NBA DFS Picks For FanDuel 10/20/21

The NBA is back! There is no better time for DFS than right now as we have the NBA, NFL, and MLB post-season. The season officially kicked off yesterday with games between the Nets and Bucks, and the Lakers and Warriors, but the first real main slate is today. We have opening day for 22 teams today, which means that we have 11 games to build our lineups around for the slate. There is always some risk to the start of the season since we don't know the exact rotations of every team, although intuition should lead pretty accurately. The top plays of the slate are bound to change as lineups start to come out later in the day, so be sure to stay updated with those. Let's dive into my first DFS breakdown of the 2021 NBA season on FanDuel!

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Top Play:

Joel Embiid (C - $11000) -

If you haven't been following the 76ers and Ben Simmons situation, then let me sum it up quickly. Ben Simmons has openly demanded a trade, but the team has yet to deal him. On Tuesday, Simmons was kicked out of practice and suspended one game (although I doubt he ever plays) because he refused to participate in a drill during practice. After that incident, Joel Embiid came out and said "at this point I don't care about that man, honestly. He does whatever he wants." in reference to Simmons. It is easy to assume that Joel Embiid will want to come out and show that the team can survive just fine without Simmons, and the absence of Simmons will presumably create more usage for him. The Pelicans have played at a fast pace in previous seasons, so there is reason to assume that this game could end up having a high point total. Of the 22 teams playing, the 76ers currently carry the sixth highest implied total.

Best Value:

Montrezl Harrell (PF/C - $4000) -

Montrezl Harrell was shipped to Washington as part of the trade deal that led to the Lakers acquiring Russell Westbrook. Aside from Bradley Beal, there is a serious lack of talent on the team, which should lead to some excellent value options to start the season for DFS. Of these options, I really like Harrell at a price tag of $4000. Thomas Bryant has yet to return to action for the team, which leaves Gafford and Harrell as the only center options on the roster. Both should see quality minutes and will be expected to produce. There is a debate over the quality of player that Harrell is, but there isn't much to argue in terms of his fantasy production per minute. Even if he doesn't draw the start, I still love Harrell at a near minimum price, especially with his PF/C dual eligibility. There may be some better value options that open up when lineups are announced, but Harrell holds that title as of now.

Main Player Pool:

Point Guard:

De'Aaron Fox ($8500)

Derrick White (PG/SG - $5600)

Tyrese Maxey (PG/SG - $4600)

Other great plays: Damian Lillard ($10000), Ja Morant ($8200), LaMelo Ball ($7600), Malcolm Brogdon (PG/SG - $7300), Seth Curry (PG/SG - $5200), Jordan Clarskon (PG/SG - $5200), Cole Anthony (PG/SG - $5000), Jalen Suggs ($4800)

Shooting Guard:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG/PG - $7600)

Jalen Green (SG/PG - $5500)

Terrence Ross (SG/SF - $4400)

Other great plays: Spencer Dinwiddie (SG/PG - $6500), Will Barton (SG/SF - $5100), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (SG/SF - $5100), Josh Giddey ($4400)

Small Forward:

Kevin Porter Jr. (SF/PG - $6100)

Kyle Anderson (SF/PF - $5700)

Malik Beasley (SF/SG - $4800)

Other great plays: Lu Dort (SF/SG - $5000), Kyle Kuzma (SF/PF - $4700), Eric Gordon (SF/SG - $4600), Patrick Williams (SF/PF - $4000)

Power Forward:

Tobias Harris (PF/SF - $7200)

Wendell Carter (PF/C - $5300)

Isaiah Stewart ($5200)

Other great plays: Julius Randle (PF/C - $8600), Michael Porter Jr. (PF/SF - $7000), Robert Williams (PF/SF - $6300), Myles Turner ($6200), Aaron Gordon ($4600), Larry Nance (PF/SF - $4500), Brandon Clarke (PF/C - $4300), Isaiah Roby (PF/C - $4300), Jae Crowder (PF/SF - $4000), Jaden McDaniels ($4000)

Center:

Joel Embiid ($11000)

Mo Bamba (C/PF - $5300)

Montrezl Harrell (C/PF - $4000)

Other great plays: Nikola Jokic ($11400), Rudy Gobert ($8000), Jusuf Nurkic ($7500), Jarrett Allen (C/PF - $6900), Jonas Valanciunas ($6500), Chris Boucher (C/PF - $6300), Jakob Poeltl ($6300), Kelly Olynyk (C/PF - $5800), Daniel Gafford ($5500), Steven Adams ($5300), Mitchell Robinson ($5200), Evan Mobley (C/PF - $4800), Derrick Favors (C/PF - $4000), Grant Williams ($3500)

Cover Picture Attribution: All-Pro Reels, Joel Embiid 2019, CC BY-SA 2.0