FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 4/15/21

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 and COVID-19 situations. Our projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news and we also have player news updates.

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.

Please note: When I'm referencing a player's value figure, it is the number of fantasy points scored for every $1,000 in salary. Typically, a value figure of 5.0 (meaning, 5.0 FanDuel points for every $1,000 in salary) is the minimum baseline we'll be targeting.

Let's take a look at who you should target on tonight's four-game slate, which locks at 7:30 PM Eastern.

All injury updates are via the NBA's official injury report or numberFire's player news.

Slate Overview

This table is via Brandon Gdula's matchup sheet -- it shows the over/under for each game, as well as each team's spread and implied total. The table also includes each squad's offensive rating, adjusted for opponent, as well as opponent-adjusted defensive rating for the opposing team, including the respective league-wide ranks for each of those ratings.

Teams are sorted by their implied total.

Point Guard

Stephen Curry ($10,500) - Curry has put up at least 47 FanDuel points in eight straight games, including 53.1, 61.2, and 61.2 in his last three. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been above average against the point guard position, but Steph is basically as matchup-proof as it gets.

Dennis Schroder ($6,600) - While he doesn't have the highest of ceilings or the greatest of matchups, Schroder is still an option worth considering at the point tonight. The 27-year-old needs 33 fantasy points to accrue five-times value tonight, and he has put up 34.2-plus in 8 of his last 12 efforts.

Others to consider (listed in order of preference): De'Aaron Fox ($9,700), Chris Paul ($8,000), Brandon Goodwin ($3,700), Alex Caruso ($3,700)

Shooting Guard

Devin Booker ($9,000) - I highlighted Booker as a player to target in today's studs column. Tonight, Booker and the Phoenix Suns will be taking on a Sacramento Kings team that ranks dead last in defensive efficiency and, according to numberFire's DvP tool, has surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to shooting guards per 48 minutes. The All-Star is fresh off a 20.1-fantasy-point outing, and in his last eight games following a sub-35-point performance, Booker has averaged 47.8 FanDuel points. Phoenix's implied total is nearly six points higher than any other team tonight, and I'll definitely be chasing that.

Tyrese Haliburton ($5,400) - Despite a matchup with the Suns, Haliburton is our model's third-best projected point-per-dollar play on the entire slate. The rookie dropped 37.4 FanDuel points on the Washington Wizards last night, which means that he has now exceeded 32 in three of his last six games.

Others to Consider: Andrew Wiggins ($7,100), Lou Williams ($4,400), Donte DiVincenzo ($5,800 - Questionable)

Small Forward

Bogdan Bogdanovic ($7,200) - The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled to defend small forwards this season, as they have ceded the second-most real-life points, 10th-most rebounds, third-most made three-pointers, fifth-most blocks, and seventh-most fantasy points, according to FantasyPros. Bogdanovic has topped 36 fantasy points in six of his last nine games, including outputs of 46.1, 46.8, 48.9, and 50.5 during that stretch.

Kent Bazemore ($5,000) - With Kelly Oubre out once again, Bazemore looks like a great plug-and-play. In fact, our algorithm has him projected as the fourth-best value play on tonight's four-game slate. The veteran has eclipsed 25 FanDuel points in three of his last five games and, according to RotoGrinders, he averages an additional 0.13 fantasy points per minute with Oubre, James Wiseman, and Eric Paschall off the court. Bazemore also gets a tasty matchup, as the Cavs rank 24th against the position over their last 15 games.

Others to Consider: Khris Middleton ($7,800), Cam Johnson ($4,000), Mikal Bridges ($5,200), Jaylen Brown ($8,100)

Power Forward

Draymond Green ($7,100) - Our algo has Draymond Green racking up 35.5 FanDuel points tonight, which would result in five-times value on the dot. In four of his last seven games, Draymond has accumulated outputs of 43.9, 46.9, 48, and 59.0 FanDuel points -- that's elite upside for a player with a salary under $8,000. The matchup is a dandy, too, as the Cavs have surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points to power forwards over their last 30 games.

Jayson Tatum ($9,400) - If you can fit Tatum into your lineups, it might not be the worst idea to do so. Over his last three games, Tatum has garnered 44.0, 53.5, and 69.0 (nice) FanDuel points, which means that he's had at least 44 in 6 of his last 11 outings. The matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers is the kicker here. In their last 15 games, no team in the Association has been more generous to power forwards than Los Angeles.

Others to Consider: Bobby Portis ($6,000 - if Giannis Antetokounmpo is inactive), Harrison Barnes ($5,800), Markieff Morris ($4,900), Jae Crowder ($4,800)

Center

Jarrett Allen ($7,100) - Allen returned from an eight-game absence last night and posted a respectable 30.6 FanDuel points, and he gets an absolutely titillating matchup tonight. Over their last 30 games, Golden State has conceded the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers, including the fourth-most real-life points, sixth-most rebounds, 10th-most assists, and sixth-most steals. Prior to his injury, Allen had topped 35 fantasy points in four of his five previous games.

Others to Consider: Kevon Looney ($3,500), Andre Drummond ($6,800), Deandre Ayton ($7,400)