NBA

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Sunday 3/1/20

Bradley Beal offers a monster ceiling today against Golden State. Who else should you target?

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

AwayHomeOver/UnderHome SpreadAway TotalHome TotalAway PaceHome Pace
TorontoDenverTBD-5.0TBDTBD1429
DetroitSacramento216.5-8.0104.25112.252824
LA LakersNew OrleansTBD+2.0TBDTBD134
WashingtonGolden StateTBD+4.5TBDTBD511


There is only one total posted on NBA odds as we await news on several starters on the slate, including the status of Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap, and Golden State Warriors starters Draymond Green and Jordan Poole.

Point Guard

De'Aaron Fox ($7,200): Fox is priced lower than normal likely because of his injury concern and a possible minutes restriction. He is fighting an abdomen injury, but he saw his full complement of minutes on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping 25 points in 33 minutes. The fact he is listed questionable after playing a full game is certainly worth noting, perhaps leaving the struggling Sacramento Kings an avenue to rest their best player in hopes of losing to an even worse Detroit Pistons team. If Fox sits, Cory Joseph vaults into a great value play, but I am optimistic Fox will play and produce well at this reduced price.

Jamal Murray ($6,600): The Nuggets struggled on Friday as a whole against the Los Angeles Clippers, and therefore Jamal Murray's price has plummeted to here off of three terrible games. The time might be now to buy Murray, and not just because he is a Canadian facing Toronto, if you like narratives. Murray was nuclear before the All-Star Break, averaging 29.0 points per game over his last four contests prior to the break. The only lineup shift has been Paul Millsap's return, but Millsap may miss the contest anyway with a newfound sprained ankle. If Murray returns to his pre-break averages, he should detonate the slate from this salary.

Other Notable Picks: Kyle Lowry ($7,500), Derrick Rose ($6,000)

Shooting Guard

Bradley Beal ($9,900): The cornerstone of the slate is Bradley Beal, who has been carrying the Washington Wizards. He faces a terrible Warriors team that is giving up the sixth-most points in the NBA. Beal is still sub-$10,000 despite averaging 45.0 FanDuel points per game in his last four contests. Given his volume (29.25 shots) and minutes (40) per game in those contests, it feels like the All-Star Break has finally healed the star guard, and he might be taking out his All-Star snub on the league the rest of the year. There is not a plethora of value on such a small slate, but this is not the place to save salary or dodge hefty ownership. Spend some on Beal.

Damion Lee ($5,800): With Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman both nursing an ankle injury and D'Angelo Russell now in Minnesota, the Dubs have found themselves without a clear option at point guard. That is incredibly unfortunate against a Wizards team that gives up the most FanDuel points to opposing point guards. While they are without an option, the Dubs can turn to Lee, who normally starts at shooting guard. Without the three previously mentioned player on the floor, Lee rises to a 21.6% usage rate, which is better than his standard 19.2% usage in any situation. With the Wiz quite literally last in several defensive categories, ball-handler exposure to the situation seems like a must.

Other Notable Picks: Fred VanVleet ($6,500, if he plays), Norman Powell ($4,800, if VanVleet is out), Gary Harris ($4,000)

Small Forward

Andrew Wiggins ($7,300): Speaking of ball handlers against the Wizards, the Warriors' newly acquired asset should do just that. Wiggins has a 24.8% usage rate in his stint with Golden State so far, and that is with Poole playing several games at point guard. The former top pick took 20 shots without Poole on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns but unfortunately did not make many of them. Golden State has lost five of the last six contests by over double digits, which means a clear opportunity to rest their best player, but the hope would be Wiggins produces while seeing his full complement of minutes as 4.5-point home underdogs -- and at a fair price.

OG Anunoby ($5,000): Small forward is a tad messy behind Wiggins, but OG is worth consideration given the injury situations surrounding VanVleet and Serge Ibaka, who is questionable with a knee injury. The latter is much more vital to Anunoby's fantasy prospects because it means the potential for rebounds, and that is why the former Indiana Hoosiers forward pulled down nine after seeing a majority of his 40 minutes at power forward. Anunoby also had six steals Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, but even as a strong defender, do not expect that kind of production again. If the Raptors usual starters continue to miss time, Anunoby is a high-floor option at a position with few of them.

Other Notable Picks: LeBron James ($10,700), Harrison Barnes ($4,900)

Power Forward

Nemanja Bjelica ($4,800): Some daily fantasy pricing algorithms have a tough time calculating an outlier game, and this might be the case. Bjelica had a dreadful one-point performance against Golden State on Tuesday but is still averaging 25.8 FanDuel points per game in February. With Richaun Holmes still sidelined, Bjelica's role nightly has not changed as a steady presence at the four spot next to a permanently rotating center position. After trading Andre Drummond, the Pistons do not exactly have plenty of size, either, which might mean Bjelica could start seeing time at center in a small lineup, helping his rebounding production. It is hard to beat his floor on a four-game slate.

Rui Hachimura ($4,800): The Wizards' first-round pick has finally started to find his stride as the most integral part of their frontcourt, averaging 26.7 FanDuel points in his five contests since the break. The best news is, unlike when he was nursing an injury, Rui's minutes and spot in the rotation are finally stabilizing in front of Davis Bertans, and he has averaged 32.4 minutes per game across the last five. It is a positive thing to roster an athletic rim-runner in a high-paced matchup with Golden State, and Hachimura is just that. He is slotted for 24.7 FanDuel points, per numberFire's projections.

Other Notable Picks: Anthony Davis ($10,700), Zion Williamson ($8,000), Jerami Grant ($4,500)

Center

Marquese Chriss ($6,000): With eight teams on the slate, only three really have a starting center healthy and in FanDuel's pool as a center. Nikola Jokic comes at a steep price, Derrick Favors is seemingly locked into a sub-24 minutes role, but the surprise of the bunch is Chriss. While not a traditional center at a smaller 6'8", his athleticism works very well in Golden State's system, and he has responded to the tune of 34.41 FanDuel points over his last seven games starting for the Warriors. His minutes have varied, but numberFire has him projected for a strong 31.8 minutes against a Wizards defense that, as mentioned, is not good.

Other Notable Picks: Nikola Jokic ($9,500), Alex Len ($4,100)



Austin Swaim is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austin Swaim also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username ASwaim3. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.