3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on Tuesday 11/15/22

Basketball is the most consistent sport for daily fantasy purposes.

A top slugger in baseball will have his fair share of 0-for-4 days, and an elite fantasy football player is at risk of having games where his team's offense as a whole is shut down.

A high-salaried NBA stud is generally going to get his, though. With so many possessions in a game providing opportunities to produce, top fantasy basketball options will be posting high scores just about every night.

While this consistency puts us in a good position to identify top plays, it also means you can't afford to miss when you're paying up for someone. Even with strong value plays in your lineup, paying up and getting a dud is likely going to leave your lineup drawing pretty close to dead.

Which top players should be the focal points of your lineups today?

Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Nets ($11,300)

With Kyrie Irving still away from the team, it's almost saddening to see Kevin Durant have to work so hard this early in the season -- but it's good for fantasy basketball.

Durant has played at least 34 minutes in five straight games, and he's really taken on a do-it-all role -- similar to LeBron James -- versus just a scoring role. Durant notched a triple-double last Thursday against the Knicks, and he posted 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in Brooklyn's contest with the Lakers on Sunday.

All in all, he's posted 1.46 FanDuel points per minute this season with Irving off the floor. That's come on a gaudy 32.6% usage rate.

Given the Kings hold the fourth-worst defensive rating in the NBA (114.6), K.D. could be primed for another monstrous effort.

Ja Morant, PG, Grizzlies ($10,000)

My favorite star of the night is Ja Morant.

The Grizzlies are in what's sure to be a high-flying contest with the Pelicans. The total is 228.5 points, and two key injuries point towards Morant -- and a game stack -- in this one.

First, Memphis is likely to be without Desmond Bane due to his ongoing toe injury. Morant has tallied an obscene 1.55 FanDuel points per minute this year during floor situations without his co-star, and it's come with a 40.2% usage rate that would lead all qualifiers this season.

Second, Zion Williamson is questionable for the opposing Pels with a foot injury. If he sits, New Orleans should provide many of the night's key value pieces, which correlates well with finding the salary for Ja.

Luka Doncic is sitting in the FanDuel pool at point guard, but his 212.0-point total in a battle with the defensively sound Clippers leaves a lot to be desired in terms of a matchup. Morant's environment and prognosis are much better.

Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Kings ($9,600)

Realistically, value (as of early Tuesday) isn't deep enough to get to three studs in your lineup, but there's one -- and only one -- stud at center to discuss.

Domantas Sabonis is the only center-eligible player above $7,500, which should concentrate plenty of popularity on him for Tuesday's slate. I don't think he's an auto-fade because of that.

Oddly, Sabonis started the year with minute concerns, but with those worries alleviated in the past seven games, he's shined. He's posted at least 31 minutes and 38 FanDuel points in each game, and he's averaging 48.1 FanDuel points per 36 minutes on the year.

This salary seems high, but upon investigation, it's really not. Plus, this is a Brooklyn defense that's really struggled with offensive rebounders like Sabonis, with the Nets ceding the seventh-most second-chance points per game in the NBA (15.2) so far.

My initial gut instinct was to cross off Sabonis for a loaded mid-range of centers, but he's a worthwhile consideration who pairs well with Durant.