NBA DraftKings DFS Picks: Best Plays for October 27, 2026

Overall slate thoughts

De’Aaron Fox, John Collins and Deni Avdija are our starting points for Tuesday’s four-game DraftKings NBA slate. Fox supplies affordable playmaking, Collins gives us a better way to attack Detroit’s depleted frontcourt than blindly chasing the starting center, and Avdija keeps a late-game ceiling in a forward slot. Luka Doncic is our preferred expensive guard. Victor Wembanyama leads the alternative center-first construction.

The October 27 four-game slate starts at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Portland at the Lakers not tipping until 11 p.m. ET. We want enough flexibility to react to news without filling the final spots with players whose minutes exist only in our imagination. The early-season samples below describe what has happened, not a promise that shooting percentages, steals or minutes will repeat.

Game	Tip-off ET	Our approach
Brooklyn at Boston	7:30 p.m.	Monitor White’s probable status; Randle is a competitive-game tournament option.
Detroit at New York	8 p.m.	Collins first; separate Duren’s confirmed absence from the unresolved perimeter rotation.
Sacramento at San Antonio	8 p.m.	Fox and Achiuwa fit many builds; choose an expensive center deliberately.
Portland at Los Angeles Lakers	11 p.m.	Avdija and Lillard offer different Portland paths; keep late players movable.

Our preferred tournament shapes are one premium player with credible midrange roles, or a balanced build that avoids asking two expensive teammates to dominate the same possessions. We are not assigning ownership percentages or calling a player contrarian without evidence. A different lineup can come from its combination and game script, not simply picking worse players.

Core Plays

De’Aaron Fox, SAS, $6,300, PG

Fox has 25 assists against 31 field-goal attempts through three games, playing 28 to 34 minutes.

We like the price for a facilitator who can contribute without needing to lead San Antonio in shots. The countercase matters: sharing the floor with Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Wembanyama limits how much scoring volume we should expect. We prefer him as the affordable guard beside a premium scorer, and Fox with Wembanyama is a sensible two-player pairing because a made basket can also create an assist. We would not automatically add a third expensive Spur.

John Collins, DET, $5,800, PF/C

Collins played 34 minutes Sunday, collecting 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks; he attempted 15 shots in consecutive games.

With Jalen Duren out, we prefer Collins to assuming Paul Reed absorbs every available center minute. The extra $600 buys PF/C eligibility and a role that can work beside another big. That flexibility is especially valuable if we want Wembanyama at center. New York’s size still creates a real foul and matchup risk. We want the shots and positional options, not a forecast built on another unusually efficient shooting night.

Deni Avdija, POR, $7,800, SF/PF

Avdija took 16 shots in both games, including Friday’s 26-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance.

He is our preferred Portland forward because we can build around several routes to production rather than only three-point makes. Pairing him with one Portland guard is reasonable in a competitive late-game script. Paying for every Portland creator is less appealing: there is still one ball, and the salary savings disappear quickly. We would rather preserve Avdija’s forward eligibility than force another expensive point guard into a crowded backcourt. The risk is a quieter possession share if the guards control the scoring.

Luka Doncic, LAL, $11,300, PG

Doncic has attempted 69 shots and 27 free throws through three games. NBA.com’s Week 2 analysis put his usage at 41.8% and Austin Reaves’ true shooting at 82.0% through three games.

The workload makes Doncic our preferred premium guard. Reaves at $7,900 is a viable alternate construction, not someone we need to pair with Luka automatically. With both, the rest of the lineup becomes much more sensitive to thin value, while the exceptional early efficiency should cool eventually. We prefer Luka plus one inexpensive complementary piece, or a Wembanyama build that spends the difference elsewhere.

Why not start with Cade Cunningham or Jalen Brunson?

Cunningham, $9,700, PG: Cunningham has 24 assists and 45 field-goal attempts through three games. He remains a strong all-around alternative, but we prefer either Fox’s $3,400 saving or paying $1,600 more for Luka’s heavier offensive workload. Duren’s absence alone does not persuade us to pay up for every Detroit piece. Cade with Collins is a reasonable alternative if that combination produces a stronger eight-player lineup.

Brunson, $8,100, PG: Brunson has taken 64 shots but recorded 11 assists through three games. His scoring volume keeps him in the tournament pool, particularly if Thompson sits. We prefer Fox’s $1,800 saving in the primary build because it protects the forward spending. Brunson can beat that choice with a hot shooting night; we simply need that scoring bet to improve the entire lineup.

