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NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 1/31/19

Rajon Rondo has been rolling since returning to action. Can we expect more of the same against the Clippers?

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 hugely 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 ton of other great resources to help give you an edge.

We'll also be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each price point.

Let's take a look at who you should target on today's main slate.

Best of the Best

Joel Embiid ($11,600): The Golden State Warriors don't make for an overly soft fantasy matchup, but they do allow slightly above-average fantasy production to centers. The return of DeMarcus Cousins might change that some, but their ranking in rebound rate is actually slightly lower (eighth) since his return than it is in on the season (sixth). Ranking fourth in the NBA with an average of 1.57 FanDuel points per minute, Embiid should be able to do some serious damage in the big minutes that the Philadelphia 76ers are likely going to have to call on him for as 9.0-point underdogs. That line does suggest some blowout risk, but blowout losses haven't been too bad for Embiid's minutes. In his six losses that were decided between 10 and 20 points this year, Embiid has still topped 35 minutes three times, playing no fewer than 32.5 in that sample.

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