FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Wednesday 5/4/22

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

Wednesday's injury report is identical to Monday's.

The 76ers will still be without Joel Embiid (fractured orbital), but he's their lone listing.

Then, the Miami Heat parade begins. Kyle Lowry (hamstring) will sit once more with Miami winning Game 1 handily without him. Then, Tyler Herro (ankle), Gabe Vincent (knee), Max Strus (hamstring), P.J. Tucker (calf), and Caleb Martin (ankle) are all listed as questionable. All played Monday through the same listed injury.

The nightcap between Dallas and Phoenix is completely clean once more.

Guards

Tyrese Maxey ($6,900): FanDuel's salary cap can control strategy. There are just far more viable budget options at guard than either forward or center, so spending down here goes a long way towards an optimal roster. Maxey's salary decrease was helpful to give him a realistic ceiling in this spot. Game 6 in Toronto, Maxey flew by value at this mark with 25 points and 8 assists. That was with Embiid playing. He can definitely improve upon his 40.0% shooting in Game 1.

Jalen Brunson ($6,700): At his new salary, Luka Doncic is going to need another massive effort to eclipse value at a position with alternatives. I'd rather roll the dice with his teammates Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie in full-time roles at literally half the salary. Brunson's Game 1 letdown included a trip to the locker room, but he's still posted 32.7 FanDuel points in three games alongside Luka even factoring in that stinker.

Others to Consider:
Spencer Dinwiddie ($5,100): Without exaggeration -- the only guard in the $5,000 range. Helps he's eclipsed 30 minutes in back-to-back games.
Victor Oladipo ($3,900): Many might bail after a poor Game 1, but he still logged 26 minutes. Talented player, too. At a lower salary than Danny Green, I'll take the scoring juice every time.

Wings

James Harden ($9,000): With trepidation, I'm willing to fire up he whom my group chat with friends at home has dubbed "Small Game James". Harden let the city of Philadelphia down with just 15 points and a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in Game 1, but the Sixers' supporting cast did his playmaking zero favors. Of the 15 potential assists he had, just 5 were converted. Given the salary decrease, he's more palatable with a hot night from the field producing quite the ceiling at this juncture.

Reggie Bullock ($4,800): You know a player's role is pretty absurd when Bullock fought foul trouble (and fouled out) in Game 1 and still logged 33 minutes. That's because the three-and-D wing posted at least 44 minutes in all but one of their games against the Jazz last series. On a slate this short for value, I would heavily consider rostering myself with 45 projected minutes next to Luka Doncic. It's a no-brainer considering Bullock's propensity to splash threes and collect steals.

Others to Consider:
Jimmy Butler ($10,300): With Lowry off the floor, he posted 1.24 FanDuel points per minute. He's in play with a full role and may go ignored for the Philly studs.
Tobias Harris ($7,800): Rebounding and usage bumps without Embiid. Salary decrease entering Game 2. Love it.

Bigs

Bam Adebayo ($8,300): Both of these series may remain uncompetitive until Joel Embiid's return, and it's because both series underdogs have zero quality bigs to stop Adebayo or Deandre Ayton. Adebayo posted 24 points and 12 rebounds in just 33 minutes, and he'll be projected for a 40-minute role if this game stays closer than Monday's was. His floor is so high at this salary with the Sixers' lack of quality competition for him on the glass.

Deandre Ayton ($7,900): The Mavs don't get enough credit for how terrible the centers are following the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Maxi Kleber is so much more dynamic offensively than Dwight Powell, but Kleber also is among the league's worst defensive centers. Ayton needed just 33 minutes to post 25 points and 8 rebounds, and while his per-dollar value in this space isn't great, your alternative at center is 15 minutes from Paul Reed or DeAndre Jordan. That lofts him into lock territory in cash games.

Others to Consider:
Dorian Finney-Smith ($5,900): Realistically, he's 40 minutes to fill power forward behind Ayton or Adebayo. The lower salary helps.
Jae Crowder ($5,200): I'm fine with Cameron Johnson here at a lower salary as well, but like Finney-Smith, it's just about finding court time at these positions today.