GPP Plays

Victor Wembanyama, SAS, $10,800, C

Wembanyama has 33 rebounds and 12 blocks through three games, with 18 and 21 shots in his last two.

He is our first center-first tournament spend. Sacramento’s missing frontcourt depth gives us a logical matchup angle. The best version of this build has Sacramento competitive enough to preserve a full fourth quarter, with Wembanyama producing at both ends. A lopsided game or a quieter defensive-event night is the countercase. We like Fox beside him and one Kings return, rather than forcing an entire game stack.

Domantas Sabonis, $9,400, C, is the alternative. Sabonis has collected 18, 19 and 15 rebounds, with 21 assists across those games. His passing and rebounding offer a different ceiling mechanism, while the $1,400 saving matters. We still respect Wembanyama’s rim protection and the foul risk. Using both expensive centers consumes C and UTIL and $20,200, so that pairing needs a specific competitive-game thesis, not just two attractive box scores.

Zach LaVine, SAC, $6,500, SG/SF

LaVine has played 34, 39 and 40 minutes, attempting 27 threes and 23 free throws across three games.

This is our preferred Sacramento scoring value. The salary is $400 below Darius Acuff Jr., and SG/SF eligibility makes him easier to fit. The Spurs’ length makes this a tougher scoring assignment, but the combination of playing time, perimeter volume and free throws is attractive at a midrange price. He works as the Kings side of a Fox or Wembanyama pairing. We would be more selective about combining him with both Acuff and Sabonis, because that asks too much of one offense.

Damian Lillard, POR, $6,600, PG/SG

Lillard attempted 10 threes in each game and played 33 minutes Friday. Ja Morant played 23 and 27 minutes, with 15 assists across the two games.

We prefer Lillard’s shooting route in tournaments at only $200 more than Morant. Lillard with Avdija gives us a perimeter scorer and a forward who can contribute elsewhere. The obvious failure case is cold shooting. Scoot Henderson’s status adds another rotation variable, but we do not need to assume he is out to consider Lillard.

Julius Randle, BKN, $7,200, PF

Randle has 19 assists and 27 free-throw attempts through three games; Sunday’s blowout reduced his playing time to 24 minutes.

Randle is our Brooklyn option for builds that expect this game to remain competitive. We like having passing and foul-drawing routes instead of demanding an outlier shooting night from a wing. The downside is the game script itself: another big deficit can remove the late minutes needed to justify this price. PF-only eligibility also puts him in direct competition with cheaper forwards. If Boston’s later news makes a Celtic attractive, Randle is a reasoned opposing piece, not a mandatory bring-back.

Value Plays

Precious Achiuwa, SAC, $5,000, PF/C

Achiuwa has played at least 25 minutes in all three games; Sunday brought 12 points, 10 rebounds and five combined steals and blocks.

We prefer his existing role to a minimum-salary player who needs an unexpected promotion. Sacramento’s absences support the opportunity, and PF/C eligibility keeps our options open. Spurs reporter Jeff McDonald lists Achiuwa among Sacramento’s probable starters, not a confirmed game-night five. Foul pressure against the Spurs can still disrupt his minutes. At this salary, the appeal survives a less spectacular line if the role holds.

Ziaire Williams, LAL, $3,900, SG/SF

Williams played 31 and 30 minutes in the last two games, but attempted only seven and nine shots.

This is our preferred inexpensive Lakers wing. We can use him as a complementary scorer without pretending he will take offense away from Luka and Reaves. The playing time gives the price a credible path, but low shot volume leaves little protection if the threes miss and the defensive stats disappear. Reconfirm the rotation before treating his previous role as tonight’s assignment.

Daniss Jenkins, DET, $4,800, PG/SG: conditional value

Jenkins’ minutes rose from 15 to 22 to 38; Sunday’s line included 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

We want him most if Ausar Thompson remains out and Detroit keeps Jenkins in an expanded role. Thompson returning without a restriction would weaken the case substantially; Isaiah Joe’s availability also matters. The assist and rebound involvement make Jenkins more interesting than a pure shooter, but Sunday’s workload is not his automatic baseline. He stays out of our example lineup so it does not depend on an unresolved Detroit absence.

Injury-related thoughts

The official NBA injury report at 6:15 p.m. ET Tuesday is the basis for this pre-slate update. Availability and starting assignments are separate questions.

