NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, Oct. 21 include Jalen Johnson — SkimNews
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- NBA's Wednesday slate features 22 teams in action, sharply expanding the DFS player pool after Tuesday's three-game opening, with season debuts for Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant and Cooper Flagg and team debuts for Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant.
- Luka Doncic headlines as the most expensive player on both DraftKings and FanDuel as the Lakers host Steph Curry and the Warriors to open the post-LeBron James era.
- Jalen Johnson ($9,000 DK, $9,700 FD) is a core McClure pick after averaging career highs of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists last season, with 13 triple-doubles trailing only Nikola Jokic's 34, including a 24-15-13 line against Wednesday's opponent Orlando.
- Jalen Suggs ($5,600 DK, $6,500 FD) draws a usage bump with Orlando teammate Anthony Black (ankle) out, projecting past 30 minutes after averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in games he logged 35-plus minutes last season.
- Mike McClure builds picks using a proprietary model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, accounting for matchups, statistical trends and injuries; the DFS pro has more than $2 million in career winnings.
- McClure flagged a third Wednesday pick tied to what the article calls an optimal matchup, but the specific identity is gated behind a SportsLine subscription.
Why it matters: Wednesday's jump from three games Tuesday to 22 games creates a far deeper DFS player pool, raising both the upside and the cost of lineup mistakes - and the article explicitly spotlights whether premium-priced players like Doncic and Johnson justify their tags. Underneath the slate, mid-tier prices like Suggs at $5,600 become more interesting when an injury (Anthony Black out) pushes minutes into the 35-plus range where his per-minute production last season was close to a triple-double pace.
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