NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 12/31/16

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 handful of other awesome tools to help give you an edge.

We'll also be coming at you with a 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 slat

Best of the Best

Russell Westbrook (FanDuel Price: $12,000): Westbrook's production this season doesn't need a ton of introduction -- he's averaging a triple-double and is on pace to set the league record in usage rate, which is obviously pretty ideal from a fantasy standpoint. He was ejected early from his last game when he picked up two technical fouls, but before that, he had topped 55 FanDuel points in six straight games, averaging a ridiculous 66.0 FanDuel points per game in that span. A matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers would usually be worrisome -- and it has driven his price down pretty significantly -- but Chris Paul has been hobbled by a hamstring injury, sitting out four of the Clips' last five games. Being defended by either a hobbled Paul or a combination of Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton makes this a great spot for Westbrook, and you can get him a little cheaper than usual.