NBA DFS Expert Survey: Wednesday, October, 21st

by Justin Bailey (Jbails26)

Created Oct 21, 2026

Last Updated 2026-10-21 18:32:44 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on NBA DFS today for the 10/21 main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. They’re ready to answer key questions that will assist you in making those crucial lineup-building decisions. Curious to know who our experts have as their favorite tournament play? Or perhaps you’re wondering about their favorite salary saver? Read their thoughts below!

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Wednesday, October 21

Who is your favorite player to spend up for in cash games?

Notorious: Darius Garland
Dean78904: Darius Garland (FD) / Kawhi Leonard (DK)
ncorfield8k: Darius Garland

How do you plan to beat the field of opponents in the tournaments you will be playing? What tactic or strategy will set you apart?

Notorious: I will be in the small-field tournament streets. In general, you don’t have to be super contrarian or super perfect to win these contests. Typically, you want to eat some of the chalk and then look to get a little different in a few spots. Tonight’s slate is absolutely massive, and most NBA DFS players are going to lean heavily on the projections. This is going to lead to inflated ownership on players that project slightly better than ones that don’t. I’m going to eat some of the chalk with Darius Garland on both sites, Dennis Schroder on DraftKings, and Isaiah Jackson on FanDuel, but I think it’s a great slate to take chances on players who project slightly worse than others since they’ll come with big discounts in ownership.

Dean78904: I tend to focus on single-entry and smaller-field contests where the chalk tends to condense. I like to take a stand on a player or two or build out a mini game stack as my way to be different in those contests. I find myself disproportionately liking players from bad teams, with Memphis, Washington, Utah, and the Clippers providing some of my top targets. In fact, my favorite games to stack are UTA/MEM and SAC/LAC.

ncorfield8k: I will be paying close attention to NBA starting lineups and NBA injury reports for potential value opening up. Deni Avdija is questionable, so there could be elite late-swap opportunities if he ends up sitting. I won’t go out of my way to game stack on a slate this large, but I will lean into some of the games with higher totals. I particularly like the IND/NOP, MIN/MIA, and UTA/MEM games.

Who is your favorite play (when considering price, matchup, roster construction, etc.) on the board and why?

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