FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Monday 12/6/21

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 basketball is very reliant on a player's 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 on FanDuel.

The Slate and Key Injuries

Over the weekend, the Charlotte Hornets threw it back to 2020. LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Mason Plumlee, and Jalen McDaniels all entered the COVID-19 protocols on early Saturday morning. That significantly impacted their rotation on Sunday, and salaries are largely unadjusted for Monday.

The slate could also once again be down its top stud. Giannis Antetokounmpo is still nursing a calf issue for Milwaukee, and Monday would mark a third straight game missing if he's unable to go.

Karl-Anthony Towns was a game-time decision and sat on Friday with his tailbone bruise. It was a close call for KAT, so with two full days of rest, I'd assume he's closer to probable, but he's officially listed as questionable for Monday. His teammate D'Angelo Russell (ankle) joins him with that status.

Speaking of tailbones, the Miami Heat are hoping to get back Jimmy Butler after a four-game leave due to his lower back issue. He's also listed as questionable.

Portland will be without Damian Lillard once more. Lillard has already been ruled out with the same abdominal injury. However, his backup Anfernee Simons also will miss the game due to an ankle injury.

Oklahoma City welcomes back Josh Giddey from his non-COVID illness on Monday, but they'll still be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (concussion).

Devin Booker will sit once more for Phoenix, but there's minimal value to be had with Landry Shamet and Cameron Johnson adjusted fairly.

The Philadelphia 76ers may also be missing Tobias Harris for another game due to a non-COVID illness. He's listed as questionable. With two full days off, he should have a decent chance to play tonight.

Guards

Dejounte Murray ($9,900): The question at guard is what to do when fading Stephen Curry. The Warriors are 14.5-point favorites over the Magic, and there's no reasonable assurance Curry even needs to be part of the action to blow Orlando out. Despite a tough matchup with Phoenix, it's hard to argue with Murray in any spot. The guard's season-long 26.3% usage rate has spiked to 28.5% over the last two weeks. It's also hard to argue with his floor (at least 45 FanDuel points in eight of nine games) in such a topsy-turvy season.

Josh Giddey ($6,200): What do the Thunder have for an encore after the worst loss in NBA history? Things should be better for OKC as just five-point road underdogs on Monday. A huge reason why should be the return of Josh Giddey. Giddey is the team's qualifying leader in FanDuel points per minute (1.06) with SGA off the floor this season. His ability to stuff all categories gives him a high floor into a plus matchup with Detroit (109.7 defensive rating; 8th-worst in the NBA).

Ish Smith ($4,500): Smith should comfortably coast to a 30-plus-minute role with Charlotte's starting backcourt both in COVID-19 protocols. As usual with the consummate professional, he hopped off the bench from a string of low minutes to 18 points and 7 assists on Sunday. With the history of production (0.90 FanDuel points per minute last season), Smith will be the deserved and appropriate chalk at the position today. It's hard to find a reason to fade it.

Others to Consider:
Chris Paul ($8,400): The Spurs are the very best matchup for point guards in the NBA. If Paul can't eclipse value tonight without Booker, he's just officially untouchable at this salary.
Jrue Holiday ($7,800): A core play if Giannis sits again. Khris Middleton has starred so far without Giannis, but Holiday is more than capable.
Reggie Jackson ($5,500): Saturday's blowout aside, Jackson is crazy under-salaried. He has at least 27 FanDuel points in the last six games with over 32 minutes.
Dennis Smith ($5,000): His salary vaulted up after a 36.8 FanDuel-point game starting for Lillard. Still a great role for it.

Wings

Miles Bridges ($8,400): Both Bridges and Gordon Hayward ($6,700) are firmly on the menu as the top options for Charlotte at the moment. Even though Hayward was the top dog in usage on Sunday, Bridges (22.9%) has seen a higher usage rate than Hayward (21.0%) on the whole season in all floor conditions. Bridges played 40 minutes in the game, as well, and his floor will be very high with a top-shelf role in that type of workload.

Caris LeVert ($5,100): Friday was more like it for "CLV". LeVert dropped in 27 points in 37 minutes to -- potentially -- save his current role amidst some horrid shooting struggles. He's been a staple in the helper for seemingly weeks because he's generally under-salaried due to those shooting woes, but he'll be closer to $7,000 before long if his shot form from Friday continues.

Saddiq Bey ($4,800): A matchup with the Thunder needs to be the "get-right" spot for the struggling Pistons wing. There's no doubt that the emergence of Cade Cunningham has all but eliminated his consistent 30-plus-FanDuel-point upside, but he's also fallen to the tier that's just generally too low for a full-time starter (32.0 minutes per game in November) who can grab boards (6.82 rebounds per 36 minutes). Both Detroit and OKC starters are all viable since the blowout risk inherently baked into their salaries may not factor in for once.

Others to Consider:
Paul George ($8,900): Fair salary we saw him hit easily on Friday. Will be a larger factor in my builds if Butler sits.
Jimmy Butler ($8,800): Salary has naturally dropped during injury, but it's way too low if he suits up. Likely no restrictions with just a tailbone bruise.
Kelly Oubre ($5,800): 22.2% usage rate this season. Extremely viable Charlotte option, as well. Come one, come all.
Kevin Huerter ($4,600): His FanDuel points per game graph looks like a cryptocurrency, but 30-plus minutes in four straight at this salary is an automatic qualifier.

Bigs

Nikola Jokic ($10,900): I don't think I've ever seen one specific floor condition have such an automatic, lasting impact on a player's production. Without Michael Porter Jr. on the floor, in a sample that's existed for weeks now, Jokic is still maintaining an absurd 1.82 FanDuel points per minute on a 34.9% usage rate. He's been personally injured to mask that production level, but he's going to be on perpetual 60-burger watch in any Denver game that stays close. He's the best stud on the slate.

PJ Washington ($6,000): Playing NBA daily fantasy on Sundays is like "The Twilight Zone," so it was no surprise that when Nick Richards was announced starting, it ended up mattering exactly zero. Richards still ceded to Washington off the bench, and PJ played 37 minutes. He may not start again tonight, but his role isn't in question. In addition to the boards from the center, his usage rate increases 1.4 percentage points this season without LaMelo on the floor. The salary doesn't make him a clear and obvious value, but he's a standout in his range.

Isaiah Stewart ($5,300): With back-to-back games 32-plus minutes and at least 34 FanDuel points, this is just a delay in the salary catching up to Stewart over the weekend. With at least 14 boards in both games, we've officially seen why many projections and optimizers have listed Stewart as a value around this salary for months. There's really no doubting a third straight ceiling game with OKC allowing the fifth-most FanDuel points per game to opposing centers (56.77).

Others to Consider:
Joel Embiid ($10,400): The second-best stud on the slate occupies the same position as the first. Tragic. Still dominating (1.54 FanDuel points per minute) since returning from injury.
Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,100): 1.32 FanDuel points per minute the past week without Ja Morant. A star in the making.
Myles Turner ($6,700): With at least 31 FanDuel points in six of his past seven contests, a way better floor than I expected to find.
P.J. Tucker ($4,300): Exact same story to pivot off Dewayne Dedmon as Friday when he dropped 31.2 FanDuel points. Problem? Saturday (3.2 FanDuel points) is equally likely. Break glass in case of emergency only.