NBA

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Saturday 2/22/20

Donovan Mitchell is priced modestly and is in a significant pace-up spot against the Rockets. Who else is worth playing on Saturday night?

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 NBA is very reliant on 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:

The Slate

AwayHomeOver/UnderHome SpreadAway TotalHome TotalAway PaceHome Pace
BrooklynCharlotte212+3.5107.75104.251030
DallasAtlanta239+6.0122.5116.5196
ClevelandMiamiTBD-13.5TBDTBD2026
PhoenixChicago219.5+1.5110.5109915
PhiladelphiaMilwaukee226.5-8.5109117.5181
HoustonUtah235-2.5116.25118.75221


Only one missing total is on the board, with teams relatively healthy coming out of the All-Star Break, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat total is down, likely due to the unknown status of Cavs star forward Kevin Love, as the veteran has rested on several back-to-backs this season.

Point Guard

Trae Young ($10,200): This price point just appears to be too low for Young, who -- even with a pace decrease -- has just been red-hot in February. He's averaging 34.0 points and 8.7 assists per game in the month, and he has rounded out the entire stat sheet with regularity of late -- to the tune of 56.72 FanDuel points per game in last five. He dropped 50 against Miami on Thursday and should have even more motivation tonight against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, who traded Young on draft day for Luka.

Terry Rozier ($5,300): Rozier is half -- along with Devonte' Graham -- of the interesting backcourt usage situation for the Charlotte Hornets, as the two really do not have defined positions in the "Buzz City" backcourt. They're both tied for the Hornets' lead in usage (24%), but the difference on this slate is Rozier can be found at $1,200 cheaper than Graham despite scoring in double figures in every game in February. Rozier should start regressing closer to his season-long average in assists per game (4.1) instead of his February average (2.2), which will boost his overall FanDuel scoring output.

Other Notable Picks: Collin Sexton ($5,900), Tomas Satoransky ($5,400), Coby White ($4,500)

Shooting Guard

Donovan Mitchell ($6,900): Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley has rested in two straight games in an injury-plagued season, and a third would mean open usage for Mitchell, who leads the Jazz in usage without Conley on the floor, at 31.3%. Mitchell also sees a significant pace upgrade against a Houston Rockets team that has given up the seventh-most FanDuel points to opposing shooting guards this year, and he will have the ability to let it fly, since Houston also allows the fifth-most three point attempts in the league. Buyer beware -- Mitchell will be extremely popular.

Josh Richardson ($5,000): Ben Simmons likely won't miss Saturday's marquee matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, as he is probable with his back issues, but that does not take Richardson out of the equation at this price tag. J-Rich is finally working his way back from injury, and his 39 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets should be a good sign his minutes have stabilized again. He might be an under-the-radar beneficiary of Al Horford's move to the bench, as he spikes to a 23.3% usage rate with Horford off the floor.

Other Notable Picks: Jimmy Butler ($8,100), Devonte' Graham ($6,500), Duncan Robinson ($4,100)

Small Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300): Giannis is a stat-stuffing monster, so even if this position was not so thin on a six-game slate, he would absolutely be a focal point, but the relative weakness of this position almost makes him a must to spend on. His last seven games have been terrific -- to the tune of averaging 63.85 FanDuel points and nearly 6x value at this price tag. If there is a weak point for Antetokounmpo, it has been having to square off against Joel Embiid at the rim. In their first matchup (on Christmas), he was held to 48.25 FanDuel points, but that was in Philadelphia. At home, Giannis should feast today.

Kelly Oubre ($6,000): This slate is a perfect one to buy low on Oubre. No doubt, the Phoenix Suns' forward has struggled in his last three, posting just 21.03 FanDuel points per game in that time, but looking at Oubre's numbers in the previous six before that, he averaged 38.63 FanDuel points per game. He draws a favorable Chicago Bulls team that is top 10 in opponent steals, blocks, and rebounding, so the energetic hustle wing should have ample opportunity to hit value in the contest.

Other Notable Picks: Mikal Bridges ($5,300), Danuel House Jr. ($4,800), Taurean Prince ($4,300)

Power Forward

Bam Adebayo ($9,100): Adebayo had a career-night against Atlanta Thursday, posting a crazy line of 28 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 assists, and he is in another very solid spot against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Keeping in mind, this is likely a different matchup than before with the newly acquired Andre Drummond playing for Cleveland, but Adebayo is an increasingly appealing option to get exposure to the Miami Heat. With Tyler Herro out, Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder acquired, and Jimmy Butler just back, Miami's backcourt fantasy production is in flux, but Adebayo's rotation spot is solid. That is promising on a night the Heat are 13.5-point favorites at home.

Thaddeus Young ($5,700): The Bulls are still without Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., and Otto Porter, and they have been searching for a consistent answer in the frontcourt. It might be Young. He is averaging 29.48 FanDuel points, but the more encouraging part is it has come in 33.5 minutes per game. He draws a great matchup against the Suns, who have allowed the eighth-most FanDuel points to opposing power forwards. Young and the Bulls see a substantial pace increase against the Suns, as well.

Other Notable Picks: John Collins ($8,000), Jarrett Allen ($5,100), P.J. Washington ($4,800)

Center

P.J. Tucker ($4,200): A first in basketball helper articles that the featured center of the day was 6'5" tall, but that is where we stand with the experimental Rockets, who now do not have a real center in the rotation. Tucker is absolutely a boom-or-bust option because of his lack of productivity on the offensive end outside of three-point attempts, but he should see a sizable rebounding increase moving forward with Clint Capela traded. The recent acquisitions have not hurt Tucker's minutes, either, as he is at 33.6 minutes per game in February. He's a low-cost option who is optimal for trying to squeeze in high-end ones with Giannis and Trae Young.

Other Notable Picks: Deandre Ayton ($9,000), Cristiano Felicio ($3,600)



Austin Swaim is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austin Swaim also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username ASwaim3. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.