FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Grizzlies at Timberwolves (4/29/22)

In a traditional FanDuel NBA lineup, you have a $60,000 salary cap to roster nine players. In the single-game setup, the salary cap is the same, but the lineup requirements are different.

You select five players of any position. One of your players will be your MVP, whose FanDuel points are multiplied by two. You also select a STAR player (whose production is multiplied by 1.5) and a PRO (multiplied by 1.2). Two UTIL players round out the roster, and they don't receive a multiplier for their production.

This makes the five players you select important in more than one way, as you need to focus on slotting in the best plays in the multiplier slots rather than just nailing the best overall plays of the game. Read this piece by Brandon Gdula for some excellent in-depth analysis on how to attack a single-game slate in NBA DFS.

Grizzlies-Timberwolves Overview

The NBA's last hope at a first-round Game 7 lies with these two young squads.

The Grizzlies and Timberwolves have played down to the wire in two straight contests after some lopsided affairs to open the series. The 1.5-point spread indicates it could come down the wire again.

The only injuries are on the Memphis side. Ziaire Williams is doubtful with a knee injury. He was seeing limited minutes in this series off the bench.

Steven Adams is totally out of the rotation at this point, but he'll also miss Friday's game inside COVID-19 protocols.

Player Breakdowns

At The Top

Ja Morant ($15,500): Morant is far from a lock to lead the slate in total FanDuel points, but he feels like the most logical place to hunt for upside. Morant's Game 5 eruption came with an increased 29.4% usage rate after a 28.4% mark that fluctuated wildly in the four previous games. On the road, the logical assumption is that he takes more into his hands as the Grizzlies' leader once again.

Anthony Edwards ($12,500): Karl-Anthony Towns has stayed out of foul trouble in consecutive contests, but after a dreadful start to the series with that issue, he's no certainty to lead the Wolves attack. At a significant salary discount, Edwards is capable of eruption games. Edwards eclipsed 30 points in the first two games of the postseason, but he's fought 44.4% shooting since.

Others to Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns ($15,000), Desmond Bane ($13,500)

In The Middle

D'Angelo Russell ($11,500): D'Lo is in this bizarre no man's land between a bench big (Brandon Clarke) and a low-productivity defensive guard (Patrick Beverley) as someone who averaged 1.07 FanDuel points per minute this season. As a result, I expect he'll be excruciatingly popular with the best role of the three. Using him in a STAR or PRO spot could be a great way to differentiate from the field.

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($10,000): In grade school, I was always told to keep my hands to myself. Jackson apparently can't. He's picked up 26 of a possible 30 fouls in this series and fouled out of two straight contests. He averaged 1.20 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he's an absolute nightmare to fade if Game 6 is where he finally plays his full complement of minutes. That's a massive "if" at this stage.

Others to Consider: Brandon Clarke ($12,000), Patrick Beverley ($10,500):

At The Bottom

Dillon Brooks ($9,000): The only full-time role you'll find below $9,000 is Brooks, and there's a massive gap in ceiling given that between him and Morant's backup, Tyus Jones. Brooks has been relegated to a clear tertiary role behind Morant and Bane, so you're at best hoping for an efficient night from the field and enough rebounds, blocks, and steals from simply just being on the floor.

Malik Beasley ($7,500): There is great risk and minimal reward anywhere you travel beyond Brooks, but using low-salaried plays will make your lineup different on this slate where it's very easy not to. Beasley would be my pick as just a low-salaried dart. He exploded for at least 18 points on 17 separate occasions this season, and he was also third in the league in three-point attempts per minute. A hot night would be a tournament winner at this acquisition mark.

Others to Consider: Jarred Vanderbilt ($9,500), Tyus Jones ($8,500), Xavier Tillman ($6,500)