3 NBA FanDuel Tournament Plays to Target on 12/28/20

"One cannot be betrayed if one has no people."

How many times have we been burned by the chalk in NBA DFS?

When it's time to start building GPP lineups, especially for NBA tournaments, the fundamental choice to make is whether or not to buy into the chalk plays of the slate. More than any other sport, the popular plays in NBA are popular for a reason. Where we often get into trouble in tournaments, however, is when we begin to blindly trust a slate's chalk.

This regular piece will focus on tournaments looking through the lens of the projected chalk plays -- the usual suspects -- of that night's games. In an attempt to understand the context of the slate, this column will look at lower-owned plays that help you gain ownership leverage against the competition.

Monday's slate is only five games, but it should still offer plenty of opportunity to differentiate off of the chalk plays of the night. Let's dig in to see where we can pivot.

Guard

Dennis Schroder ($6,000) - Shooting guard is going to have some uber-chalk today. The opposite ends of the salary spectrum feature James Harden ($11,500) and a bewilderingly under-salaried Dillon Brooks ($3,700). It will be hard to get away from those options today, but Schroeder's salary is right in the middle of those two, plus he has an opportunity for increased usage, making him a decent pivot.

Through three games, Schroeder is averaging 29 FanDuel points per game and will likely get to play without at least one of Anthony Davis or LeBron James tonight in the game with a strong 227.5 implied total. Even with those superstars in the lineup, the new Lakers guard has a 25% usage rate, too.

In tonight's game, he squares off with Damian Lillard, who ranked 88th among 95 point guards in real defensive plus-minus last season.

Forward

Jerami Grant ($5,700) - Once again, there is very little at the small forward position tonight, especially if Lebron and Kevin Durant sit out in their respective games, as expected.

I predict a lot of managers will roster Michael Porter Jr. against the under-manned Houston Rockets tonight, so pivoting to Grant for just $200 less immediately offers differentiation on a small slate.

The Detroit Pistons will rest Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin tonight, who combine for a 49% usage rate and have the two highest individual usage numbers on the team. Shots will be available tonight for Grant against the Atlanta Hawks, who are playing at the sixth-fastest pace and have allowed their opponents to score 108 points per game in the young season.

Center

Rudy Gobert ($7,700) - Gobert is not someone you typically rely on to score beaucoup de points when he is on your daily fantasy roster. He is someone who stuffs the stat sheet with rebounds, blocks, and steals, while generally chipping in 12-16 points.

Gobert's type of game is perfectly suited for the matchup tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are starting hybrid forward Al Horford at the center spot after trading away Nerlens Noel and Steven Adams. The result has not been good for the Thunder's interior presence. In the early going, they allow the most blocks (8.0!), fourth-most steals, and fourth-most offensive rebounds to their opponents.

This environment sets up perfectly for Gobert to have one of his patented 14-point, 16-rebound, 3-block games, which would smash value at only $7,700 tonight.