NBA Daily Fantasy Picks & Playbook: October 28, 2026
Keith Eyster | @eys819dfs | DraftKings and FanDuel main slate
We have different slates by site for Wednesday's NBA DFS action. DraftKings is rolling with nine games, cutting off the three games starting after 8:00 pm ET, while FanDuel is running with all 12 games. There is a massive amount of injury situations to break down.
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 28th
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Slate Snapshot & Injury Updates
Last updated: 1:17 p.m. ET
9 games on DK, 12 games on FD | Lock: 7:00 p.m. ET
INJURY REPORT UPDATES
| PLAYER | STATUS | WHO BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards (MIN, knee) | Out | Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark |
| Paolo Banchero (ORL, ankle) | Out | Tristan da Silva, Jamal Cain |
| Alperen Sengun (HOU, back) | Out | Tari Eason, Clint Capela |
| Kawhi Leonard (TOR, knee) | Out | Allen Graves, Jamison Battle |
| Kon Knueppel (CHA, hamstring) | Out | Sion James, Grayson Allen |
| Ivica Zubac (IND, ankle) | Out | Larry Nance |
| Jalen Duren (DET, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Jimmy Butler (GSW, knee) | Out | — |
| Jalen Suggs (ORL, knee) | Out | — |
| Yves Missi (NOP, knee) | Out | — |
| Coby White (CHA, calf) | Out | — |
| Nic Claxton (CHI, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Kristaps Porzingis (GSW, illness) | Out | — |
| Justin Champagnie (WAS, foot) | Out | — |
| Steven Adams (HOU, calf) | Out | — |
| T.J. McConnell (IND, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Isaiah Joe (DET, hip) | Out | — |
| Tristan Vukcevic (WAS, hip) | Out | — |
| Noah Penda (ORL, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Grant Williams (CHA, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE) | Out | — |
| Ariel Hukporti (PHI, achilles) | Out | — |
| Jonathan Isaac (ORL, knee) | Out | — |
| Simone Fontecchio (MIA, illness) | Out | — |
| Dominick Barlow (PHI, back) | Out | — |
| Moses Moody (GSW, knee) | Out | — |
| Julian Strawther (DEN, knee) | Out | — |
| Ben Sheppard (IND, knee) | Out | — |
| Mouhamed Gueye (ATL, foot) | Out | — |
| Johnny Furphy (IND, knee) | Out | — |
| Donte DiVincenzo (MIN, achilles) | Out | — |
| Spencer Jones (DEN, hamstring) | Out | — |
| Jabari Walker (PHI, knee) | Out | — |
| Santi Aldama (DAL, knee) | Out | — |
| Sergio de Larrea (DAL, knee) | Out | — |
| Caleb Martin (DAL, thumb) | Out | — |
| Dereck Lively (DAL, foot) | Out | — |
| Rui Hachimura (LAC, quadriceps) | Out | — |
| Bradley Beal (LAC, knee) | Out | — |
| Max Strus (LAC, foot) | Out | — |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser (LAC, foot) | Out | — |
| Brandon Ingram (TOR, achilles) | Out | — |
| Jordan Miller (LAC, shoulder) | Out | — |
| Cameron Carr (LAL, oblique) | Out | — |
| Chet Holmgren (OKC, knee) | Out | — |
| Nikola Topic (OKC, back) | Out | — |
| Alex Caruso (OKC, ankle) | Out | — |
| Jalen Williams (OKC, leg) | Out | — |
| Cason Wallace (OKC, shoulder) | Out | — |
| Tobias Harris (SAS, calf) | Out | — |
| Jaren Jackson (UTA, knee) | Out | — |
| Jusuf Nurkic (UTA, foot) | Out | — |
| Tyrese Haliburton (IND, hamstring) | Out | Quenton Jackson |
