NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Thursday, Oct. 22 include Jalen Williams — SkimNews
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- Thursday's NBA slate features just two games — Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — headlined by LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Nikola Jokic is the most expensive player on both DraftKings and FanDuel as the Nuggets and Cavaliers open their 2026-27 seasons, per the source.
- SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS professional with over $2 million in career winnings, locked in his top picks using a model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times.
- Peyton Watson ($4,700 on DraftKings, $5,300 on FanDuel) is among McClure's top picks; the fifth-year forward joined Cleveland this offseason after averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks across 54 games (40 starts) with Denver last year.
- Jalen Williams ($6,400 on DraftKings, $6,800 on FanDuel) is another anchor pick; the former No. 12 overall pick posted career highs of 5.5 assists last season alongside 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
- Oklahoma City opened its season with a 116-104 win over the Spurs, in which Williams scored 12 points with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 30 minutes of action.
- McClure is also targeting an unnamed player with an optimal matchup who could post massive numbers — a pick the source says could be the difference between winning tournaments and going home with nothing.
Why it matters: With only two games on the slate, lineup flexibility is severely limited, making Jokic's top salary tag on both platforms especially punishing and elevating the value of mid-tier picks like Williams ($6,400/$6,800) and Watson ($4,700/$5,300) for DFS entrants trying to build competitive lineups.
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