NBA DFS Picks 28 October: Fanteam, DraftKings, FanDuel & Yahoo

Fanteam uses seven players, a 90 cap and at most seven from one team. Value here is projected points divided by salary, and a ratio around 3 is par. Anything well above it is a bargain.

Top plays

Jokic has the highest projection on the slate at 60.3. He faces a weak New Orleans defense in the top-total game, and I expect him to be owned lightly for a player this good. Denver’s Cameron Johnson is doubtful according to the latest injury report, but Jokic is not listed at all, so I would wait for the lineup to be final.

Giannis is the best pure value among the stars at 3.29. Miami comes in desperate, his usage should be huge, and the Atlanta matchup is not easy. The price still works. Jalen Johnson at 15.8 is the other Atlanta piece I like in a game with a 241.5 total.

Towns is my favorite mid-priced big. Chicago’s Nic Claxton is out according to the latest injury report, and I prefer Towns in that frontcourt matchup. Embiid is a conditional play for me. If he is active and Tyrese Haliburton is out or limited (Haliburton is questionable), Embiid has a very good matchup. Ivica Zubac is also out for Indiana.

Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander project well but are priced a little too high, with ratios under 3. I like Doncic in a game where the Clippers are missing Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura and Max Strus, but I would rather pay for Giannis. Anthony Davis has a strong projection, but I do not like the Cleveland matchup and would play him only if I had the salary left.

Value plays

Eason tops the list at 4.08. Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams and Marcus Smart are all out for Houston according to the latest injury report. That leaves the rotation short on bodies, and he is priced below the role he will take on. He will be popular, and I am fine with that.

Minnesota is the other thin spot. Anthony Edwards is out, which pushes more usage toward LaMelo Ball and opens up space for Gobert and Kuminga. Both are priced under their projection. Jaylin Williams is a cheap way into an OKC team that is missing Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso. Huff gets a clearer path with Zubac out, though I would confirm that once lineups are final. McCollum at 8.8 is a decent way to take a piece of the Miami-Atlanta game.

Fades

These are not bad players. They are badly priced tonight. Ware and Dybantsa each cost over 10 for a 23.4 projection, and Dybantsa is also listed as available with an ankle sprain according to the latest injury report. Giddey at 13.2 needs a big night to pay off. Murphy sits in a high-total game, but 12.2 is too much for the projection. I would rather spend that salary on Gobert and Kuminga.

DraftKings uses eight players and a $50,000 cap. Value is points per $1,000, and about 5 is par. Jokic ($12,000) and Giannis ($10,200) lead the projections. Giannis has the better ratio at 5.48, and Jalen Johnson at $9,500 is also strong at 5.26. The cheap end of the pool mirrors Fanteam.

FanDuel uses nine players and a $60,000 cap. Value is again points per $1,000. Jokic is $12,000 and Giannis $11,500 here, which makes Giannis pricier than on DraftKings. Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,000) and Jalen Johnson ($9,400) are the better ratios among the top options. For a cheaper build, the value list is below.

Dosunmu is the one I like most. With Edwards out, I expect him to take on extra shots in a good matchup against Golden State.

Yahoo uses eight players, a $200 cap and at most six from one team. Value is a plain ratio, and above 1 beats the price. Giannis at 50 is the standout among the top plays at 1.11, while Jokic at 60 sits just under 1. The best ratios are all in the cheap range.

Lendeborg is questionable according to the latest injury report, so treat him as a play to confirm before lock. Walter picks up more work for Toronto with Kawhi Leonard out, which is why he sits on this list.