NBA

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Wednesday 4/6/22

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

Away Home Game
Total
Away
Implied
Total
Home
Implied
Total
Away
Pace
Home
Pace
Dallas Detroit 220 114.25 105.75 30 12
Brooklyn New York 229.5 117.75 111.75 10 27
Washington Atlanta 233.5 111.5 122 23 19
Boston Chicago 222.5 115 107.5 24 16
Oklahoma City Utah 220.5 101.75 118.75 12 22
Phoenix LA Clippers 226.5 112.75 113.75 9 18


The most seismic NBA daily fantasy news for Wednesday isn't even on the official injury report yet.

The Phoenix Suns have locked up the top seed in the West and have very little to play for. As a result, the Clippers are favored by a point tonight in a game where they're also locked into their 8-seed. Translation -- oddsmakers are expecting resting players from the Suns on the second leg of their back-to-back.

Los Angeles is doubtful to get Norman Powell (foot) back on the other side.

Danilo Gallinari (knee) missed Tuesday's game for Atlanta, and he's questionable again for Wednesday. They're in Washington, and Kyle Kuzma (knee) is unlikely to return for the Wiz.

Tre Mann (hamstring) probably won't suit up for Oklahoma City because he could help them win, but he's officially questionable.

The Pistons are resting Kelly Olynyk, and Marvin Bagley III (hip) will miss a third straight contest for Detroit as well.

Finally, Seth Curry (ankle) sat Tuesday's game in Brooklyn, and he'll likely do the same Wednesday against the Knicks. The team is currently without Goran Dragic (COVID-19 protocols) as well. New York has listed both Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes questionable with knee injuries.

Guards

Luka Doncic ($11,200): Both of the top stars of the day are at guard. Doncic's Mavericks travel to Detroit needing a win to vie for playoff seeding, and Trae Young's Hawks are battling for play-in seeding with an equally-pedestrian Wizards matchup. I'd want both ideally, but I'd give the slightest nod to Luka just simply not coming off a back-to-back. Doncic has been masterful in his last five games, posting an unfathomable 1.76 FanDuel points per minute from a guard spot.

Cameron Payne ($4,900): Given his bad blood with the Clippers' organization and not resting since last week, Chris Paul is Phoenix's most likely rest candidate. A bulk of Payne's work this season has been either subbing in for Paul or outright starting for him, and he's posted 1.09 FanDuel points per minute in that situation. If this hypothesis does indeed come to fruition, Payne will be the can't-miss value of the day at this salary.

Others to Consider:
Trae Young ($10,400): Could make every bit the case for him. 1.59 FanDuel points per minute in his last five at a lower salary.
Marcus Smart ($5,600): Total blowout of Washington has dropped his salary way too drastically. Played just 21 minutes.
Ish Smith ($4,400): Likely to be a key target after last night's perfect lineup performance. His role hasn't really changed, though.

Wings

Paul George ($9,000): The Clippers have two days on both sides of this game, so it's doubtful George rests for this contest. In that event, he might actually be primed for a full role, and he's been sensational since returning. George has averaged 1.48 FanDuel points per minute on a whopping 36.9% usage rate. While most might be afraid of the minutes, the lower salary and his production rate are both superb for what very clearly seems like a playoff tune-up spot.

Jaylen Hoard ($4,500): If you're not sure who Jaylen Hoard is, I wouldn't blame you. I'd argue the Thunder should face sanctions for stunts like pulling Hoard from the G-League on Friday and straight into 40 minutes in an attempt to lose games, but Hoard's play has not allowed it. He poured in 24 points and pulled down 21 rebounds during Tuesday's tank-off with Portland -- and led them to a win.

OKC is playing essentially just six guys now; Aleksej Pokusevski is the latest productive player to just disappear from the rotation. Any of them actually in the player pool -- which isn't all of them -- are viable. Good grief.

Others to Consider:
Kevin Durant ($11,500): Love the player in this matchup, but this top salary on the slate isn't appropriate. Still some upside in tournaments.
Dorian Finney-Smith ($4,800): 41 minutes last game. Hard not to be viable at this salary with that court time.
Rui Hachimura ($4,800): Played 37 minutes in a blowout last night, and that's important. Double-digit margins in five straight for the tanking Wizards.

Bigs

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,900): Porzingis is absolutely a rest candidate on a back-to-back for Washington, but he's been playing through them his whole tenure. He's really had the training wheels removed with the Wiz; he's played at least 26 minutes in each of the last five games -- all decided by blowouts. If he plays, he'll bring his 1.46 FanDuel points per minute since the trade into the slate-high 233.5-point total expected in Atlanta. That's the best big man on the slate by a mile.

Isaiah Livers ($5,000): With Olynyk and Bagley both sidelined, and Isaiah Stewart playing just 27 combined minutes in the Pistons' last two, Livers should get all the minutes he can handle in the frontcourt. Each of the previous three times he's had the opportunity to crack 30 minutes, he's responded with at least 27 FanDuel points. Stewart should play more with Olynyk resting as well, but Livers is a far safer proposition.

Others to Consider:
Al Horford ($6,500): 1.17 FanDuel points per minute in a full role since Robert Williams went down. Still under-salaried.
Isaiah Roby ($6,500): One of those 40-minute Thunder options. Just be sure to check the starting lineup with these guys.
Deandre Ayton ($6,200): If Ayton plays and other Phoenix players sit, vault him straight to the starting center spot. He could rest, though.