NBA Daily Fantasy Primer: Saturday 10/20/18

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

LaMarcus Aldridge ($9,100): The San Antonio Spurs have the fourth-lowest implied total on the main slate (104.50) and are 4.0-point underdogs as they travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers. While we normally want to target higher implied totals, Aldridge looks to have a role for the Spurs that will allot him plenty of minutes and usage, the two things we care most about in DFS. In the opening game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LMA played 41 minutes and finished with a 28.8% usage rate that led to a 21-point, 19-rebound double-double. He controlled the glass, was physical in the paint, and attempted 23 shots. On a night when LeBron James and James Harden will likely see a lot of ownership given they're in the game with the slate's highest total, Aldridge could fly under the radar a bit, and he's at a price tag that is too cheap for a player of his caliber and usage.