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The NBA season is in full effect at this point, along with daily fantasy basketball. October 23rd introduces back-to-back debuts for any team within the association, with seven rosters set to see the floor after playing last night.
Back-to-back games can be tricky to maneuver for fantasy basketball participants because of changing variables. If a certain player has just logged 30 minutes the night prior, then the chances of underwhelming play increase while bench players gain more opportunities. You also have to take into account how close their previous matchup was, their opponents' rest, etc.
There are eight NBA games scheduled for October 23rd, but only seven are available for fantasy basketball owners to build a roster from on both DraftKings and FanDuel. For some reason, the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers matchups are not part of these daily fantasy basketball sites. Here are the seven other showdowns that are in play.
- Miami Heat (1-0) at Indiana Pacers (0-2)
- Dallas Mavericks (0-1) at Toronto Raptors (1-1)
- Detroit Pistons (0-1) at Chicago Bulls (2-0)
- New Orleans Pelicans (0-2) at Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0)
- Milwaukee Bucks (1-1) at San Antonio Spurs (1-1)
- Phoenix Suns (1-1) at Portland Trail Blazers (0-1)
- Memphis Grizzlies (1-0) at Los Angeles Clippers (0-1)
For the slate, here are the five forwards I would recommend for your daily fantasy basketball roster.
#5 Naz Reid
Estimated salary: $4,200
The Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that will likely be an offensive shootout with scarce defensive impact. If you also consider the fact that the Pelicans played the Bulls just one night before having to travel to Minnesota, Timberwolves players should have an added appeal to fantasy basketball owners.
Naz Reid is probably not the player that pops into most people's minds when conversing about the Wolves, he may not even be fifth. That's exactly why his fantasy basketball salary is set as low as it is.
The backup big man has proved his production and should be a staple for around 20 minutes a night in Chris Finch's gameplan. Reid is a scoring punch off the bench who can play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns or as the lone big man on the floor.
A low salary valuation accompanied by notable opportunities through playing time always catches my eye when building daily fantasy basketball rosters, and Naz Reid fits that description well.
#4 Cameron Johnson
Estimated salary: $4,000
The Phoenix Suns are on a road trip of their own. The defending Western Conference champions are scheduled to play the Trail Blazers after a grueling battle with the Los Angeles Lakers last night that resulted in a huge victory.
Coming away with a win against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook was priority number one, and that means mission accomplished. However, the close nature of the game led to heavy minutes for the entirety of Phoenix's starting lineup: Chris Paul (29 minutes), Devin Booker (34), Mikal Bridges (35), Jae Crowder (35) and Deandre Ayton (33).
I would expect increased roles from their bench in Portland, which lacks notable depth. Cameron Johnson is a safe bet to be their primary option outside the starting five, and his fantasy basketball salary is low.
#3 Keldon Johnson
Estimated Salary: $4,900 - $5,700
The San Antonio Spurs roster is filled with youth, in outlier fashion for the seasoned legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. In fact, this is the youngest group of talent that Popovich has ever manned in his career, headlined by Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Jakob Poeltl and Keldon Johnson.
Keldon Johnson was the young buck on this past summer's Team USA Olympic roster that took home the gold metal. That experience, combined with a gained trust from his head coach, lined up the 2021-22 season as a breakout opportunity for Johnson.
So far, it has been just that, and fantasy basketball owners should keep tabs on breakouts. Players with notable upticks in production compared to the prior season will still be priced lowly, as you can see here.
Keldon Johnson did play 37 minutes last night, but his set fantasy basketball salary is simply too low to not garner serious consideration.
#2 Jerami Grant
Estimated salary: $6,700 - $7,400
The Detroit Pistons fanbase is patiently awaiting the debut of the first overall pick who fell into their lap in the 2021 NBA Draft. Cade Cunningham does not have a set arrival date, but it should not be all too long for those in the Motor City.
Meanwhile, Dwane Casey will continue to revolve the offense around Jerami Grant. Grant led the team in scoring last season with 22.3 points while also tallying 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks on average. The second highest scorer on the roster for a notable amount of time was Josh Jackson at 13.4 points.
A clear first option on a team usually draws a much higher fantasy basketball salary. The well-rested Pistons will face a tired Bulls roster from a matchup the night before.
#1 Scottie Barnes
Estimated salary: $4,000 - $5,100
If anyone claims to expect Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes to score more than 20 points within his first two games in uniform, they are almost certainly lying. There were probably more people who thought Barnes would not surpass 20 more than twice in the entire season.
Similar to breakout candidates, fantasy basketball players should keep tabs on incoming rookies as they tend to have lower salaries. Scottie Barnes has outperformed his current evaluation in both of his games so far, especially last night against Boston with a total of 45 fantasy basketball points.
Barnes did participate in 35 minutes of NBA action last night, but the Raptors comfortably blew out Boston by a total of 115-83. Scottie Barnes is a rookie who you should strongly consider drafting to your daily fantasy basketball roster.
Guess the Lakers players!
