NBA Daily Fantasy Picks & Playbook: October 24, 2026
Keith Eyster | @eys819dfs | DraftKings and FanDuel main slate
We have another day where the slate differs by site. DraftKings is rolling with five games and leaving off the two late games (NOP/DEN & GSW/PHX), while FanDuel has all seven games.
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
Slate Snapshot & Injury Updates
Last updated: 4:30 p.m. ET
5 games on DK, 7 games on FD | Lock: 7:30 p.m. ET
- DAL listed Kyrie Irving, Zaccharie Risacher, and Max Christie as questionable.
- NOP ruled out Yves Missi.
- HOU downgraded Marcus Smart to questionable.
- GSW ruled out Stephen Curry and Al Horford. Draymond Green listed as doubtful. Charles Bassey listed as questionable.
Full Injury Report
Every player in today's games with an injury designation: 24 out, 21 questionable, 1 probable. Who Benefits is listed for the players whose absence moves the slate.
| PLAYER | STATUS | WHO BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg (DAL, shoulder) | Out | Zaccharie Risacher, Marcus Sasser |
| Nic Claxton (CHI, hamstring) | Out | Jalen Smith, Leonard Miller |
| Santi Aldama (DAL, knee) | Out | — |
| Dereck Lively (DAL, foot) | Out | — |
| Tristan Vukcevic (WAS, hip) | Out | — |
| Henri Veesaar (ATL, knee) | Out | — |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE) | Out | — |
| Jayden Quaintance (SAS, knee) | Out | — |
| Khalifa Diop (CLE) | Out | — |
| Tacko Fall (PHI, quadriceps) | Out | — |
| Dominick Barlow (PHI, back) | Out | — |
| Ariel Hukporti (PHI, achilles) | Out | — |
| Mouhamed Gueye (ATL, foot) | Out | — |
| Tyler Bilodeau (BKN, shoulder) | Out | — |
| Jamir Watkins (WAS, knee) | Out | — |
| Kylan Boswell (CHA, knee) | Out | — |
| Spencer Jones (DEN, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Cameron Johnson (DEN, ankle) | Out | — |
| Julian Strawther (DEN, knee) | Out | — |
| Brandin Podziemski (GSW, back) | Out | — |
| Kristaps Porzingis (GSW, illness) | Out | — |
| Moses Moody (GSW, knee) | Out | — |
| Jimmy Butler (GSW, knee) | Out | — |
| Mark Williams (PHX, shoulder) | Out | — |
| LeBron James (PHI, back) | Out | Adem Bona |
| Kyrie Irving (DAL, rest) | Questionable | Marcus Sasser, Sergio de Larrea |
| Alex Sarr (WAS) | Questionable | Justin Champagnie, Deandre Ayton |
| AJ Dybantsa (WAS, ankle) | Out | Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George |
| Fred VanVleet (HOU, rest) | Out | Marcus Smart, Bruce Thornton |
| Tobias Harris (SAS, calf) | Questionable | Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson |
| Reed Sheppard (HOU, knee) | Questionable | Marcus Smart, Tari Eason |
| Steven Adams (HOU, rest) | Out | — |
| Dean Wade (PHI, ankle) | Questionable | — |
| Caleb Martin (DAL, thumb) | Out | — |
| Tarik Biberovic (DAL, heel) | Out | — |
| Jett Howard (DAL, calf) | Questionable | — |
| Grant Williams (CHA, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Coby White (CHA, calf) | Questionable | — |
| Kon Knueppel (CHA, hamstring) | Questionable | — |
| Alpha Diallo (DEN, wrist) | Questionable | — |
| Stephen Curry (GSW, rest) | Out | — |
| Charles Bassey (GSW, knee) | Questionable | — |
| Yves Missi (NOP, knee) | Out | — |
| Luke Kennard (PHX, knee) | Questionable | — |
| Oso Ighodaro (PHX, oblique) | Questionable | — |
| Anthony Davis (WAS) | Probable | — |
Game Environments
| MATCHUP | TIP (ET) | TOTAL | SPREAD | IMPLIED | PACE RANK | OFF RANK | DEF RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAS @ CHI | 8:00 p.m. | 244.5 | CHI -2.5 | 121 / 123.5 | 6th / 3rd | 29th / 24th | 30th / 22nd |
| MIL @ PHI | 7:30 p.m. | 235.5 | PHI -12.5 | 111.5 / 124 | 25th / 13th | 23rd / 17th | 27th / 16th |
| SAS @ DAL | 8:00 p.m. | 232.5 | SAS -12.5 | 122.5 / 110 | 15th / 4th | 4th / 27th | 3rd / 20th |
| BKN @ CLE | 7:30 p.m. | 228.5 | CLE -11.5 | 108.5 / 120 | 28th / 14th | 30th / 5th | 26th / 15th |
| HOU @ ATL | 8:30 p.m. | 227.5 | ATL -1.5 | 113 / 114.5 | 26th / 7th | 9th / 14th | 5th / 11th |
| NOP @ DEN | 9:00 p.m. | 239.5 | DEN -11.5 | 114 / 125.5 | 10th / 20th | 20th / 1st | 24th / 21st |
| MIA @ CHA | 6:00 p.m. | 229.5 | MIA -3.5 | 116.5 / 113 | 1st / 24th | 13th / 7th | 14th / 10th |
| GSW @ PHX | 10:00 p.m. | 221.5 | PHX -9.5 | 106 / 115.5 | 18th / 23rd | 18th / 16th | 17th / 9th |
Numbers read away / home. WAS @ CHI carries the slate's top total. MIL @ PHI, SAS @ DAL and BKN @ CLE carry blowout risk. WAS @ CHI has the best pace matchup on the slate. 3 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
Nikola Jokic – C · DEN (FanDuel)
Jokic shot just 5-of-19 against Oklahoma City, finishing with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. New Orleans is a much better matchup, especially if center Yves Missi (knee) is unavailable, which could weaken the Pelicans’ interior defense. He gets the home-court advantage while the Pelicans are on the second night of a back-to-back. The only concern is potential blowout risk, with Denver favored by 11.5 points, but five of the seven games have at least a 9.5-point spread.
