Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DFS DraftKings Optimal Rankings for Oct. 29
There are only three games on the October 29 NBA schedule, but plenty of stars are in action, including Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul George. Each team will take the floor for the second time this season, meaning DraftKings daily fantasy players finally have some real data to go on.
Thursday's contests provide a great opportunity to take advantage of low salaries that haven't yet adjusted to early results. Several unexpected starters can still be had at benchwarmer prices.
Below are rankings for the top three names at every position, as well as a value pick for each.
| PG | Chris Paul | Jeff Teague | Mike Conley |
| SG | Monta Ellis | Kyle Korver | Wesley Matthews |
| SF | Paul George | Carmelo Anthony | Paul Pierce |
| PF | Blake Griffin | Paul Millsap | Dirk Nowitzki |
| C | Marc Gasol | Al Horford | DeAndre Jordan |
Value Picks
PG Raymond Felton, Dallas Mavericks ($3,000) at Los Angeles Clippers
With Chandler Parsons hurt, Raymond Felton has taken over a spot in the Mavericks' starting lineup at shooting guard. In Dallas' opener, Felton logged 33 minutes while scoring 18 points and dishing out six assists. He also chipped in four rebounds and knocked down two of his three long-range attempts.
First-string point guard Deron Williams is on a minutes restriction as he returns from a calf strain, something that bodes well for Felton's playing time. Williams also bruised his knee in Wednesday's contest, which could further impact his availability on the second night of a back-to-back.
Per Odds Shark, the over/under for this game is 210.5, easily the highest on the board and an encouraging sign for the fantasy value of all players involved.
SG Sasha Vujacic, New York Knicks ($3,000) vs. Atlanta Hawks
As is the case with Felton, Sasha Vujacic is another unlikely starter who's still available at the minimum $3,000 salary. CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie noted just how surprising Vujacic's position is:
Taking the place of the injured Arron Afflalo, Vujacic tallied 29 minutes in New York's victory Wednesday. His 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, four steals and one three-pointer resulted in 31.5 fantasy points.
If the 31-year-old veteran can come close to repeating that production against Atlanta, he'll be quite the bargain. On Tuesday, the Hawks surrendered 31 fantasy points to Detroit Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
SF Paul George, Indiana Pacers ($8,200) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Any lingering questions about Paul George's health should be put to rest by the highlight-reel dunk in the above video.
Playing his first full game since 2013-14, George exploded for 50 fantasy points in Indiana's season debut, the second-highest total in the league Wednesday. Even more impressive is the fact that George put up that number despite going 4-of-17 from the floor and 0-of-4 on threes—a poor shooting performance he is unlikely to repeat.
The transition to power forward had positive early effects on George's rebounding, as he grabbed a team-high 12 boards. Along with his 17 points and eight assists, George posted a double-double and nearly a triple-double. He was also on the floor for 37 minutes during the Pacers' narrow defeat in Toronto.
Indiana is a 2.5-point underdog to the Grizzlies, so expect George to once again see extended playing time.
PF Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,000) at Los Angeles Clippers
In addition to the injuries to Parsons and Williams, Dallas is also watching the minutes of small forward Wesley Matthews. With three of the Mavericks' top scoring options out or less than 100 percent, Dirk Nowitzki is in line to shoulder more of the offensive load than usual.
Despite playing only 21 minutes during the Mavericks' rout of the Phoenix Suns Wednesday, Nowitzki fell just one rebound shy of a double-double. In three matchups with the Clippers last season, Nowitzki averaged 19 points, five rebounds and 1.3 made three-point field goals per contest.
NumberFire projects Nowitzki to score 37 fantasy points, the seventh-most of any player in action Thursday. In relation to his $6,000 price tag, it's the second-best point-per-dollar value available.
C Ian Mahinmi, Indiana Pacers ($3,900) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Even though he's the starter, Ian Mahinmi costs less than fellow Indiana centers Jordan Hill ($4,500) and Myles Turner ($4,100). In the Pacers' first game, Mahinmi played 25 minutes compared to Hill's 23 and Turner's zero.
However, as the club's Twitter account noted, Mahinmi's evening ended prematurely:
"Ian Mahinmi has fouled out and finishes the night with 10pts/8rebs/3asts.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 29, 2015"
In addition to his points, rebounds and assists, Mahinmi filled up the box score with two blocks and two steals for a total of 32 fantasy points.
Mahinmi averaged 4.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game last year. But given starters playing time, he's clearly a double-double threat and a steal at $3,900.
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via NBA.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.
Enter the DraftKings NBA Sharpshooter contest today. Use Promo Code BLEACHER REPORT when you sign up.
