FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Hawks at Bucks (6/23/21)
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.
Let's take a look at who you should target for tonight's matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, which tips off at 8:30 PM Eastern.
All injury updates are via the NBA's official injury report or numberFire's player news.
Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.
MVP Considerations
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($16,500) - This one's pretty simple. Your MVP slot will come down to either Giannis or Trae Young, and the Greek Freak simply offers a better combination of floor and ceiling. Giannis has eclipsed 50 FanDuel points in 9 of his 12 games this postseason, including five outputs of 59.1-plus. Young, while showcasing similar upside, has failed to surpass 43 fantasy points in 6 of his 12 playoff games. numberFire's algorithm projects the two-time MVP to outscore everyone else tonight by 13.7 FanDuel points.
Trae Young ($15,000) - While Young doesn't possess Giannis' floor, he does have quite the ceiling. Over his last eight games, the 22-year-old has racked up at least 54.4 fantasy points five times, including a postseason-high 63 versus the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6. The Bucks did cede the second-fewest assists to opposing point guards over the final 30 games of the regular season, per FantasyPros, so this series could be a tough test for the young superstar.
Khris Middleton ($13,500) - Rostering Middleton in one of the three multiplier spots might offer some leverage tonight, and there's a valid argument for doing so. Over his final five games against the Brooklyn Nets, Khash averaged 28.0 real-life points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.2 steals plus blocks, and 52.2 FanDuel points. Middleton has also garnered at least 44.8 fantasy points in four of his five playoff games at home this year.
Other Players to Consider: Jrue Holiday ($12,000), Clint Capela ($11,000)
Utility Considerations
Kevin Huerter ($10,000) - In the final two games of the second-round series against Philly, Huerter amassed 42.2 and 41.9 FanDuel points. With Bogdan Bogdanovic's health in question, Huerter could once again be relied upon to provide a spark on offense. Huerter's reasonable salary should allow him to fit in many different builds.
Bobby Portis ($7,000) - Portis didn't even make it on to the court for the final three games of the series against Brooklyn, but that was entirely matchup driven. Against Atlanta, however, having a center who can stretch the court and pull Clint Capela out of his comfort zone could play to Milwaukee's advantage. Portis averaged 17.7 minutes and 19.2 FanDuel points in the opening round versus the Miami Heat, and a performance in that range would be excellent value at his salary.
Other Utility Options: Bogdan Bogdanovic ($9,500), Lou Williams ($8,000), Pat Connaughton ($7,500)
