NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Opening Night

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Opening Night

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

LAL at DEN: Lakers, Nuggets went 2-2 in 2022/23 season series. 

PHX at GSW: Suns won season series 3-1 against Warriors last year. 

For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

Injuries to Monitor  

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report       

LAL - Jarred Vanderbilt (heel): OUT
Look for Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Taurean Prince to pick up added opportunity. 

PHX - Devin Booker (toe): Questionable, Bradley Beal (back): Doubtful 
Jordan Goodwin, Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon and Keon Johnson are all potential backups. 

GSW - Draymond Green (ankle): OUT
Kevon Looney, Dario Saric and Jonathan Kuminga could see more minutes 

Elite Players

Guards

Jamal Murray, Nuggets ($7,500) vs. Lakers 

Hot off an NBA Championship, Murray has all the reason to walk into the season with confidence and a sense of comfort to his game. He is likely to establish an advantage against the Lakers' backcourt defense and has a good chance to find an early groove on home court. Murray averaged 22.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals in four games against the Lakers last season. 

Stephen Curry, Warriors ($9,200) vs. Suns

Curry is coming off the third-highest scoring year of his career, showing that he is still one of the league's top offensive threats. He averaged 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists across four meetings with the Suns last season, including one game with 50 points. He benefits from home-court advantage against a Suns team that will be adjusting to a new and unique situation in the backcourt. 

Forwards/Centers

LeBron James, Lakers ($9,300) at Nuggets 

James has shown few signs of slowing down, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks through 16 postseason games to close out the 2022-23 campaign. With a full summer of rest, James should be ready to come out strong and help his team establish a winning mentality early in the season. He averaged 25.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals over three encounters with the Nuggets last season. 

Kevin Durant, Suns ($8,400) at Warriors 

Durant averaged 29.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.4 blocks through 11 postseason games to finish off the 2022-23 campaign. He only got to experience a small sample with the Suns, after coming over in a trade, but he looked to be a seamless fit and should be ready to lead another push for the top. There is a lot of talent on the Suns' newly bolstered roster, but Durant may also have an added personal drive to shine against his former squad.  

Jusuf Nurkic, Suns ($6,300) at Warriors 

Nurkic was closed down early with a knee injury last season, but the big man averaged 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 52 games played. He is up for a fresh new start with the Suns and ideally, should be a great fit as a strong presence down low to counter-balance their abundance of outside-scoring talent.

Expected Chalk 

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ($10,000) vs. Lakers 

Jokic plays his first home game since winning the NBA Championship in June. He was already dominant, averaging 23.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.3 steals through four meetings with the Lakers last season, but he is likely to have an extra swagger and look to reinforce his point to the high-aspiring team from L.A..

Value Picks

Chris Paul, Warriors ($5,600) vs. Suns 

Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 32 minutes per game through 59 appearances for the Suns last season. The veteran point guard is set to open a new chapter in his career, with his first game as a member of the Warriors. Paul has a great opportunity to help facilitate an offense filled with scorers, and he is in position to benefit by picking up easy assists and open shot opportunities. 

Gabe Vincent, Lakers ($4,500) at Nuggets 

Vincent is set for his debut with the Lakers, after he averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists and went to the NBA Finals with the Heat last season. He is expected to fit in as backup to D'Angelo Russell, but Vincent has shown that he can step up as a scorer and could end up in a sixth-man role, as well. 

Taurean Prince, Lakers ($3,500) at Nuggets 

Prince will be playing on his fourth team in four years, but he has been able to display good potential and come up with some key plays at every stop along the way. He is expected to come off the bench as a backup for LeBron James and can earn added floor time with his solid three-point shooting. 

Andrew Wiggins, Warriors ($5,500) vs. Suns 

Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.2 minutes per game last season. Now entering his fifth year with the Warriors, Wiggins has the opportunity to continue to shine as a top offensive option for the squad, especially with guys like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson moving towards the latter part of their prime. 

Dario Saric, Warriors ($3,400) vs. Suns 

Saric joined the Warriors in the offseason, and his play-making presence from the big-man position should fit nicely with the Warriors dynamic. Saric is in line for added minutes while Draymond Green (ankle) is listed as out. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NBA Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NBA fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
Fantasy Basketball Week 3: Biggest Questions from Managers
Fantasy Basketball Week 3: Biggest Questions from Managers
NBA Picks & Player Props Today: Bets for Monday, Nov. 4
NBA Picks & Player Props Today: Bets for Monday, Nov. 4
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, November 4
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, November 4
NBA Fantasy Week 3 Start/Sit: Tre Mann Over Jamal Murray?
NBA Fantasy Week 3 Start/Sit: Tre Mann Over Jamal Murray?
Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Start/Sit: Is Gradey Dick Here to Stay?
Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Start/Sit: Is Gradey Dick Here to Stay?
Week 2 Fantasy Basketball Recap: Here Come the Injuries
Week 2 Fantasy Basketball Recap: Here Come the Injuries