FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Monday 12/30/19

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 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 bunch of other great resources to help give you an edge.

Daily fantasy NBA is very reliant on opportunity, so you'll need to make sure that you're up-to-date with key injuries. Our projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news, we have player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

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

Let's break down today's main slate:

The Slate

Point Guard

Eric Bledsoe ($5,600 - Probable) - Bledsoe is our model's top projected value on this slate, and for good reason. The 30-year-old is at the lowest price he's been all season and is spearheading a Bucks team that is first in pace and nearly every single other offensive category. Bled has posted 30 or more fantasy points in 54 percent of his games this season, and has only had one game with fewer than 20. As you can see, Bledsoe has a reliable floor -- but what of his ceiling? Well, in his last game against these very same Chicago Bulls, Bledsoe posted a season-high 49.5 FanDuel points. He also had a 47.8-point game against the Bulls last season.

Jeff Teague ($5,200) - Teague has scored at least 18 fantasy points in nine consecutive games, including outings of 51.8, 38.2, and 36.3 during that period. The veteran point guard is averaging 33 FanDuel points over his last four home contests. Teague is in a great position to pay dividends in DFS, as he's going up against a Brooklyn Nets that's allowing the most real-life points and third-most fantasy points to point guards this season. Needing only 26 points to reach 5x value, our model has Teague projected as the fourth-best value at the position tonight.

Other notable picks: Damian Lillard ($8,900), D.J. Augustin ($4,000), Derrick Rose ($5,900).

Shooting Guard

Devin Booker ($7,100) - It's not often that you can get a player with Booker's upside for just $7.1K, but here we are. In his last five road games, Booker has had performances of 41.6, 49.3, 53.6, and 68.1 fantasy points. The 23-year-old needs just 35.5 points to return 5x value, and that's a number he's topped in 10 of his last 13 games. You're going to want some exposure to the game with the highest over/under, and the Phoenix Suns also have the second-highest implied total on the slate. Booker is a stud option at a value price tonight.

Jimmy Butler ($8,700) - Speaking of studs, you might want to have some Butler shares tonight. The Washington Wizards are surrendering the most real-life points and second-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season. The 27.24 real-life points Washington is allowing to the position are a half-point more than any team is allowing to any other position. Butler has totaled at least 41.8 FanDuel points in four of his last five road games, and out algorithm projects him to post 46.5 tonight. He's predicted to be the sixth-best value at the position on the slate. Tyler Herro is a great option if you're looking for a cheap alternative.

Other notable picks: Evan Fournier ($5,500), Bruce Brown Jr. ($4,600), Tyler Herro ($4,200).

Small Forward

Jonathan Isaac ($6,600) - If you're looking for a well-priced option with significant upside, look no further than Jonathan Isaac. Isaac is certainly volatile, as he's posted 54.8, 29.9, and 11.0 FanDuel points over his last three road games. You never know what you're going to get, but that's where the matchup comes in. Isaac will be squaring off against an Atlanta Hawks team that's allowed the most real-life and fantasy points to small forwards this season. Isaac would need 33 points to reach 5x, which is a number he's topped 13 times already this season. The upside is certainly there, as the 22-year-old posted more than 45 fantasy points in eight of those contests.

Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,600) - Bogdanovic is priced at just $5,600 tonight, which means he needs just 28 fantasy points to reach 5x value. This season, the 30-year-old has reached that number in 55 percent of his games. That was the good news. The great news is that Bojan is going up against a Detroit Pistons team that's allowing the third-most real-life points and eighth-most fantasy points to small forwards this season. Bogdanovic has failed to score 20 real-life points in three straight games, and he hasn't had a streak of four consecutive games without 20 all season. He should be in consideration in most formats tonight.

Other notable picks: Kent Bazemore ($4,200), Derrick Jones Jr. ($4,200), Joe Harris ($4,500).

Power Forward

Christian Wood ($4,100) - Wood is in line to see more playing time with Blake Griffin out, which is great considering that he's averaging 27.9 fantasy points in the 12 games where he's seen at least 18 minutes this season. Our model projects Wood to play 27.7 minutes and post 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks plus steals, resulting in 30.7 FanDuel points. At a price of $4,100, we have him projected as the best value of the night. The Detroit Pistons being double-digit underdogs against a Utah Jazz team that's below average against power forwards bodes well for Wood -- who tends to get mop-up duty as well.

John Collins ($8,300) - In his three games since returning to Atlanta's lineup, Collins has posted 51.0, 38.2, and 56.6 FanDuel points -- the latter of which came without Trae Young in the lineup. With Young out again tonight, the Hawks will need a big performance from Collins in order to keep their game competitive. Collins is an elite rebounder at the power forward position and faces an Orlando Magic team that's allowing the most rebounds to power forwards this season. At 41.9 points, our algorithm has Collins as the highest scorer at the position, with a value slightly better than 5x.

Other notable picks: Jarrett Allen ($6,000), Royce O'Neale ($4,200), Robert Covington ($5,100).

Center

Brook Lopez ($5,000) - Another position, another Bucks player to recommend. In his last game in Chicago in November, Lopez posted a season-high 54.0 FanDuel points. The NBA's fourth-leading blocker has a chance for another monster game against a Bulls teams that's allowing the most blocks, fourth-most rebounds, and second-most fantasy points to centers this season. At a friendly price of $5K, Lopez would need just 25 points to reach 5x -- that's a number he's topped in five of his last six games. Dating back to last season, Lopez has averaged 31.2 FanDuel points in six games against the Bulls.

Other notable picks: Wendell Carter Jr. ($5,200), Nikola Vucevic ($7,900).