It’s October. That means Thursday is still considered a football night, not a basketball night, which probably explains why there’s only three games on this evening’s featured NBA slate on DraftKings.
Still, that doesn’t change the fact you’re going to need some pillars to build your lineups around. Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
C Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans, $9,200
It feels like maybe we all collectively forgot about how good Domantas Sabonis is at compiling stats after the big man missed almost all of 2025-26. Well, he’s four starts into a new season, and he currently leads the NBA in rebounds per game (16.5) and total rebounding rate (24.4%). He also just happens to be shooting 72.1% from the field. So that’s cool, too. Sabonis’ exploits on the glass have partially been a result of necessity, as the Kings’ roster is exceedingly thin at center at the moment. That’s due to injuries to both Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf). No matter. Sabonis has proven he can handle the extra responsibility, and he should thrive on Thursday in a matchup with the uptempo Pelicans, who have surrendered the most FPTS to opposing centers so far in 2026-27.
PF Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings, $7,500
I love the idea of stacking Zion Williamson with the aforementioned Sabonis, as this contest between Western Conference lightweights could end up very high scoring. It’s not that Williamson has been especially amazing so far this season — he’s averaging a modest 21.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a night — but, as hinted towards, this matchup is incredible. Sacramento owns the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating (122.1) and it’s largest issue has been protecting the paint. To wit, the Kings are conceding a league-high 55.5 opponent points in the paint per contest, which explains why they’ve also surrendered the most FPTS per game to opposing power forwards. Williamson likes to work close to the basket. 83.0% of his field goal attempts have come within 10 feet of the rim in 2026-27. Sacramento shouldn’t be able to stop the former No. 1 overall pick.
C Robert Williams, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $4,200
Editor’s Note: Trail Blazers C Robert Williams (injury management) has been downgraded to doubtful vs. the Grizzlies.
I’ll say right off the hop that I don’t think Williams is going to net you 40 FPTS tonight. However, the big man seems a little too cheap in his current role — a role that’s expanded every game he’s played in 2026-27. Williams has logged 15.3 minutes, 18.0 minutes and 20.9 minutes, respectively, in the Blazers’ first three contests. In that most recent one, Tuesday against the Lakers, Williams managed a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double along with 35.5 FPTS. That’s probably about his ceiling with Donovan Clingan ($6,100) in the starting five, but at this price, I’m not going to overlook a stable workload and an asset that’s averaging 1.40 FPTS per minute.
