NBA DFS Picks Today: Best FanDuel Plays for Friday, October 23

Friday’s Best NBA DFS Plays at a Glance

• Victor Wembanyama, Spurs ($11,600)
• Cade Cunningham, Pistons ($9,800)
• Mikal Bridges, Knicks ($5,000)

If you're looking for a fun way to get in on the NBA season, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published.

FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs ($11,600)

Victor Wembanyama offers arguably the highest raw ceiling on the entire slate. The San Antonio Spurs’ star has the ability to accumulate points from rebounds, blocks, threes and scoring makes him particularly valuable. At $11,600, he requires a significant investment, but few players can match his paths to a slate-breaking performance.

Cade Cunningham, Pistons ($9,800)

The combination of ceiling and salary makes Cade Cunningham one of my favorite plays today. The Detroit Pistons’ lead guard opened the year with 22 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal and a block, once again illustrating how many statistical categories he can impact.

He brings to the table an excellent combination of raw production and point-per-dollar value for a player salaried below the slate's elite tier.

Jalen Johnson, Hawks ($9,500)

Jalen Johnson showed exactly why his fantasy ceiling is so enticing in the Atlanta Hawks' opener. Johnson piled up 20 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists despite playing fewer than 28 minutes because of foul trouble.

He also posted a 33.8% usage rate in that game. Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists last season, so a triple-double is within his range of outcomes virtually any night. He’s capable of another big game today versus the Charlotte Hornets.

Fred VanVleet, Rockets ($6,100)

Fred VanVleet stands out as one of the stronger midrange. The Houston Rockets’ guard didn't score much in Houston's opener, but he still produced 11 assists, 3 steals and a block in roughly 30 minutes, showing that he doesn't need a big scoring night to return fantasy value.

If his shot falls while he maintains that peripheral production, there's room for him to significantly outperform his salary.

Stephon Castle, Spurs ($6,600)

Stephon Castle is another appealing midrange pick, particularly because he contributes in more areas than pure scoring. His combination of ball-handling duties, rebounding and defensive production gives him a sturdy fantasy profile when his minutes are elevated.

With De'Aaron Fox carrying a questionable designation because of a wrist issue, Castle's ceiling could increase further if San Antonio needs him to handle more of the offense.

Mikal Bridges, Knicks ($5,000)

At only $5,000, Mikal Bridges provides the salary relief needed to fit players such as Wembanyama or Cunningham while still rostering a proven starter for the New York Knicks.

Bridges is the type of player who can rack up minutes and contribute across points, rebounds, assists, steals and threes, giving him a much healthier floor than we typically get from a player in this salary range.

Check out our favorite NBA predictions for today.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.