| Yaxel Lendeborg (GSW, foot) | Questionable | Draymond Green, Gui Santos |
| Anthony Black (ORL, personal) | Questionable | Jase Richardson, Jevon Carter |
| Ausar Thompson (DET, ankle) | Questionable | Kevin Huerter |
| Andrew Nembhard (IND, neck) | Questionable | — |
| Obi Toppin (IND, hand) | Questionable | — |
| Aaron Wiggins (ATL, knee) | Questionable | — |
| Aaron Nesmith (IND, hamstring) | Questionable | — |
| Marcus Smart (HOU, forearm) | Questionable | — |
| Cameron Johnson (DEN, ankle) | Questionable | — |
| Jose Alvarado (NYK, ankle) | Questionable | — |
| Jordan Poole (NOP, illness) | Questionable | — |
| Patrick Williams (CHI, groin) | Questionable | — |
| Naji Marshall (DAL, illness) | Questionable | — |
| Kyrie Irving (DAL, knee) | Questionable | — |
| Ajay Mitchell (OKC, ankle) | Questionable | — |
| Jaxson Hayes (UTA, shoulder) | Questionable | — |
| Lauri Markkanen (UTA, wrist) | Questionable | — |
Game Environments
| MATCHUP | TIP (ET) | TOTAL | SPREAD | IMPLIED | PACE RANK | OFF RANK | DEF RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA @ ATL | 7:00 p.m. | 241.5 | ATL -1.5 | 120 / 121.5 | 1st / 7th | 13th / 14th | 14th / 11th |
| DEN @ NOP | 8:00 p.m. | 240.5 | DEN -4.5 | 122.5 / 118 | 20th / 10th | 1st / 20th | 21st / 24th |
| WAS @ CLE | 7:00 p.m. | 239.5 | CLE -10.5 | 114.5 / 125 | 6th / 14th | 29th / 5th | 30th / 15th |
| PHI @ IND | 7:00 p.m. | 236.5 | PHI -5.5 | 121 / 115.5 | 13th / 9th | 17th / 28th | 16th / 25th |
| NYK @ CHI | 8:00 p.m. | 233.5 | NYK -7.5 | 120.5 / 113 | 27th / 3rd | 3rd / 24th | 6th / 22nd |
| GSW @ MIN | 8:00 p.m. | 227.5 | MIN -4.5 | 111.5 / 116 | 18th / 11th | 18th / 12th | 17th / 8th |
| HOU @ MIL | 8:00 p.m. | 226.5 | HOU -8.5 | 117.5 / 109 | 26th / 25th | 9th / 23rd | 5th / 27th |
| ORL @ TOR | 7:30 p.m. | 224.5 | TOR -4.5 | 110 / 114.5 | 12th / 21st | 19th / 15th | 12th / 7th |
| CHA @ DET | 7:00 p.m. | 213.5 | DET -7.5 | 103 / 110.5 | 24th / 16th | 7th / 10th | 10th / 2nd |
| SAS @ UTA | 9:00 p.m. | 233.5 | SAS -13.5 | 123.5 / 110 | 15th / 2nd | 4th / 21st | 3rd / 29th |
| LAL @ LAC | 10:30 p.m. | 229.5 | LAL -4.5 | 117 / 112.5 | 22nd / 29th | 8th / 11th | 19th / 18th |
| OKC @ DAL | 9:30 p.m. | 228.5 | OKC -5.5 | 117 / 111.5 | 17th / 4th | 6th / 27th | 1st / 20th |
Numbers read away / home. MIA @ ATL pairs the slate's top total with its closest spread. WAS @ CLE carries blowout risk. MIA @ ATL 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
This slate offers plenty of value, making it easy to spend up on Jokic. He went off for more than 80 fantasy points in an overtime win against this Pelicans team last week. No player on the slate has a higher ceiling than Jokic, yet early ownership projections have him settling under 10%.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF · MIA
Giannis is coming off a triple-double of 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against Dallas, showing the all-around production that makes him so valuable in fantasy. Miami is off to an 0-4 start and desperately needs a win. Atlanta has an excellent perimeter defense, but they are far more vulnerable in the paint, where Giannis does most of his work.
