Sean Barnard makes his DraftKings Pick6 selections for the October 25th slate of NBA games.
The first Friday of the NBA season is here and loaded with a 10-game slate of action. The Pacers and Knicks will face off on ESPN in an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals rematch while the Lakers and Suns will face off on the back end of the National double-header. There are several other intriguing games as well such as the Grizzlies vs. Rockets and Jazz vs. Warriors squaring off.
This provides many options for what to watch and even more options for how to get involved in the action. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for Oct. 25 as we simply choose if a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for the first Friday night of action.
The New York Knicks were among the most active teams across the entire NBA this offseason. After falling short to the Pacers in the second round of the playoffs, the organization made several adjustments to climb to a true championship contender. Once known for their depth, the Knicks traded in several pieces to upgrade the top-end roster talent. They were willing to do this, at least partially, because they trusted fourth-year guard Miles McBride to take a leap.
After averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game in each of the first three seasons of his career, McBride may be a darkhorse Sixth Man of the Year candidate this season. In his debut, McBride logged 26 minutes of action in which he tallied 22 points and a pair of assists. He shot 8-10 from the field overall and knocked down four three-pointers. While this wasn’t enough to turn around the game in the blowout loss to the Celtics, McBride’s role on the team is clear.
Heading into the second game of the season, expect McBride to see a similar opportunity. This first began in last year’s playoffs where his minutes per game climbed to 26.7. He averaged 11.0 points per game during this stretch and tallied more than 10.5 points in six of the 13 games. McBride has now fully found his stride and these types of performances will become even more regular. Expect him to settle into a regular shot diet of 8-14 shots per game and for the former West Virginia standout to record more than 10.5 points for the second consecutive game to start the year.
LaMelo Ball has been one of the biggest standouts through the opening few days of the season. The Charlotte Hornets’ star produced a strong performance in the opening matchup against the Rockets, tallying 32 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. He was at the epicenter of everything Charlotte did offensively and will continue to do so moving forward. The biggest concerns with Ball have always been more centered around his availability rather than his level of play. Ball has played just 58 of a possible 164 games across the past two seasons but looks healthy to start this year.
The Hornets are set to face off with the Hawks in what should be a high-scoring matchup. Ball will be responsible for pushing the pace and running the show for the Hornets. This is especially the case following the hip injury Brandon Miller sustained which will keep him sidelined for at least a week. Last year’s second-overall pick had a strong rookie campaign averaging 17.3 points per game and looked to break out this year. His absence will only add more to Ball’s plate.
Expect Trae Young and LaMelo Ball to go back and forth in this matchup and for both star guards to pack the stat sheet. Ball’s 6-foot-7 frame and elite passing instincts give him the edge for impacting the game in all ways. Expect him to get up a healthy amount of shots and have no problem eclipsing 40.5 combined points, assists, and rebounds in his second game of the season.
Another point guard at the core of everything his team does is Tyrese Haliburton. Last year’s All-NBA guard and playmaking leader will also be ready to make a statement as he faces off against the Knicks. These two teams battled in the playoffs with Haliburton receiving some notable knocks during the series. He now had an offseason to get fully healthy and will be ready to take things a step forward from the 21.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds he averaged during the playoff series.
While New York has built its identity by being a hard-nosed defensive-minded team, the Celtics had no problem exposing them in the opening game. The Celtics are the defending champions for a reason. The Knicks’ beatdown at the hands of Boston should not elicit major panic yet, but the Knicks’ lack of answers was concerning. This matchup with the Pacers will be a much clearer test of how they stack up, but I believe it will take some time to fully adjust to the new pieces. Karl-Anthony Towns is at the center of why their defense could take a step back, but they undoubtedly will not be as bad as the 132 points and 145 defensive rating they allowed against Boston.
Expect the Pacers to still have some success as the Knicks settle in on the year. Tyrese Haliburton will be at the epicenter of this and should still be expected to take a step forward after averaging 20.1 points, 10.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. Look for him to speed up the pace of the play and get his teammates involved early. 32.5 combined points, assists, and rebounds is too low of a margin for his talents so expect Haliburton to show up ready to play in this playoff rematch.
Throughout his 11 years in the NBA, Clint Capela has been one of the better rebounders in the league. He has averaged 10 or more rebounds per game in each of the past seven seasons including leading the NBA in rebounds per game during the the 2020-21 season. Capela has carved out a clear niche with his style of play and maximized his abilities as a screener, lob-catcher, shot-blocker, and rebounder. Unfortunately, it is time to recognize that his decline is here.
While this mostly has to do with the growth of Onyeka Okongwu rather than Capela’s decline, the opportunity for the Hawks’ big man will not be the same this season. Okongwu has seen his level of opportunity rise each year and played 25.5 minutes per game last season despite coming off the bench. To start the 2024-25 season, Okongwu logged 28 minutes, tallying 28 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. In contrast, Capela logged 20 minutes in the season-opener and tallied six points and seven rebounds.
In other situations, Capela would still be viewed as a high-level starting center, but it should be recognized that the scale of opportunity has tipped in Atlanta. Expect the Hawks to lean more heavily on Okungwu and for Capela’s opportunity to further shrink throughout the year. The 9.5 rebound tally is too high considering these factors and this is a great chance to take advantage of this early in the season before the numbers fully catch up.
The Brooklyn Nets have modest expectations for the season, but this may not have been made clear to Cam Thomas. The former LSU product had no problem stepping into the spotlight in the season opener and will continue to play this way throughout the season. Thomas has a strong case for being the least willing passer in the NBA and averaged just 2.9 assists per game last season compared to his 22.5 points per game. He also tallied just 1.5 and 1.4 assists per game in the two seasons prior.
Looking at the Nets’ roster as a whole, there are not many great options for offensive production. Ben Simmons is back on the floor but continues to be unwilling or disinterested as a scorer. Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Nic Claxton are each effective in their roles but limited in their creation ability. Jalen Wilson looks to have taken a stride forward and Dennis Schröder is capable of providing a scoring punch, but Thomas is the team’s best route for offensive production.
In the season-opener, Thomas tallied 36 points on 27 shot attempts. No other member of the Nets attempted more than 16 shots in the game. As the Nets take on the Magic, expect a similar effort level from the former 27th overall pick. While his tunnel vision is something that needs to be adjusted moving forward, it is going to take time before these strides occur. Expect him to come out shooting in this matchup and to find a way to record more than 25.5 points, even if it takes the same number of shot attempts to get there.
It was only about three weeks ago when the New York Knicks officially made the blockbuster trade to bring Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The former first-overall pick has been a foundational piece of the Timberwolves throughout the past nine seasons. This move caught everyone off guard.
While the opening night blowout loss to the Celtics was not the start Towns or the Knicks desired, better days are surely ahead. He has a great chance to endear himself to the franchise as they face off with the Pacers for the first time since they sent New York packing in last year’s playoffs. The lack of offensive weapons became clear as the injuries piled up in that series and is the primary reason why Towns was brought to New York. Expect the Knicks to unlock his abilities more in this game and for his two-man game with Jalen Brunson to have more opportunities to shine.
In the debut matchup, Towns played just 24 minutes in which he tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. His opportunity was cut short due to the 23-point loss. Tonight’s matchup should be a true first look at the new Knicks. Expect New York to try a variety of new things within the offense as they begin to figure out the best way to use the star power forward and for him to be involved in the game heavily. With the Pacers being the type of matchup Towns was brought in for, expect him to prove his worth and have a strong performance in his second game in a Knicks uniform in which he records more than 35.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists.
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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