NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 1/1/18

If you're new to daily fantasy basketball -- maybe you started your DFS journey during the MLB or NFL seasons, or maybe basketball is your sport and this will be your first year giving it a shot -- you're in for a treat. The NBA scene changes hugely on a week-to-week, day-to-day, and -- depending on injury news -- even a minute-to-minute basis, making every slate a unique one that requires an ever-changing approach.

With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you out. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer, and a ton of other great resources to help give you an edge.

We'll also be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each price point.

Let's take a look at who you should target on today's main slate.

Best of the Best

Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,600) - From mid-November to early December, Towns was stuck in an uncharacteristic, low-scoring rut. During this 11-game skid, he topped 50 FanDuel points only once and 40 FanDuel points only twice. He flipped a switch, however, and in the 12 games since, he has eight games of at least 48 FanDuel points, including a 63.8-point effort yesterday against the Pacers. He will look to continue his hot streak tonight against a Los Angeles Lakers team against whom he scored 48 FanDuel points one week ago today. Tonight's matchup sets up well for him to repeat or exceed that output. The Minnesota Timberwolves have an implied total of 114, highest on the slate, and the Lakers are giving up 54.96 FanDuel points per game to opposing centers, second most in the league. There is some risk of blowout here given the 10-point spread; the Lakers played two overtimes last night and might be gassed. Still, the upside here is undeniable, and he's the clear top center on the board.