Jalen Johnson - PF · ATL
Johnson is an elite fantasy player who often goes overlooked when there are several other stars on the slate. He has averaged 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists across his first four games and offers incredible upside. Miami has struggled on the defensive end this season, ranking 24th in Drtg.
Joel Embiid - C · PHI
Embiid is coming off a triple-double in his last game against Milwaukee with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Indiana allowed the second-most points in the paint last season, and Zubac is out with an ankle injury tonight. It's an elite spot for the Philly big man.
Karl-Anthony Towns - PF/C · NYK
Towns is coming off a monster performance of 27 points and 20 rebounds against Detroit last night. Now he gets an elite matchup against a Bulls team that is still without Claxton and ranks 27th in DRtg while playing at the fastest pace in the league.
Mid-Tier Core Plays
LaMelo Ball - PG · MIN
Ball is averaging 14.8 points and 6.3 assists early this season, but he should see a massive increase in role with Edwards out. He averaged more than 20 points and 7 assists over the last five seasons as the lead guard in Charlotte. On top of the expanded role, Ball gets an elite matchup against a Golden State defense that ranks 28th in DRtg.
Kevin Durant - SF · HOU
Durant is coming off a 22-point, nine-rebound, four-block performance against Atlanta in only 30 minutes, and now Sengun is out for this game. Durant had a 32% usage rate with Sengun off the floor last season. Milwaukee is playing at the second-fastest pace in the league and ranks just 19th in DRtg.
Amen Thompson - PG · HOU
Thompson saw a 2% increase in usage and a 5.5% increase in assist rate with Sengun off the floor last season. VanVleet's presence could impact that marginally, but Thompson should still be in line for an increased role. He also gets an elite matchup against Milwaukee.
OG Anunoby - PF · NYK
Anunoby is averaging 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists through his first four games, and his defensive contributions add fantasy upside through steals and blocks. He is too cheap on both sites for his expected production, especially given his elite matchup. Chicago plays at the league's fastest pace and ranks 27th in DRtg.
Rudy Gobert - C · MIN
In 18 games without Edwards last season, Gobert averaged 12.6 points and 12.5 rebounds, compared to 10.4 points and 11.2 rebounds with Edwards in the lineup. Golden State has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to centers this season, and lacks size on the interior.
Value Tier Core Plays
Clint Capela - C · HOU
With Sengun and Adams sidelined, Capela steps into more minutes and a bigger role. In four games without the two big men last year, Capela averaged more than 25 minutes and 30 DK points. He's a smash at his near-minimum salary if he sees that role tonight.
Tari Eason - SF/PF · HOU
Sengun's been ruled out, and that opens more minutes and a bigger role for Eason. He's played more than 30 minutes in each of the last two games and should be in line for a similar role tonight. He contributes all across the stat sheet, which gives him multiple paths to pay off.
Jonathan Kuminga - PF · MIN
Kuminga is averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this season, and Edwards is out. The role and ceiling should grow in a big way. Kuminga is also facing his former team and coach, who have had less-than-kind words to say about his effort in the past.
Ayo Dosunmu - SG/SF · MIN
Dosunmu is also set to benefit from Edwards' absence tonight. He is expected to move into Minnesota's starting lineup and should play at least 30 minutes. He won't necessarily absorb all of Edwards' usage, with Ball and other players also likely to see increased opportunities.
OKC Thunder Value (FanDuel)
The primary difference between the DraftKings and FanDuel main slates is the presence of a very banged-up Thunder team. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out for the season, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso are also out tonight, and Ajay Mitchell is questionable. Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kenrich Williams all project as strong values.
Late-News Core Plays
Players we are considering core plays based on late-breaking news and research
Core Lineup
Cash Core: Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Clint Capela.
GPP Leverage: Nikola Jokic, Jalen Johnson, Joel Embiid, Terrence Shannon.
Player Pool
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