FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Tuesday 3/8/22

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

The headline of today's official NBA injury report? No headache.

The Warriors should be at full strength again with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins set to travel to Los Angeles. Robert Covington (personal) will sit this one out for the Clippers.

Elsewhere, the Suns will still be without Devin Booker (COVID-19 protocols) and Cameron Johnson (quad). Jalen Suggs (ankle) is questionable on the other side for Orlando.

Brooklyn will have many of its stars available in Charlotte, but LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) won't be amongst them. Cameron Thomas (back) is questionable.

Jarrett Allen (finger/quad) is out for Cleveland on Tuesday, and Caris LeVert (foot) also remains out. Indiana has a few ancillary rotation pieces listed as questionable including Chris Duarte (toe), Lance Stephenson (ankle), and Goga Bitadze (foot).

The Thunder will remain without Josh Giddey (hip), but Lu Dort (shoulder) was upgraded to questionable. Isaiah Roby (back) is also questionable for OKC. On the Milwaukee side, Grayson Allen will sit with a hip issue.

Guards

Ja Morant ($9,900): The league's leading MVP candidate certainly does one thing well -- put the ball in the basket. With a 231.5-point total on deck, the environment is right in New Orleans for another big game from Ja. The Pels have actually been one of the league's strongest defenses this year, but they do allow the ninth-most points per game (23.9) to opposing points guards on average. Morant is far from average at his position in terms of scoring.

LaMelo Ball ($7,800): The 239.0-point total in Charlotte honestly doesn't carry many lofty salaries that are prohibitive. Enter the league's least consistent star in tournaments. Ball played just seven minutes last Wednesday after totally lackadaisical effort and foul trouble, but he followed it up with 24 points in 28 minutes on Saturday. If he ends on the right end of that seesaw in this game environment, there's little doubt he'll be a perfect lineup piece at just $7,800.

Cameron Payne ($6,600): Cam Johnson took Phoenix's lead scoring role after Booker went down, but with Johnson now out as well, Payne chipped in 23 points in 35 minutes in Sunday's contest. The court time was the most encouraging aspect for Payne less than a week removed from his return. Orlando and Phoenix are top-10 teams in terms of pace, but this game carries a lower 221.0-point total with so many Suns' pieces out. Thankfully, it also keeps the spread to just 5.5 points.

Others to Consider:
Darius Garland ($8,000): The 19-assist game was helpful to know there's a ceiling at this salary. The floor was already solid.
Reggie Jackson ($7,100): Not sure how you turn to any other Clipper with supreme confidence. 1.41 FanDuel points per minute in March.
Klay Thompson ($5,500): Steph is fine as well, but slightly over-salaried. Think it's the opposite for Klay not too far removed from his illness.
Seth Curry ($4,900): This salary is lower than Curry had as a third option in Philadelphia. Still a full-time role with scoring upside.

Wings

Kevin Durant ($10,300): Durant and Kyrie Irving are both viable in a game with a 239.0-point total, but with similar salaries, just target the better role. That was Durant on Sunday in Boston. Durant had a 34.4% usage rate compared to just 22.6% for Irving -- and that was in a revenge game. That same ranking has held firm with K.D. (29.4%) holding an edge over Kyrie (26.3%) sharing the court together for their entire Brooklyn tenure. Until Irving's salary drops, K.D. is a no-brainer when targeting a Nets star.

Miles Bridges ($6,900): At 1.07 FanDuel points per minute this season with Gordon Hayward off the floor, I'm stunned Bridges is this salary in an environment this good. While his floor has been lower recently, his full-time workload hasn't changed, and he erupted for 52.7 FanDuel points just nine days ago. There have been some blowouts and odd performances from the Charlotte side lately, but I have really no concerns about a blowout when neither they nor Brooklyn play much defense at all.

Jordan Nwora ($4,000): Nwora is the top value play on the entire slate. Grayson Allen will sit this one out, and Nwora saw 26 minutes off the bench even with Allen's 32 minutes on Sunday. At 0.81 FanDuel points per minute this season, Nwora has had decent production to pay off the court time. Importantly, the young player sees run during blowouts. The visiting Bucks are 14-point road favorites over an OKC squad with, due to injuries, less talent than even their poor standard. His role is safe regardless of script.

Others to Consider:
Khris Middleton ($7,500): The one Bucks star I can see paying off this salary in three quarters. Giannis at nearly $12,000 is dicey.
Mikal Bridges ($5,800): Jae Crowder saw a salary lift, but Bridges has taken more shots and played more minutes. Projected well.
Marcus Morris ($5,000): Scuffling badly, but there is upside should he start hot and play his full role. Clippers' wings are admittedly a mess that might be worth avoiding.
Cedi Osman ($4,700): Sneaky way to target the Allen injury. Most may turn to starters and frontcourt players. Osman should see 30-plus.

Bigs

Evan Mobley ($8,100): At $8,100, Mobley is Tuesday's highest-salaried center option. That's a far cry from Nikola Jokic. Even at this elevated mark, Mobley's role is pretty secure with Jarrett Allen set to miss the contest. There is the risk of Ed Davis interfering with all other Cavs' options besides Mobley, but the rookie averages just 1.04 FanDuel points per minute without Allen on the floor this season. He's a tough decision to make at the top of the slate, but his floor is incredibly high.

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($6,100): Jackson Jr. has been a high production (1.14 FanDuel points per minute) option with a path to a full-time role, but he's not been salaried that way a lot. Memphis does bench him in spurts. That wasn't the case Sunday; it was just good ol' foul trouble. His salary has plummeted to this spot where, at his normal rate, he'd just need 26 minutes of court time to pay it off. I love him as an under-the-radar pivot from Kevin Love, but I'll use both in bunches.

Andre Drummond ($4,500): Between Davis and Drummond, spending less at the pivot may actually be optimal today. With LaMarcus Aldridge sidelined, Drummond should start against a Hornets squad that allows the most second-chance points (14.9) per game in the NBA. There's a path to Drummond detonating this slate, and this salary is no longer the $6,000 mark that carried heavy opportunity cost. I'll be here far more than I usually am to a part-time center.

Others to Consider:
Deandre Ayton ($7,300): Spending up at center, Ayton is a high-floor option. Took a team-high 19 shots Sunday. Want to see more of that.
Kevin Love ($6,400): Team-high 1.34 FanDuel points per minute when Allen is off the floor this season. I'll be here more than Mobley.
Jalen Smith ($5,900): 25-plus minutes in six straight and averaging 1.07 FanDuel points per minute with Indiana. He definitely works.
Aleksej Pokusevski ($5,900): Need Roby out so his role is guaranteed, but if he is, a high-production starter that sees time in blowouts.