• Boston: Derrick White is probable and Devin Carter is out. Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta are not listed on the submitted report. That is not confirmation of the starting lineup or unrestricted minutes, and it does not establish an injury-driven promotion for Queta.
• Detroit: Duren is out; Thompson and Joe are questionable. Collins benefits from the confirmed frontcourt absence. Jenkins is the conditional perimeter play. Avoid treating all three situations as already resolved.
• New York: Jose Alvarado is out. That alone does not establish a large backup-guard workload.
• Sacramento and San Antonio: Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell and Ben Simmons are out for the Kings. Tobias Harris and Jayden Quaintance are out for the Spurs.
• Portland and the Lakers: Henderson remains questionable; Branden Carlson is available and Shaedon Sharpe is out. Walker Kessler is available. Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are out for Los Angeles.

Recheck White’s final status and Boston’s starting lineup before the first game locks. For Portland news, preserve affordable alternatives in the late game instead of assuming an earlier player remains available for a swap. A questionable designation is not a reason to invent a replacement starter.

High-risk/high-reward plays

Darius Acuff Jr., SAC, $6,900, PG/SG

Acuff has attempted 24, 26 and 23 shots while making 24 of 73 overall; his minutes have stayed between 35 and 37.

The opportunity is substantial enough to deserve attention despite the rough efficiency. We would use him as an alternative to LaVine in a tournament build, not automatically beside every other Kings scorer. Better shooting could turn that volume into an outsized result. The Spurs make that conversion harder, and paying more than LaVine means we should be deliberate. The appeal is a real offensive role with an uncertain conversion rate.

Matisse Thybulle, LAL, $3,800, SF/PF

Thybulle has played 23 to 26 minutes, with nine combined steals and blocks through three games.

He is our cheaper, more volatile forward alternative. Defensive events can make this salary work quickly, but they are difficult to count on, and a low-volume offensive role leaves a poor floor when they do not arrive. We prefer Ziaire Williams first; using both is a specific stars-and-value tournament bet. It should not be mistaken for two secure bargains.

Paul Reed, $5,200, C: Reed played 23 minutes Sunday with eight rebounds, three blocks and four fouls. He is playable while Duren is out, particularly when the savings buy a meaningful upgrade elsewhere. We still prefer Collins’ flexibility; Reed’s foul trouble is a particular concern against Towns.

A discount we are not chasing automatically: Mikal Bridges at $5,000. Bridges has attempted 23 shots and no free throws through three games. A shooting rebound would help, but the concern is involvement as well as accuracy. We want a reason for the role to improve before making him a core value.

Lineup construction and example

This is a $50,000 tournament example, not a cash-game recommendation or a projection of the optimal lineup. It demonstrates the Wembanyama route while retaining Fox, Collins and Avdija. None of the eight players below is listed on the cited pre-slate injury report. That is not confirmation of starting assignments or unrestricted minutes. Recheck news and the actual contest before entering.

Slot	Player	Team	Salary
PG	De’Aaron Fox	SAS	$6,300
SG	Damian Lillard	POR	$6,600
SF	Matisse Thybulle	LAL	$3,800
PF	John Collins	DET	$5,800
C	Victor Wembanyama	SAS	$10,800
G	Ziaire Williams	LAL	$3,900
F	Precious Achiuwa	SAC	$5,000
UTIL	Deni Avdija	POR	$7,800
Total			$50,000

The construction bets on Fox and Wembanyama connecting, Achiuwa contributing enough to keep his salary useful, and the late game supporting Avdija and Lillard while the cheaper Lakers wings chip in. Its biggest weakness is also clear: Williams and Thybulle can both disappoint without much offensive volume, while fading Luka is dangerous. We accept that tradeoff only as a tournament choice.

Avdija occupies UTIL rather than an early-locking specialist. With Williams in G, the four 11 p.m. players remain spread across SG, SF, G and UTIL. That does not make every swap possible, but it preserves more combinations than locking flexible players into unnecessary restrictions. If late news undermines either Lakers wing, rebuild the late group rather than forcing a one-for-one replacement that does not fit.

For a less volatile construction, consider a balanced lineup with Josh Hart at $6,100 or OG Anunoby at $5,700 instead of forcing a premium center and two cheap wings. Hart is SG/SF eligible; Anunoby is PF-only on this slate. Salary left unused is preferable to adding a fragile punt solely to reach the cap.

Our order: Fox, Collins and Avdija as the starting framework; Doncic for the premium-guard route; Wembanyama for the center-first alternative. Achiuwa and Williams provide the most useful cheaper building blocks, with Jenkins dependent on Detroit news. Keep Acuff and Thybulle for builds that deliberately embrace their risks.

Explore the Cover The Slate NBA Research Center for more free NBA DFS analysis.