Victor Wembanyama – C · SAS
Wembanyama is coming off a 25-point, 13-rebound performance against Houston and has averaged 13 rebounds and 4 blocks through his first two games. He has the highest ceiling on the DK slate and trails only Jokic on FD. He shares Jokic's blowout concerns, which adds risk to his playing time if Dallas can't keep up.
Anthony Davis – PF · WAS
Davis erupted for 34 points and 12 rebounds against Milwaukee earlier this week before managing just 9 points and 9 rebounds against Toronto, but he gets an elite matchup and the perfect spot to bounce back tonight. The Bulls ranked near the bottom of the league defensively last season while playing at one of the NBA’s fastest paces, which gives AD an elite ceiling.
Jalen Johnson – PF · ATL
Johnson has scored over 46 DK points in each of his first two games, and he didn't even top 30 minutes in either contest. Last night he played just 29 minutes due to the lopsided score, and he was in foul trouble in the opener. He averaged more than 35 minutes per game last season, and should approach that number with just a one-point spread tonight. Houston is a difficult matchup, but they will be without Steven Adams again, which should help JJ on the boards and at the rim.
Tyrese Maxey – PG · PHI
Maxey is averaging 30 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists through Philadelphia’s first two games, logging 40 and 42 minutes. He posted those numbers playing alongside LeBron James, who is out tonight. Milwaukee has surrendered 130 points per game through its first two contests and projects as one of the league's worst defenses after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Joel Embiid – C · PHI
Embiid gets the same smash spot as Maxey, and it's possible they both put up optimal scores since they are priced under $9,000. The main concern is blowout risk, as the Sixers are 12-point home favorites.
Mid-Tier Core Plays
Day'Ron Sharpe – C · BKN
Sharpe opened the season with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes, showing promise in his expanded starting role. He draws a difficult matchup against Cleveland's elite frontcourt duo, but he is still underpriced for his role.
Dylan Harper – PG/SG · SAS
Harper is averaging 30.2 DK points through two games, and he's done it against two of the league's better defensive units. He gets a much better matchup tonight against Dallas, who will be without Cooper Flagg.
Julius Randle – PF · BKN
Randle opened the season with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in 38 minutes, good for 52.1 DK points. Cleveland presents a tougher matchup, with Mobley likely to defend him for stretches and Allen protecting the paint. However, Randle’s scoring, rebounding, and playmaking give him multiple paths to justify his mid-range price tag.
Trae Young – PG · WAS
Young has opened the season with back-to-back double-doubles, most recently posting 22 points and 12 assists in 37 minutes against Toronto. He should remain the primary playmaker and stay heavily involved in scoring with Dybantsa out again. The Bulls surrendered 135 points to Toronto earlier this week, and the projected game total is 244.5 points, the highest on the slate.
Value Tier Core Plays
Naji Marshall – SF · DAL
Marshall posted 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists in his most recent game, and he started the second half after Flagg left the game. Marshall averaged 19.1 points across 10 games without Flagg last season, and Dallas could need him to shoulder more scoring and playmaking against San Antonio, especially if Kyrie is also ruled out.
P.J. Washington – PF · DAL
Washington exploded for 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 33 minutes against Indiana on Friday. He draws a tougher matchup against San Antonio tonight, but Dallas will be without Flagg and possibly Irving, with several other rotation members listed as questionable. He should have a massive role on Saturday even if Kyrie plays.
Jalen Smith – C · CHI
Smith started at center and delivered 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 steals in just 24 minutes against Milwaukee on Friday. Washington plays at a fast pace and ranked near the bottom of the league in DRtg last season.
Zaccharie Risacher & Max Christie – SG/SF, SG · DAL
Both of these players are questionable, so be sure to verify their final game status. Risacher put up 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in nearly 32 minutes on Friday, while Christie posted 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in nearly 38 minutes. With Flagg out, they should have roles that far outpace their price tags again, and they become even bigger priorities if Irving is also out.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandon Williams, & De'Anthony Melton – SF, PG, PG/SG · GSW (FanDuel)
Podziemski has been ruled out, and Curry said he would “probably not” play. Lendeborg is coming off a monster 18-point, 13-rebound, 6-assist performance in 37 minutes against Memphis, and he's a priority even if Curry does play. Williams and Melton become core plays if Curry is ruled out.
Late-News Core Plays
Players we are considering core plays based on late-breaking news and research
- Marcus Sasser becomes a core play if Kyrie Irving sits.
- Derik Queen is a FanDuel core play with Yves Missi out.
Core Lineup
Cash Core (DK): Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid.
GPP Leverage (DK): Jalen Johnson, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Stephon Castle.
Cash Core (FD): Nikola Jokic, Naji Marshall, Yaxel Lendeborg, Dylan Harper.
GPP Leverage (FD): Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Dyson Daniels.
Player Pool
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Stacks
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