NBA Daily Fantasy Picks & Playbook: October 23, 2026

James Grande | @The_Real_Grande | DraftKings and FanDuel main slate

We have a split slate! FanDuel has 11 games on it's main slate while DraftKings sits at just six and then have a five-game late slate to go along with it. Players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cooper Flagg, and Cade Cunningham make both main slates player pools while Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama are two players you can play only on FanDuel's main slate and DraftKings' late slate.

Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

• News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
• Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
• Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
• NBA DFS Projections
• Lineup Generator
• NBA Ownership

NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, October 23rd

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NBA Daily Fantasy Picks & Playbook: October 23, 2026

James Grande | @The_Real_Grande | DraftKings and FanDuel main slate

Slate Snapshot & Injury Updates

Last updated: 12:50 p.m. ET

6 games on DK, 11 games on FD | Lock: 7:00 p.m. ET

• We have two games with 240 implied points. IND/DAL & NO/UTA.
• Brandin Podziemski upgraded to probable

NOTABLE INJURY UPDATES

Game Environments

Numbers read away / home. DAL @ IND carries the slate's top total. DAL @ IND has the best pace matchup on the slate. 6 games are also on the schedule but not on this DFS slate. Ranks are league-wide, 2025-26; pace rank 1 is fastest, and off and def rank 1 are best.

Top Tier Core Plays

Luka Doncic - PG · LAL (FanDuel)

Doncic didn't play in the fourth quarter of the Lakers first game and yet, he had a 40% USG, 28 points, and 50+ FP on DK and FD. He has as high a ceiling as any other player in the NBA especially now that LeBron James is out of town.

Cade Cunningham - PG · DET

Cunningham played 35 minutes and didn't shoot the ball well but has a fantastic matchup against the Heat who played faster than everyone last year. Cunningham had a 30% USG in Game 1 and had a 30.7% USG over the course of last season. He's a 1.4 FP/min player and has no business being under 10K.

Jalen Johnson - PF · ATL

Jalen Johnson didn't shoot the ball well, was in big foul trouble, and only played 28 minutes in his opener. Despite that, Johnson put up 20-14-6 and had 47 DKP. Johnson's an elite player at 9.1K.

Cooper Flagg - PG/SF · DAL

We knew Cooper Flagg was going to be a problem this year and he showed that in Game 1. He had a 37.3% USG and poured in 32 points in 32 minutes. He didn't play the final five minutes of the game as he was pacing for 38 minutes. This game has the highest implied total on the board and both teams ranked in the top-10 in pace after playing their first games.

Paolo Banchero - PF · ORL

It's hard to ignore any singular player playing 41 regulation minutes in the FIRST game of the year, but that's what happened here. Banchero played 40+ minutes. He dominated the ball, had a near 27% USG and nearly notched a triple-double to boot.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Domantas Sabonis - C · SAC (FanDuel)

Sabonis was two assists shy of a triple-double in the opener and only took five shot attempts. We know he's going to shot more moving forward, obviously, but he's an elite peripheral stat sheet stuffer.

Deni Avdija - SF/PF · POR (FanDuel)

Hard to ignore his usage rate in that first game. He was at nearly 40% usage against the Suns and now gets an easier matchup against the Kings, who are projected to be one of the worst defenses in the league. I prefer him in GPPs.

Tyrese Haliburton - PG · IND

In his first game back from his Achilles tear, he had a 20-13 double-double and played 34 minutes. He had 20 potential assists in his debut and had a 26% USG in that game. The Pacers have the highest implied total on the board.

Dejounte Murray - PG · NO (FanDuel)

Per usual, Dejounte Murray was elite in fantasy in his first game of the year. A 23-7-3-3-2 game across 34 minutes is as good as it gets for a player under 8K. Murray has a 29.7% USG in his first game and there's no reason to think that goes anywhere right about now.

Franz Wagner - SF · ORL

Wagner was in first half foul trouble but played 20 2nd half minutes and probably would've come close to Banchero's minutes if not for the fouls. He actually led the team in USG at 33.9% and even despite the foul trouble almost put up 40 DKP. Wagner's an elite fantasy player at the price.

Naz Reid - PF/C · CHA

The role for Naz Reid was SUPER elite in Game 1 and there's not going to be much change here without Coby White and Kon Knueppel. Reid had a 25.6% USG, 20 points, 10 potential assists, and 20 potential rebounds, which was ALL second on the team. Elite elite elite role.

Ty Jerome & Cameron Boozer - PG & PF · MEM (FanDuel)

The Grizzlies had a fantastic first game and it was led by Ty Jerome obviously, but I expect Cameron Boozer to get back on track here. Jerome scored 45 actual points and had a 42.3% USG. Boozer was just 2-for-15 from the floor but had 11 rebounds and 5 assists. He's going to be efficient offensively and continue to stuff the box score. All of that PLUS Cedric Coward is listed as doubtful.

Value Tier Core Plays

Dennis Schroder, Moussa Diabate & Grayson Allen - PG & SG/SF · CHA

The Hornets arguably have the best value on the slate and they're being rostered as such. They're missing two of their best players and Schroder, Diabate, and Allen all had fantastic roles in their first game. Diabate had 30 rebound opportunities, Schroder put up 30+ FP on both DK and FD, and Allen played 29 minutes off the bench and took eight threes, his forte. 

Jalen Suggs - PG · ORL

I always have interest in Jalen Suggs when he's healthy and playing a bunch. He played 32 minutes in the opener, the concern was that he didn't shoot a lot and posted just a 13.8% USG. He can be really streaky and break a slate when he makes threes because he's good peripherally.

Ausar Thompson - SF · DET

Thompson's role increase drastically in his first game of the year and the price hasn't been adjusted as much. He had 12 potential assists, 14 potential rebounds, and played 33 minutes, which led to 34.2 DKP. Great pace up spot for Thompson.

Naji Marshall - SF · DAL

The role for Naji Marshall in Game 1 was great and with Santi Aldama, Dereck Lively, and Caleb Martin all out. They didn't play a back-up center and that led to a lot of small-ball lineups and that helps Marshall see the floor. He played 28 minutes, including closing both halves, and had a 23.3% USG and 28+ FD & DKP.

Draymond Green & Gui Santos - SF & C · GSW (FanDuel)

The Warriors are really cheap and only have 10-11 healthy players going into tonight's game. Green and Santos are both under 5K and Green led the team in potential assists, making the most passes on the team. Santos, without Butler, Kuminga, and Porzingis last year, averaged .97 FP/min.

Scotty Pippen & Jerami Grant - PG & PF · MEM (FanDuel)

With Cedric Coward ruled out, we should see Pippen and Grant's role's expanded a bit. Both of which already had a good role and both closed the first game. Grant had a 25.3% USG and Pippen was at 22.6 and both guys topped 20 minutes and had 21.9+ FDP to boot. Pippen's ceiling on FD is a little higher because his ability to notch stocks.

Late-News Core Plays

Players we are considering core plays based on late-breaking news and research

Core Lineup

Cash Core (DK): Dennis Schroder - Tyrese Haliburton - Ausar Thompson - Naz Reid

GPP Leverage (DK): Cooper Flagg - Dennis Schroder - Naji Marshall - Naz Reid

Cash Core (FD): Dennis Schroder - Ausar Thompson - Cameron Boozer - Naz Reid

GPP Leverage (FD): Tyrese Haliburton - Cooper Flagg - Jerami Grant - Draymond Green

Player Pool

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Stacks

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