NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/1/19

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,400): Ranking second in the NBA with 55.4 FanDuel points per game, Giannis has been particularly good recently, dropping at least 67 in three straight and having notched at least 74 twice in his last 13. His minutes are down this year (33.9 per game are his fewest since the 2014-15 season) but thanks to a career-high .597 effective field goal percentage, his 10.0 field goals per game are the most of his career, and his 26.6 points per game are 0.3 off his best mark. He's adding career highs in both rebounds (12.8) and assists (6.1) while notching a combined 2.8 steals and blocks per game. The Detroit Pistons rank well in both rebound rate (6th) and defensive rating (11th) while playing at a middling pace (16th), but the floor offered by Giannis' well-rounded production makes him a solid play even in the tough matchup.