27.82), Isaiah Jackson (27.76), Jaden McDaniels (27.57), Andrew Nembhard (27.57) and Derik Queen (27.48).

Our pick: Ty Jerome (MEM vs. UTA). This is where we take the reach for upside. Jerome draws a Utah defense ranked 21st against shooting guards, and Memphis vs. Utah is one of the friendliest matchup spots on the slate, with Memphis players like Zach Edey and Cedric Coward carrying OPRKs of 29th and 30th. Jerome's playmaking cashes in on the +1.5 assist bonus. Podziemski has the top projection but is a game-time decision, and Darryn Peterson (29th OPRK) is the high-ceiling alternative from the other side of the same game.

Our Fantasy Alarm NBA Tiers Lineup for October 21

Here's the six-man lineup we drafted. It's anchored by Luka in Tier 1, with soft-matchup scorers in Kawhi and Herro and a mix of do-it-all frontcourt and playmaking pieces to round it out.

That's our lineup. Now beat us. Every entry in this contest is another Fantasy Alarm reader or listener, so this is the community competing against itself for a shared $1.5K guaranteed prize pool. Draft your NBA Tiers lineup here.

NBA Tiers Strategy Tips

• Prioritize assists and defensive stats. With assists at +1.5 and steals and blocks at +2, playmakers and rim protectors gain the most from this scoring system relative to pure scorers.
• Chase triple-double threats in Tier 1. The +1.5 double-double and +3 triple-double bonuses add up fast for the players most likely to hit them.
• Use matchups as the tiebreaker. In Tiers 3 through 6, projections are often separated by a point or two. OPRK and game environment help separate similar options.
• Know when to play it safe. Every tier forces a choice between the safest projected scorer and an upside reach. We took the reach in Tier 6 with Ty Jerome, but the higher projection is a sound way to build too.
• Watch the game-time decisions. Curry, Wagner, Avdija, and Podziemski all carry GTD tags. Check news before lock so you don't burn a tier on a player who sits.

Splash Sports NBA Tiers FAQ

What is the Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD NBA Tiers contest?

It's a $25-entry NBA Tiers contest on Splash Sports with a $1.5K guaranteed prize pool for Wednesday, October 21. You draft one player from each of six tiers, with no positional requirements, and the highest total fantasy score wins.

How does Splash Sports NBA Tiers work?

Splash ranks the night's NBA players by projected fantasy points and splits them into six tiers. You pick one player from each tier to build a six-man lineup. Any position can be drafted from any tier.

How is Splash Sports NBA Tiers scored?

Players earn +1 per point, +0.5 per made three, +1.25 per rebound, +1.5 per assist, +2 per steal, +2 per block and -0.5 per turnover, plus bonuses of +1.5 for a double-double and +3 for a triple-double.

When does the October 21 NBA Tiers contest lock?

The first game on Wednesday's slate tips off at 7:00 PM ET. Check the contest page on Splash Sports for the exact lock time.

What is the Splash Sports promo code?

The Splash Sports promo code is ALARM. New users who sign up and enter code ALARM get a $50 deposit match plus a 100% Quickpicks Payout Boost. The code must be entered to unlock the offer.

Is NBA Tiers the same as salary-cap DFS?

No. Tiers has no salary, no cap and no roster positions. You simply pick one player from each tier. It's peer-to-peer, so you compete against other entrants in the Fantasy Alarm community, not against the house.

Who are the best NBA Tiers picks today?

Our October 21 NBA Tiers lineup is Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard, Tyler Herro, Deni Avdija, Naz Reid, and Ty Jerome, built around Luka's triple-double upside and soft matchups for Kawhi and Herro.

Join the Fantasy Alarm Community in NBA Tiers Tonight

$25 entry, $1.5K guaranteed. Draft six players, one from each tier, and see if you can top our lineup before Wednesday's slate tips off at 7:00 PM ET. New users, sign up with code ALARM for a $50 deposit match and a 100% Quickpicks Payout Boost.

Enter now: Fantasy Alarm $1.5K GTD NBA Tiers

New to Splash Sports? Sign up with promo code ALARM

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