NBA Daily Fantasy Picks & Playbook: October 20, 2026

James Grande | @the_real_grande | DraftKings and FanDuel main slate

We have made it. Long summer nights waking up in cold sweats wondering when I'd get to see another San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder matchup and we're here. We made it. It's opening night, well, opening day of the NBA season. The top NBA DFS picks of the day are here. The NBA is trying something here opening the season during the middle of the day and what's better than watching basketball all day long? 

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: 10:19 p.m. ET

3 games | Lock: 3:00 p.m. ET

• PHI @ NYK is the game to attack: the highest total on the slate.
• Chet Holmgren has been fully removed from the injury report.
• Josh Hart has been fully removed from the injury report.

NOTABLE INJURY UPDATES

 Game Environments

Numbers read away / home. PHI @ NYK carries the slate's top total. OKC @ SAS has the best pace matchup on the slate. Ranks are league-wide, 2025-26; pace rank 1 is fastest, and off and def rank 1 are best.

Top Tier Core Plays

Victor Wembanyama - C · SAS

The Spurs center is the highest projected player on the slate and has the highest ceiling of anyone because of what he does on both ends of the floor. Wemby was a 25-11-3-3-1 guy last year and that should only go up from here.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG · OKC

For anyone concerned with how good San Antonio is defensively, SGA put up 50+ DKP in five of the seven games in the conference finals last season. He’s a consistent 50 FP/min scorer and averaged 1.5 FP/min.

Cade Cunningham - PG · DET

This guy can do it all and averages 1.4 FP/min and 30.7% USG. The Pistons got rid of Tobias Harris and that helps Cunningham as he had a team-leading 1.7% USG up to 32.5% and 1.5 FP/min without him. Cunningham 

Jayson Tatum - PF · BOS

Tatum is playing his first full season since returning from an Achilles tear and he looked good this preseason and was the Celtics highest usage player, which is no surprise. He’s going to shoulder a hefty load this season without Jaylen Brown. In 203 minutes without him last year he posted a 37.3% USG and 1.44 FP/min.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Joel Embiid - C · PHI

Joel Embiid took the media and said he’s not going to sacrifice despite the team that has been put around him. He led the team in USG during the preseason and that’s coming a season in which he had a 35% USG, 1.4 FP/min, and could barely move for a majority of the season.

Jalen Williams - SF · OKC

It was an injury plagued year for Jalen Williams in ‘25-’26 but he was awesome the year prior and there’s no reason he should be the price he’s at. Despite a down year, he was a 1.18 FP/min and 26.1% USG player. Love this spot.

Jalen Brunson - PG · NYK

The Knicks have no business being as cheap as they are. Brunson is coming off a championship and a season in which he had a 30.9% USG and averaged 1.15 FP/min. We know the minutes are going to be there from Game 1 and that benefits from there.

Paul George - SF/PF · BOS

I really like this price tag for Paul George going into the opener. PG is a great 3PT shooter heading to a team that puts up a boatload of threes. On a nightly basis, George could be the second-leading scorer for the Celtics and he’s still a good usage player. Great upside at this price.

Payton Pritchard - PG/SG · BOS

Without Jaylen Brown and with Jayson Tatum is the data we’re looking for and Pritchard thrived last year. It was just 144 minutes, but FastPP averaged 1.1 FP/min and sat at 23.8% USG, which was second on the team. It was 6% higher than Derrick White, too. Pritchard is so cheap across the industry and just got PAID. Despite coming off the bench, he’s going to play a huge role for the Celtics.

Value Tier Core Plays

OG Anunoby - PF · NYK

Anunoby really has no business being this cheap. He’s a solid fantasy option notching a season in which he had a 20.1% USG and .94 FP/min to go with it. He’s the cheapest of Mikal Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart!

Ausar Thompson - SF · DET

The Pistons are putting the ball in Ausar Thompson’s hand a lot and he’s going to be asked to do a lot more offensively this year. Thompson’s minutes are also going to go up and that was straight from JB Bickerstaff’s mouth.

Dylan Harper - PG/SG · SA

Seeing Dylan Harper at this price won’t last long so make sure you capitalize on it while you can. Harper averaged 1.04 FP/min last year while posting a 22.2% USG coming off the bench. Harper is going to start and they’re going to put the ball in his hands a LOT.

John Collins - PF/C · DET

Collins is really, really cheap. He’s going to be incredibly popular because of it. He’s replacing Tobias Harris and we saw how good Harris’ role was with Detroit. Collins was a .92 FP/min player in LA last year with the Clippers.

Isaiah Joe - SG/SF · DET

He fit in perfectly during the preseason as he posted a 24.3% USG, which was fourth on the team. Joe averaged over 20 MPG last year on the Thunder and that role should tick up for the Pistons. He’s an elite three-point shooter that has no problem letting it fly 10 times a game if he’s given the minutes.

Late-News Core Plays

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

Core Lineup

Cash Core: Jalen Brunson - Dylan Harper - Payton Pritchard - John Collins 

GPP Leverage: Jalen Williams - Paul George - Isaiah Joe - Victor Wembanyama

Player Pool

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Stacks

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